Beginning next week, Dawson City residents will have something to sing about – literally.

The Good Times Community Choir will start up on May 6 for people of all levels who have always wanted to learn how to sing, read music, harmonize and, well, have a good time.

Noosa, a Dawson City resident since 2012, decided it was high time there was a community choir in town.

“I’m a choir nerd and I noticed there wasn’t any choir in Dawson,” she says.

“It’s taken some time to get around to putting it together, but it was one of my first thoughts when I came to Dawson.”

The Peterborough, Ontario native, who prefers to use only her first name for her singing career, brings an extensive musical background to the new venture. She started to learn piano at age four and was singing in a choir by age nine.

“My choir travelled and competed internationally, so I got to learn a lot from the world’s best,” Noosa says.

When she hit her teens, Noosa became more interested in blues and rock, and dropped the classical music.

At age 17, she fronted an all-girl rock band. In just a few months, it gained a nomination for best new group at the Wire awards, which recognizes individuals and groups of artistic merit in the Peterborough community.

“Eventually, my parents said I had to stop playing in bars because I was too young,” says Noosa.

So she decided to channel her energies towards taking singing lessons.

“I began teaching music around town and working with the Peterborough children’s choir for a few years, as well as conducting the junior choir, to help pay for those lessons,” she says.

She eventually received a diploma with distinction as an Associate of the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto (ARCT).

Noosa has brought this musical experience to Dawson and is pouring it into the Good Times Choir.

“I’m always amazed at how natural it is for people to sing together, no matter what age, “she says.

“A lot of people want to learn how to sing harmony, or read music, or just to have somewhere other than the shower to belt out songs. I think we all love singing, so what better way to do it than in a group with friends?”

Registration for the choir is through the Klondike Institute of Art and Culture (KIAC) and closes May 2. All skill levels are welcome, with the most important thing being a good attitude and willingness to learn, the director says.

Musical selections will vary from bluegrass to classic rock to jazz. Rehearsals will be held at KIAC from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. every Tuesday until June 24. But, Noosa points out, if the choir is going well, they’ll just keep going.

“If this takes off, we’ll definitely continue past June – absolutely! And if we end up putting a small concert together then that will be great,” she says.

“There are lots of opportunities to perform around town and if the group is feeling it, then we will put on a little show.”

When asked where the name for the choir comes from, Noosa smiles.

“The Good Times Choir is all about singing together to have a good time,” she says. “It’s about happiness – singing together makes me happy, and makes us all happy!”

For more information about The Good Times Choir, call the Klondike Institute of Art and Culture (KIAC) at 993-5005, or visit their website at www.kiac.ca

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