Good morning, friends and neighbors. HOW is it July already? Nothing is better than a Minneapolis summer and we have activities for everyone.
Saturday, July 6th at 9 a.m. we will be sponsoring yoga and hope to see all of you. The forecast is for a high of 82 and sunshine. Join us, please. Bring a mat, some water, and a friend. It is free to all participants and open to all.
The end of this incredible season for the Mill City Singers is fast approaching. We have 2 more rehearsals on July 6th and 13th at 2:00-3:30 on the 8th floor of the Guthrie. It is all 'show and tell' day. Bring a talent or interest you would like to share. Send Claudia an email at cjkittock@gmail.com so she can get you on the list. Don't worry, there will be plenty of time to sing too!!
At 4:00 on Saturday the 6th, we will be sponsoring a 1 hour concert featuring singers from the Sallie Steele Birdsong Scholarship program. These are incredibly talented young people and you will want to come and support them. Bring a chair, your favorite beverage, and a friend.
Mark your calendars now!
July 13th--Rehearse, 2:00-3:30, Guthrie, 8th floor
July 19th--Perform at Kelley Park, Apple Valley
July 20th - Open Eye Theater Puppet Show - 4:00PM
July 21st--Lead the singing of 'Take Me Out to the Ballgame' at Target Field, 1:00. There are still a few tickets available. See Claudia at rehearsal.
August 3rd – Aerialist – 11:00AM
August 6th – National Night Out – Taiko Drums – 4:00PM
August 17th – Ice Cream Social and Games in the Park – Led by Cedar Riverside Athletic and Enrichment--4:00PM
WOW!! Don't miss anything.
#BeThatNeighbor
https://vimeo.com/950782267

Good morning friends and neighbors. We hope this email finds you getting ready to enjoy a wonderful Wednesday.

The weather forecast for Saturday, the 29th is for sunshine!!! We will be practicing yoga together in Gold Medal Parkat 9 a.m. It is the most beautiful setting in Minneapolis and we hope you join us. All you need is a mat and water, and bring a friend or neighbor to join this community of practitioners.

The Mill City Singers will not be rehearsing today. July is a busy month with great fun planned. We are learning wonderful songs and laughing together. There is plenty of time to join us. With no auditions, and no fees, all you need to do is come. Bring a friend! The more the merrier.

Know that we will begin again in September!! Our schedule for the rest of this season is as follows:

July 6th--Rehearse, 2:00-3:30, Guthrie, 8th floor--Show and Tell day. Contact Claudia at cjkittock@gmail.com so that your name can be added to the list of people sharing their talents.

July 13th--Rehearse, 2:00-3:30, Guthrie, 8th floor

July 19th--Perform at Kelley Park, Apple Valley

July 21st--Lead the singing of 'Take Me Out to the Ballgame' at Target Field, 1:00. There are still a few tickets available. See Claudia at rehearsal.

Looking forward to sharing our yoga practice together and singing together in July. Don't miss a minute of either!

Claudia

Good morning Singers and Yogis! We hope this email finds you getting ready to enjoy a wonderful Wednesday.

We will be practicing yoga together in Gold Medal Park on Saturday morning at 9 a.m. It is the most beautiful setting in Minneapolis and we hope you join us. All you need is a mat and water, and bring a friend or neighbor to join this community of practitioners.

The Mill City Singers will be rehearsing on Saturday, June 22nd at 2:00-3:30 on the 8th floor of the Guthrie. We are learning wonderful songs and having great fun. There is plenty of time to join us. With no auditions, and no fees, all you need to do is come. Bring a friend! The more the merrier.

Know that we will begin again in September!! Our schedule for the rest of this season is as follows:

June 22nd--Rehearse, 2:00-3:30, Guthrie, 8th floor

July 7th--Rehearse, 2:00-3:30, Guthrie, 8th floor

July 13th--Rehearse, 2:00-3:30, Guthrie, 8th floor

July 19th--Perform at Kelley Park, Apple Valley

July 21st--Lead the singing of 'Take Me Out to the Ballgame' at Target Field, 1:00

Join us in Gold Medal Park at 4:00 for a short concert by 2 singers from the MacPhail Community Youth Choir, Sallie Steele Birdsong Scholarship recipient Gannet Gessert and singer Kayla Greenfield. Bring a chair and your favorite beverage and join us for an hour of wonderful music by these dynamic young singers.

