The once-popular TV show “Glee” placed a spotlight onhigh school choir groups and Fresno State’s Real Men Sing and Real Middle Men Sing concerts intend to do the same.

Started in 2002, by Dr. Anna Hamre, director of choral activities, the Central California Men’s Choir Festival is comprised of middle school and high school males taking in part in what they do best””singing.

Over 200 middle school students and around 400 high school students participate, said Dr. Tony Mowrer, chair of the music department.
Leading them and sometimes inspiring them through their own performances are Fresno State’s own male choir vocalists, said Hamre. The student ACDA (American Choral Directors Association) chapter and local music fraternity Gamma P, chapter of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia, participate as organizers and choir directors for the young male singers.

Aaron Burdick, choral assistant for the program, also knows how instrumental these performances are in reaching possibly future Fresno State students to join the music department.

Burdick, who grew up being involved in school choirs, said the students’ feedback resonates with how the prospect of joining a choir can be sometimes intimidating for the students and Fresno State’s choir performances show them what’s possible inside of the world of choir groups, even if it may be outside of social norms.

“Exposing young kids to these mature choirs is important,” said Burdick. “Specifically, a really good men’s choir especially for a lot of younger guys, because I mean when you’re younger, some kids get teased or it’s just not the ‘cool’ thing to do (being in choir).”

Not only is it beneficial to the middle and high school students who visit the music department and apply their lessons from Fresno State faculty, but in turn, Fresno State choir students also learn a thing or two, said Mowrer.

“Our students see something of how to work with voice development and they also are involved in the organizational process and that’s incredibly valuable for their profession of understanding what’s going on behind the scenes,” said Mowrer. “Or in many cases it helps develop leadership, it’s multifaceted for what directly involved students pick up.”

Guest clinician Frank F. Eychaner, the director of choral studies at the University of Texas of the Permian Basin, and coaches Mark Lanford and Dan Bishop were also on hand to guide and teach the singers on Thursday and Friday.

Although the Real Middle Men Sing concert took place on Thursday, the Real Men Sing performance will be held in the Concert Hall at noon on Friday.