156WINTER ORGANIZATIONS Keeping it NEILL Director of Chorus Kelly Neill guides his students through musical and spiritual journeys. IN THE FALL OF 2021, HARDING Chorus found its voice and impacted the community in beautiful and powerful ways. One of the chorus trips was to John 3:17 Ministry, a homeless and recovery center for women. Associate professor of music and Director of Chorus and Chamber Singers Kelly Neill worked as a mental health counseling intern at John 3:17 in summer 2021, and his experience there helped him grow as a mentor and musician. “Working at John 3:17 was mind-blowing,” Neill said. “I was working at an all-women residential treatment facility where I would see a client on Monday, and then they would have so much growth before I saw them the next Monday.” Neill was a strong advocate for mental health awareness, and his experiences fed into his studies in psychology and his teaching of music at Harding. “In 2012, I had my own mental health crisis, which led me to start studying psychology in 2014, and I’ve had this huge learning storm since then,” Neill said. “The great thing has been approaching this from a position of brokenness, and not from a position of being the expert. It’s a point of humility and eagerness to learn.” This attitude was noticed and appreciated by his students, particularly by his daughter senior Kendra Neill. “I would say that he was already a really compassionate person, and I think the John 3:17 internship really brought that out in him even more,” Kendra Neill said. “He has always been a really good listener, and he works with students when they’re having a hard time.” His relationship with his students was a key part in the group’s success, and several students trusted him to be a friend, confidant and mentor. “I’ve gone and talked with him in his office several times, and he’s always down to listen to what’s going on in my life, which is so awesome for my mental health,” junior chorus member Maddie Brasher said. In addition to the relational aspect of chorus, members enjoyed a wave of growth in musical excellence during fall 2021. “I feel like this year we found our confidence because last year we were all following the retirement of Dr. Ganus, and Dr. Neill was teaching during [COVID-19]; it was a big year for all of us,” junior chorus member Elaina Parker said. “This year we’ve really found a good groove.” The singers enjoyed familiar and new opportunities to tell their story through music this semester, especially at their performances at Lectureship and with Neill’s friends at John 3:17. “I think Lectureship is always the peak performance because it’s such a big event,” Parker said. “Once that’s over, we move on to other cool opportunities to perform, and the momentum keeps going.” Students were especially excited to accompany Neill to John 3:17, where they performed for and visited with the women in the residence. “It’s so encouraging for us to go talk to the residents,” Brasher said. “You get to visit people that you would normally never get to visit with, who have a lot of wisdom and a lot of things to share because of their life experiences.” Through shared experience, new connections and intentional leadership, the chorus grew together as a unit and as individuals. Neill was proud of how his students rose to the occasion during the fall 2021 semester, and he continued to pursue learning and growth in both music and counseling. “Over the years my job changes from teaching music to teaching students,” Kelly Neill said. “It used to be that students were the avenue that got me to music, but now music is the avenue that gets me to students.” WRITTEN BY ZACH BISHOP CHAMBER SINGERS USE TONE, blend and musicality to connect with their audiences. Their repertoire pulls from the classic and baroque periods; songs that are challenging to learn and rewarding to perform. The ensemble has toured all around the country and the world, and they host three to four concerts each year on campus. WRITTEN BY ZACH BISHOP
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