It will be a wonderful Saturday!! Join us.

In 2017, Be That Neighbor started a theater group called the Mill City Players. It began with 26 young people from the Cedar Riverside community and young people who were experiencing homelessness. We rehearsed at the Guthrie and over the next 3 years performed all over Minneapolis.
After 3 years, all of our players had ‘successed out’. They were in college, working full time, housed, and fully engaged with life. Just as we had begun to recruit a new group, the pandemic happened.

Hope 612 began in February, 2024, and started with a ‘Dream Team” of alumni from the original group of the Mill City Players. Mahad Ahmed, Anthony Anderson, Sam Karpeh, Mahamed Salad, and Miske Salad have met twice a week since February to write a play about their experiences growing up in Minneapolis. The plot of the play is focused on 3 areas the playwrights identified as the most critical in their lives; racism, fentanyl abuse, and police brutality. Each character is based on their own experiences and the power of their words is clear. As they have written this play, they have insisted that it must end in hope. The discussions about hope, despite their experiences, have been wonderful and so heartening.

The plan is to perform this powerful work at Waterworks Park, the Commons, Elliot Park, the Capri Theater, and Mixed Blood. We need your help. Be That Neighbor offers this program free to every participant and all the work in running this program is done by Be That Neighbor. Artists give away their work far too often, and these young people deserve to be paid for their artistry. We know how important art is to the life and well-being of a community. As one of our writers said, “It’s really special to do this work, but getting paid for it would be entirely different.”

Please join us in this project titled, “Hope 612”. These artists need your support so that we can share their work with you. Go to https://www.bethatneighbor.org to become a partner in this project. Please watch this video, created by Mike Binkely. https://vimeo.com/950782267

Good morning, friends and neighbors! We have another wonderful Saturday ready to go. All we need is you!

We will start the day, Saturday, June 15th, at 9 am in Gold Medal Park with yoga. Bring a mat, some water, and a friend and join us for this community practice. It's the prettiest setting in all of Minneapolis and you won't want to miss it. In case of rain, I will post on Facebook by 7 am. https://www.facebook.com/BeThatNeighbor

Choir rehearsal is at 2:00-3:30 on the 8th floor of the Guthrie. How can you be part of this dynamic group? Just come. It's that simple. There are no fees to singers and no auditions. The schedule for the remainder of this season is as follows. Know that we will begin again in September!!

June 15th--Rehearse, 2:00-3:30, Guthrie, 8th floor

June 22nd--Rehearse, 2:00-3:30, Guthrie, 8th floor

July 7th--Rehearse, 2:00-3:30, Guthrie, 8th floor

July 13th--Rehearse, 2:00-3:30, Guthrie, 8th floor

July 19th--Perform at Kelley Park, Apple Valley

July 21st--Lead the singing of 'Take Me Out to the Ballgame' at Target Field, 1:00

See you on Saturday---Claudia

Good morning, Singers. We are excited to be singing again!!

Join us on Saturday, June 1st, 2:00-3:30 on the 8th floor of the Guthrie. Come and help us make wonderful music together. You will enjoy the community, the laughter, and the chance to sing with this incredible group. All you need to do is come. It's that simple and that much fun.

After rehearsal we will be sharing a meal together at the Legacy Condo on 1240 South 2nd St, in the Community Room. Bring a dish to share and serving utensils. We will provide water, plates, napkins and utensils. It's always a great gathering and it's just a few blocks from the Guthrie.

We have more fun ahead and you will want to mark your calendars now so you won't miss any of it! I will be bringing tickets for the Twins game to rehearsals, so make sure you let me know if you can be there and get your ticket at a rehearsal.

June 1st--2:00-3;30, Guthrie, 8th floor and potluck at the Legacy Condos (1240 South 2nd St), 3:30-5:30

June 8th--Rehearse, 2:00-3:30, Guthrie, 8th floor

June 15th--Rehearse, 2:00-3:30, Guthrie, 8th floor

June 22nd--Rehearse, 2:00-3:30, Guthrie, 8th floor

June 29th--Rehearse, 2:00-3:30, Guthrie, 8th floor

July 13th--Rehearse, 2:00-3:30, Guthrie, 8th floor

July 19th--Perform at Kelley Park, Apple Valley

July 21st--Lead the singing of 'Take Me Out to the Ballgame' at Target Field, 1:00

See you on Saturday---Claudia

Yoga in the Park is back on Saturday, May 25th at 9 am. We will meet every Saturday, 9-10 a.m. by the orange sculpture.

