Boys invited to see chorus

For the All-American Boys Chorus, which has operated out of the Orange County Fairgrounds for more than 30 years, business continues as usual although the 150-acre property is up for sale.

The nonprofit organization hasn’t spent much time or resources on trying to figure out what it should do if the fairgrounds is sold, said Tony Manrique, the chorus’ executive director.

“We are concerned like anybody would be concerned,” he said. “And we are waiting to see what’s going to happen, but there isn’t too much we can do about it, so we are waiting to see what the final results are.”

In the meantime, and for the first time Saturday, the organization will open its doors to prospective students and their parents, permitting them to watch the chorus’ rehearsal.

The idea is to give parents and their children a sampling of what the chorus has to offer, Manrique said.

“It’s a new way for us to introduce people to our chorus,” Manrique said. “When you go to a new school you always have an open house. Since we rehearse on Saturday, we thought we should let people come and see it.”

The All-American Boys Chorus teaches students about all aspects of music, including music history, reading music and singing from jazz and Broadway to folk and patriotic numbers. The chorus will celebrate its 40th anniversary in July at the Crystal Cathedral in Garden Grove.

“The chorus started as a church choir and then it sort of expanded and more kids in the community wanted to be part of it,” Manrique said.

A group of parents formed the nonprofit and opened it for kids from throughout the community.

“I think we are Orange County’s best kept secret,” Manrique said. “We’ve been here 40 years, and a lot of people don’t know about the All-American Boys Chorus.”

The chorus, which has about 110 students, accepts boys between the ages of 8 and 15.

“The best time for a boy to start is when he’s 8, 9 or 10,” Manrique said. “That doesn’t mean we wouldn’t take an 11-year-old, it’s just that’s the best time to start the program. We’ve had boys as old as 11 or 12, and they’ve done very well.”

The chorus relies on proceeds from its concerts and on donations. But the organization, which takes no money from the government, has been suffering because of the recession.

One of the chorus’ main source of income comes from performing at functions and banquets, “and because of the economic recession, they are either being scaled back or eliminated and that hurts us a lot,” Manrique said.

Donations are a second source of income for chorus, which also has been hit hard.

“People are giving to us, but they are giving less,” he said.

Now, more than ever, Manrique said, his organization serves a vital role as public school budget cuts have eliminated music programs.

The rehearsal is scheduled for noon to 1:30 p.m. at 1055 Arlington Drive in Costa Mesa.

The rehearsal will last about 40 minutes. Following the rehearsal is a 30-minute presentation about the American boy chorus program, Manrique said.

Students who sign up will be enrolled into the program’s Audition Division, which lasts between six and eight. In this phase, each student is assigned to a mentor who helps him out.

“We don’t charge for that,” Manrique said. “The boys still get a lot of instruction and training.”

Once the first phase is completed, students who are interested in continuing will advance to the Training Division.

The cost is $100 a month for nine months. Students spend four months to a year in the second phase before advancing to the Concert Chorus, which is the final phase.

“It’s a really wonderful program,” Manrique said. “It teaches them music, but it’s also teaching them about leadership and teamwork, and it’s giving them wonderful performances opportunities.”

For more information, call (714) 708-1670 or visit www.taabc.org.