Featured April, 2023
Sam’s interest in singing began around age 7- 8 when he became part of his church children’s choir. His family moved to Hansen, ID, into a house that contained a 1918 upright player piano. While his father enjoyed pumping the pedals to play his favorite “Turkey in the Straw,” Sam started piano lessons. Six years later he made his first career decision regarding music. “Rather than two hours a day practicing with a concert pianist, I decided on medicine rather than music for a career. I wanted a more normal teenage life that included sports.”
While he played trombone in the school band, he discovered that he had an ear for harmony and tried out bass, baritone, and tenor parts singing camp songs with his high school church youth group. He joined a barbershop chorus in Lewistown, MT, in 1978, and continued with this genre when he moved to Delta in 1981: he’s a 40-year member of the Black Canyon Barbershop Chorus. He sang tenor in the barbershop quartet “The Sound Production” for a number of years and the baritone lead in the quartet “Fourmata.”
Featured February, 2023
I sang and performed bass solos in choral groups that were seasonal contributors to the VSA’s performances of The Messiah in the early 1980s and again in the mid-1980s under the direction of VSA Orchestra conductor Keith Cochrane (all prior to when the chorus came under the VSA umbrella in 2002). I spent a couple of decades singing with the North Fork Community Choir before joining the VSA Chorus in 2019. The March concert that year, which was mostly jazz tunes, was very fun, because I had been playing piano and singing jazz tunes with VSA Orchestra members Mike Kern, Toby King, and Andrew Bruington in the Take 5 jazz band.
Featured December, 2022
Kaitlynn Hurford was always drawing in her school books growing up. In high school, after taking several art classes, she “officially” decided to become an artist. “Those classes confirmed my love of the arts,” Kaitlynn says. She graduated from Colorado Mesa University in 2016, earning a degree in studio art with an emphasis in painting. She’s been developing her own painting style ever since. While she does work in 3D mediums from time to time, “I find myself returning to the paint brush again and again.”
She gathers her artistic inspiration from the world around her, using her own photos as a starting point for all her creations. “I love all things color, so I use a lot of bright colors in my art,” she said. “I try to portray happiness, peace, and a bit of playfulness in all of my works.” Kaitlynn has an upcoming show in July 2023 at the Montrose Center for Art (11 S Park Ave), and her prints are available for purchase at Mosaic Montrose, a gallery and gift shop in downtown Montrose.
Featured December, 2022
Judy Lokey has lived in Montrose since the mid-70s, singing with area choirs since the late 90s and is a charter member of the VSA Chorus.
Judy sang in church choirs and school choruses growing up, so singing has always been a big part of her life. Originally from Williamsport, PA, Judy grew up with a father who loved music, so much so that, “every Sunday we would listen to the Mormon Tabernacle Choir on the radio.” He also sang in a barbershop quartet for several years which lead Judy to sing in
one as an adult.
When she moved to Montrose and after raising three children, she sang for a few years at the United Methodist Church, where she became aware of the newly formed VSA Chorus in 2002. “I’ve been involved ever since. I so enjoy the opportunity to sing!”
Featured December, 2022
Demeris York began singing as a small child when her parents discovered she had a real talent for music. They enrolled her in voice and piano lessons, which she loved. She sang all through her childhood and during high school where she was involved in musical theatre. She attended the University of Northern Colorado on a music scholarship where she minored in music. After graduation, she sang with the Denver Symphony Orchestra and Chorus, where she was fortunate enough to learn from and sing with a variety of international conductors from many different cultures.
Demeris was an educator in Douglas County and lived in Parker, CO, for 27 years. During that time, she sang in several church groups and taught voice lessons. She then took a few years off from music to raise her two young children. Once they were a little older, she came back to her music by teaching voice and guitar lessons.