Each session is free to all participants. All you need to do is grab a mat and some water and bring a friend to join this incredible practice. The schedule is as follows.

May 25
June 1, 8, 15, 22, 29
July 6, 13, 20, 27
August 3, 10, 17, 24, 31

Make this part of your weekend routine. You won't be sorry!

We had the best time celebrating World Peace Day in Loring Park! It is always an honor to be asked, and being there never disappoints. Thank you to the organizers and to all the singers who joined us.

We will not be rehearsing on May 18th nor on May 25th. Our next rehearsal will be on June 1st, 2:00-3:30 on the 8th floor of the Guthrie. We have a very fun June and July scheduled. Mark your calendars now.

June 1st--2:00-3;30, Guthrie, 8th floor and potluck at the Legacy Condos (1240 South 2nd St), 3:30-5:30
June 8th--Rehearse, 2:00-3:30, Guthrie, 8th floor
June 15th--Rehearse, 2:00-3:30, Guthrie, 8th floor
June 22nd--Rehearse, 2:00-3:30, Guthrie, 8th floor
June 29th--Rehearse, 2:00-3:30, Guthrie, 8th floor
July 13th--Rehearse, 2:00-3:30, Guthrie, 8th floor
July 19th--Perform at Kelley Park, Apple Valley
July 21st--Lead the singing of 'Take Me Out to the Ballgame' at Target Field, 1:00

You won't want to miss even a minute.

See you there---Claudia

Good morning, Singers! I hope this email finds you ready for a beautiful week here in Minnesota. When you live here, you learn about the power of each and every gorgeous day.

Saturday is World Peace Day and we will be singing at the Loring Park celebration. Please plan to be there by 1:30 and wear brightly colored clothes. We will have a wonderful time singing from 2:00-2:40 and, as always, JD and Fred will have the audience fully engaged and singing with us. You won't want to miss it.

I would love to have some pictures to post, so if any of you come with friends who take pictures, please ask if they are willing to share the pictures. I have yet to find a way to sing AND take pictures!!!

We will return to rehearsing on June 1st, so make sure you don't miss this wonderful afternoon in gorgeous Loring Park. Singing about peace and love and optimism . . . .can't do better than that.

Hope to see you all---Claudia

Happy May!! Our community is literally blooming and gorgeous.

We are rehearsing on May 4th, 2:00-3:30 on the 8th floor of the Guthrie. Thank you to Fred for filling in for JD last week. We certainly sang hard and laughed hard. What a gift it is to be able to rehearse with the Steele brothers every week. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

To those of you lucky enough to be at MacPhail's Music Matters Luncheon . . .oh, what a show! From MCYC to the brilliant 8 year old pianist, it was an hour of glorious music from our community partner. Bravo, MacPhail and thank you for your partnership.

We are busily at work, planning a summer of fun in Gold Medal Park and will kick it off on Saturday, May 25th with a 9 a.m. yoga practice. Yoga in the Park will continue every Saturday at 9 a.m. through Labor Day. It is free to participants and a wonderful way to start every summer weekend. Watch for more news about a puppet show, an aerialist, music acts, and much more! This is a vital part of our summer in the city.

Make sure you have these dates on your calendar.

May 4th--2:00-3:30, Guthrie, 8th floor
May 11th--2:00, Loring Park
May 18th--no rehearsal
May 25th--2:00-3:30, Guthrie, 8th floor
June 1st--2:00, 3;30, Guthrie, 8th floor and potluck at the Legacy Condos (1240 South 2nd St), 3:30-5:30

There is more to come! Make sure you are part of it.

Thank you for all you do---Claudia

Good morning, Singers! We have a wonderful Spring filled with singing and can't wait to share it all with you.

We are back at the Guthrie this week. Thank you MacPhail for sharing Antonello Hall with us. What a gorgeous place to rehearse! You are true community partners and we are so grateful to you and to the Guthrie for allowing us to sing in your wonderful spaces.

