Today we’d like to introduce you to Abby Powell.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I first started volunteering at Sing for Hope in 2007 while I was living in New York City, where I spent about fifteen years living and pursuing an operatic career. Sing for Hope is an organization that believes very strongly that art is for everyone. As it happens, Sing for Hope came into my life at a time that I questioned why I went into the arts in the first place. I had finished my master’s in voice at Juilliard and was struggling after graduation to be cast in anything. I wondered if maybe I hadn’t invested a lot of time and money to a degree that wasn’t going to get me any income, so everything was up in the air. I didn’t yet fully grasp what had brought me to music, to begin with, and yet I volunteered for a healing arts visit to a hospital. Singing for people who did not have a way to experience live music put me in touch with WHY I needed to do this crazy singing thing! Singing makes me more alive, and being able to share it with those in need helps them to be a little bit more alive. Specifically, singing for underserved communities, like those in hospitals or assisted living facilities – those are audiences that cause me to dig a little deeper as an artist. They have caused me to find a very selfless love, and being able to share that love is such a gift!
I very quickly became a Project Leader at Sing for Hope in NYC after I first started volunteering. It was such a huge part of my life there. In 2017, I made the decision to move back to Houston (where I grew up) because I needed a change of pace and wanted to be closer to family. I was heartbroken to leave Sing for Hope behind. But shortly after Harvey happened last year, I got the greenlight from the NYC office to go forward recruiting volunteers for facilities in Houston. We are still recruiting and looking for facilities that would benefit from a visit!
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It hasn’t been a smooth road just yet – I didn’t expect to be working 60-80 hour weeks in my first year of moving here. Those 60 hour weeks sadly did not involve Sing for Hope – this was just teaching voice and performing with different ensembles in Houston. It took almost 10 months to set up our first visit to a facility but it happened, and when it finally did I felt the same rush of joy that coursed through me on my first visit over 10 years ago! This coming year, I have a better idea of what my schedule is going to be like (no more 60-80 hour weeks) and I am raring to go with our efforts.
Another challenge is the sheer sprawl of Houston itself. We have volunteer artists from all over Houston and my hope is that we will facilities to volunteer at in every corner of the city so that nobody has to commute very far to volunteer. That would be a dream come true. Right now, we are singing at Omega House in Montrose. We would LOVE to get more facilities in need on the roster.
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Sing for Hope – what should we know?
Sing for Hope believes that the arts have unmatched power to uplift, unite, and transform lives. And we believe that all people deserve access to them. We specialize in arts advocacy and healing arts here in Houston.
Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
Ty Lerman does the same thing I do. We are both spearheading the effort bring Sing for Hope into facilities in need in Houston. I also would love to give shoutouts to volunteer artists Ofelia Adame Williams and Errin Hatter, two gorgeous sopranos who volunteered the time and artistic gifts at Omega House at our first volunteer visit earlier this month!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.singforhope.org
- Email: houston@singforhope.org
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sing4hope/
Image Credit:
Marc Schreiner, Shawn Hoke
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