Living the Life: Q & A with Elizabeth Woodhouse, founder and artistic director of Newport Sings
By Sarah Winters
Newport Life chatted with Elizabeth Woodhouse, founder of Newport Sings, ahead of the annual Winter Concert on December 15th at 4 p.m. at the Calvary United Methodist Church in Middletown.
Q: Tell us a bit about yourself. How did you come to be in the Newport area?
A: I grew up in the Midwest, but both of my extended families were in Rhode Island so we spent summers in Little Compton. After a long and windy road that took me from Colorado to Ohio and then New York, I finally landed in Rhode Island in 2016. In 2017, I moved to Newport to begin the Newport County Youth Chorus programs.
Q: What’s your music background?
A: I loved singing from an early age and couldn’t wait until I was old enough to join the school choir. Once I joined, I never stopped! I knew in high school that I wanted to conduct youth choirs so I went to the University of Colorado at Boulder to get a music education degree and eventually my Masters in Choral Conducting at The Ohio State University. My 20+ year career has been primarily working with community youth chorus programs across the country and recently I have shifted to working more with collegiate and adult choruses including two of the Newport Sings ensembles: the Aquidneck Singers, a multigenerational women’s chorus, and Quorus, Newport’s first and only LGBTQIA+ chorus for teens and adults.
Q: Why is leading a community organization and bringing people together through song important to you?
A: When I set out to become a choral conductor it was inspired by the feelings of belonging and joy I felt when I sang with a choir. Singing in a choir is by definition a “community;” we come together to share our voices and create something we could not achieve by ourselves. At the core of the Newport Sings mission is providing opportunities for youth and adults to discover the joy and power of singing in community with others. I believe that creating a space for people to connect, laugh, feel welcomed and safe, and express ourselves is essential to our wellbeing and to building a vibrant, healthy community.
Q: What led you to creating Newport Sings?
A: Because of my background working with community youth choruses, I started by launching the Newport County Youth Chorus in the fall of 2017. I wanted to create a program that was truly accessible; that meant that there wasn’t an audition or cost to join. That first year we offered three classes each week at locations where students were already: one as part of the Pell elementary after-school program, one before school at Pell and one at the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Center, where many Pell students are bussed for after-school academic support. Over the course of the next couple of years, we expanded to offer classes at new locations, serving more singers across Aquidneck Island and also started programs for middle school students. The dream was starting to become a reality! We established the organization as a nonprofit in 2019, which was originally called the Choral Collective of Newport County. That fall, we also started the Aquidneck Singers, a multigenerational women’s chorus. We were growing and feeling more established and then…we know what happened next. The forced pause in programming due to the pandemic provided an opportunity for the Board of Directors to clarify the organization’s purpose. Since essentially “relaunching” in fall of 2021, our organization has been able to respond to our community’s interests and needs thanks to our clearer mission and values. In the past two years, we have added new programs like Quorus and Community Sing and have rebranded as “Newport Sings,” which better reflects us and the work that we’re doing.
Q: How would you describe the winter concert to someone who hasn’t been to it before?
A: The Newport Sings Winter Concert is a celebration of our singing community! All of our ensembles are featured in this joy-filled concert. Audience members will hear familiar songs as well as new songs we hope will bring them joy and comfort. There will even be a singalong so the audience members can join in the fun! As is true of our weekly classes, we want our community to feel welcome so there are no advance tickets; we simply ask for a donation of any amount to support Newport Sings.
Q: What was your favorite part of last year’s concert? What excites you the most for this year’s?
A: Every concert is like a stamp in time and when I look back, I love to see how the groups have grown in number (or size in the case of the Newport County Youth Chorus singers!). My favorite moment at last year’s winter concert was when singers from all of the ensembles sang together to end the concert – I always get emotional when I hear and see singers of all ages and backgrounds singing side by side. It is a wonderful reflection of our Newport community coming together to create beautiful music and spread joy!
Q: What’s another upcoming event for Newport Sings?
A: The Winter Concert wraps up our winter performance season, which has been busy! In November, Quorus sang at two events honoring the Transgender Day of Remembrance and members of Community Sing and Quorus performed at the closing reception of Veronica Mays’ “Heart Wide Open” quilt exhibit at Looking Upwards’ Sunlight Studios. Newport County Youth Chorus and Aquidneck Singers spread holiday cheer at the Bowen’s Wharf Tree Lighting. We love sharing our voices with our community!
Q: What’s a challenge you’ve had to overcome whether in a leadership role or otherwise?
A: At the core of our mission and values is the desire to provide our programs for anyone who wishes to participate. This means that all of our programs do not require an audition and are free or very low cost. In the past two years, we have added a number of programs in response to the interest and needs of our community. A challenge has been balancing the wonderful opportunities to grow and collaborate with the realities of managing a nonprofit including funding and staffing; balancing the “wanting to do it all” with our organization’s sustainability.
Q: What are some holiday things you like to do in or around the Newport area?
A: Newport Sings has loved being a part of the Bowen’s Wharf Tree Lighting for the past four years. We were thrilled to be invited back each year to spread some holiday cheer; it always gets me in the holiday mood!
Q: What’s your favorite holiday song?
A: How can I choose just one?! The first one that came to mind was “White Christmas” because I love watching that movie every year. “May your days be merry and bright” is a lovely wish to spread this holiday season and always!
Read more installments from our Living the Life series, spotlighting people and happenings around town.