We will be rehearsing on Saturday, April 27th, 2:00-3:30 on the 8th floor of the Guthrie. We have a concert in Loring Park in a few weeks and will be rehearsing our music and, of course, many other songs. You won't want to miss the community, the JD and Fred stories, the laughs, and the shared experiences.

Here is our schedule through the end of May.
April 27th--2:00-3:30, Guthrie, 8th floor
May 4th--2:00-3:30, Guthrie, 8th floor
May 11th--2:00, Loring Park
May 18th--no rehearsal
May 25th--2:00-3:30, Guthrie, 8th floor

It's easy, just come and get ready to leave with Spring in your heart and in your step!!

Claudia

Good morning, Singers. Oh, what a night! It was a perfect night of singing and community and to all of you who braved the weather, once the singing began, what weather? No one noticed how lousy it was outside because the joy, the music, and the community was rocking. Thank you, thank you for another wonderful night.

We will be rehearsing on Saturday, April 20th, 2:00-3:00 at MacPhail Center for Music at 501 South 2nd St. in Antonello Hall. It is a gorgeous place to rehearse and we are so thankful to MacPhail for helping us these past 2 weeks when our rehearsal rooms at the Guthrie were being used. Don't miss the chance to sing in this beautiful setting.

All you need to do is come! That's the extent of how complicated it is to be able to make music with us.

Just come!

Claudia

Just a few more days until we sing at the Capri Theater on Tuesday, April 16 (2027 West Broadway). Rehearsal have been great fun and those of us who have had this experience know that a great time will be had by all.

Please dress in bright colors and plan to be at the Capri in the Paradise Room at 5-5:30. The Capri has asked that we find street parking if possible in order to save the small parking lot for our audience. We will be singing 'What is this", 'If you want the world to be a better place", and the Sergio Mendes song, 'Funky Bahia' (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x4lnhtyHET8). We have sung these songs together many times and JD will make sure we all have a wonderful time.

See you all there. Get ready for a fun evening of singing and community.

Claudia

Good morning, Singers. I hope this email finds you enjoying this gorgeous day.

We have a wonderful schedule ahead of us and I hope you can all join us. On Saturday, April 13th, we will be rehearsing on the second floor of MacPhail Center for Music at 501 South 2nd St in Antonello Hall. It is a beautiful place to rehearse and we are so thankful that MacPhail is our community partner.

On Tuesday, April 16th, we will be the opening act at the Capri Theater at 2027 West Broadway. The MacPhail Community Youth Choir and the Capri Glee will also be performing. It's an incredible evening of amazing music with an enthusiastic audience. JD had suggested we arrive between 5 and 5:30 as parking is at a premium. Please wear bright colors and come ready for a wonderful evening.

Can't wait for the next week of music and community!

Claudia

Good morning, Singers. I hope this email finds you singing along to whatever music is in your head.

We will be singing together again on Saturday, April 6th, 2:00-3:30 on the 8th floor of the Guthrie. Our preparation for our concert at the Capri on the 16th will continue. Don't miss it!!

As always, our schedule is fluid and there are some changes to note.

April 13th, 2:00-3:30 we will rehearse in Antonello Hall at MacPhail Center for Music, 501 South 2nd St.

April 16th, 6:00 at the Capri Theater, 2027 West Broadway, Minneapolis

April 20th, 2:00-3:00 we will rehearse in Antonello Hall at MacPhail Center for Music, 501 South 2nd St.

April 27th, 2:00-3:30, 8th floor of the Guthrie for our rehearsal

One other change is the date we will lead the singing of Take Me Out to the Ballgame at Target Field. We will not be singing on May 25th. We will be singing on July 21st, 1:10 first pitch.

So many fun and exciting things coming up. Mark your calendars now so you don't miss even a minute.

Thank you for all you do to make the Singers the exciting group it is.

Claudia

Good morning, Singers. I hope you all enjoyed the snow as much as was possible!!

Just a quick reminder that we will not be rehearsing this week. April will be busy and great fun. We will be rehearsing on April 6th at the Guthrie and on April 13th and 20th at MacPhail Center for Music at 501 South 2nd Street. Our concert at Capri is on April 16th. We will be back to the Guthrie for our rehearsal on April 27th.

