Staying in tune with the community

From left to right; Matthew Leidholm ’10, Carol Land ’80, Adrianna Klocke ’20, Mary (Heinzen) Cooper ’07, Katie Carpenter ’15, and Tom Land ’80

by Tonya (Sickel) Fehr ’92

Whether they graduated 40 years ago or as recently as 2020, several University of Jamestown alumni, who were each a part of the choir, continue to use their gifts of music to serve their community.

Husband and wife team, Tom and Carol (Prentice) Land ’80, along with Katie Carpenter ’15, Matthew Leidholm ’10, Mary (Heinzen) Cooper ’07, and Adrianna Klocke ’20 are six of more than 70 members who participate in the Bismarck-Mandan Civic Chorus, a non-profit community choir whose mission is to foster and develop the art of choral music for its members and surrounding communities.

The members give back to their community by performing at special events throughout the year. They even host a “run-out” concert—one that is performed for rural communities that would otherwise have limited exposure to professionallevel choral music. Each of these events is meant to keep them in tune with the community they serve.

In a choir, many different voices become the music. And each voice participates for a different reason. As a group, these six alumni recognize that they

learned more than just music while at UJ. And they’ve carried those lessons into why they joined the Bismarck-Mandan Civic Chorus.

For Carol Land, who both sings in the choir and teaches voice, the bond with fellow choir members is important, as it’s allowed her to get to know fellow Jimmies. Similarly, Mary Cooper, a music teacher, has enjoyed being part of a group working toward a shared endeavor, fulfilling a human need for belonging and union. Mary’s voice is not only a gift to others; she uses her singing “as an emotional release” and an opportunity to be around like-minded people.

Sharing music with family and the community is another big driver.

“To sing in the chorus gives you access to incredible music, like there was at UJ,” explained Tom Land. The youngest UJ alum, Adrianna Klocke, agrees. She may be new to the chorus and new to teaching music, but she’s experienced in knowing the importance of being part of a choir. Just as each singer knows when to sing, when to be quiet, when to move quickly, and when to slow down, Adrianna knows that the gift of her voice to others is important to her well-being and to the community.

And let’s not forget about music for the sake of music. Katie Carpenter, a Bismarck attorney, joined the choir because she “missed making music and being part of the bond of a choir.” Similarly, working in a technical field left Matthew Leidholm “missing the arts and the social part of music,” which he now finds in each rehearsal and concert. Being part of the arts was something that he had at UJ, so it’s comforting for him to not only fill that void, but to give back to the community. Whether they are attorneys, or teachers, or IT professionals, each member of the Bismarck-Mandan Civic Chorus represents a diverse group of people who each contribute their own voice. The result is harmony. But, actually, it’s much more than that. Through their music, these six UJ alumni serve the community through song.