Be That Neighbor will have 3 tables at the MacPhail Music Matters Luncheon at noon on April 29th. There is still room for 6 more people. If you are interested, please email me at cjkittock@gmail.com. It's a fantastic event and you will be glad you came.

Please send me your letters of support for JD for the McKnight Distinguished Artist award. I need them this week and really appreciate your support, as does JD.

Thank you for all you do to make the Singers the dynamic group we are.

Good morning, Singers! I hope this email finds you off to a great start to your Wednesday. The Singers have certainly begun this part of our season with a bang. As of today, we have added 18 new singers who have all jumped in and become part of our community in just a few weeks. Welcome and thank you!!

We will be rehearsing on Saturday, March 23rd at 2:00-3:30 on the 8th floor of the Guthrie. Next week will be a week off for those of us who celebrate Easter, and we will be right back on April 6th.

Don't miss even one minute of singing with us. It's too much fun to miss and I guarantee you will leave feeling refreshed and happier than you were when you came in, and I come to rehearsal pretty happy, so it's quite a guarantee!

Thank you for everything you are doing to make us the Singers!

Claudia

Good morning, Singers. We are having the BEST time singing together. There are many new singers, and when we all come together, we have so much fun. Our next rehearsal is on Saturday, March 16th, 2:00-3:30 on the 8th floor of the Guthrie. You want to come . . .you know you do!!

I am working on finishing the nomination for JD for the McKnight Distinguished Artist Award. There is a space for letters of support and I hope we can max out that part of the nomination. Please write your thoughts and feelings about JD and send them to me at cjkittock@gmail.com. I need these letters before April 1. He is so very deserving of this award. This is part of the description. "The annual $100,000 McKnight Distinguished Artist Award recognizes artists and culture bearers who have made a lifelong commitment to creating art that is locally, regionally, and/or nationally significant.These artists and culture bearers have chosen to make their lives and careers in Minnesota, thereby making our state a more culturally rich place. First and foremost, they have produced creatively incisive art reflecting their particular and extraordinary point of view." It fits him perfectly, doesn't it?

Thank you for all you are doing to make the Singers the wonderful group it is. It IS that because of you, and I am forever thankful.

Claudia

Good morning, Singers. If you missed last Saturday's rehearsal, you missed 90 minutes of pure joy. We had a large contingent of singers in attendance and it showed up in the singing and in the spirit of the songs we were singing. We will be rehearsing this week on Saturday, March 9th, 2:00-3:30 on the 8th floor of the Guthrie.

I am working on polishing the nomination for JD for the McKnight Distinguished Artist Award. There is a space for letters of support and I hope we can max out that part of the nomination. Please write your thoughts and feelings about JD and send them to me at cjkittock@gmail.com. I need these letters before April 1. He is so very deserving of this award. This is part of the description. "The annual $100,000 McKnight Distinguished Artist Award recognizes artists and culture bearers who have made a lifelong commitment to creating art that is locally, regionally, and/or nationally significant.These artists and culture bearers have chosen to make their lives and careers in Minnesota, thereby making our state a more culturally rich place. First and foremost, they have produced creatively incisive art reflecting their particular and extraordinary point of view." It fits him perfectly, doesn't it?

Thank you for all you are doing to make the Singers the wonderful group it is. It IS that because of you, and I am forever thankful.

We did it, Singers! We made it through this long hiatus and we are back . . . .finally!!!

Rehearsals begin on Saturday, March 2nd, 2:00-3:30 on the 8th floor of the Guthrie. What do you need to do to prepare? Come!! Bring a friend, a neighbor, or come by yourself. It will be a wonderful day to sing together.

Make sure you have our future events on your calendar as you won't want to miss any of them. It's going to be a wonderful Spring, and who know, there still may be some surprises ahead. What am I saying? When you sing with JD and Fred there are ALWAYS surprises ahead.

I can't wait to sing with all of you!!

Claudia (cjkittock@gmail.com)

Schedule!

- March 2, 9, 16, 23

- April 6, 13, 20, 27 and April 16th at the Capri Theater

- May 4, 11 (Singing in Loring Park for World Peace Day), 18

- June 1, 8, 15, 22

- July 13, 19th which is our performance at Kelley Park in Apple Valley.