University of Florida Performing Arts

presents

New Directions Veterans Choir

Sunday, November 10, 2013, 2 p.m.

University Auditorium

ProgramThe program will be announced from the stage.

New Directions Veterans ChoirThe Voices with Heart and Soul …

And Stories You’ll Never Forget

“Listening to a great choir is pleasure enough; listening to one composed of residents of New Directions makes the music all that sweeter. They have my undying support and admiration.”

— Joe Mantegna

“Through singing we hope to let veterans who may be suffering know that there is hope for them.”

— George Hill, Director, Songwriter, and New Directions Graduate

About the choirNew Directions Veterans Choir is an award-winning a cappella group that sings renditions of pop, doo-wop, soul, gospel and Great American Songbook standards. The New Directions Veterans Choir is comprised primarily of men and women who have served proudly in the United States military. Following their service to our country, they became homeless. These men and women are current and former residents of the New Directions facility which gave them hope, direction and an opportunity to find the help they needed.The choir also includes some very special family members of veterans such as Morgan Ames, their arranger and producer; Michelle Graves, a registered nurse, who has cared for this community of veterans for years; and other family members that show us we each can play a part in the message of each performance — love, hope and redemption.George Hill, choir founder and director, was homeless for 12 years, living in and around MacArthur Park. A graduate of New Directions, Hill is also an employee at the West Los Angeles Veterans Administration and is studying for a degree in computer information systems at California State University Los Angeles.New Directions Veterans Choir got their “big break” on NBC’s America’s Got Talent and since then has been featured on the NBC Nightly News and E! Entertainment Television. They have performed at more than 100 venues and events, including The Donny and Marie Show, the Democratic National Convention, and for members of the United States Congress.In 2006, the choir took to the stage for a production of Michael McFall’s Dirty White Tuxedo Pants and a Brown Paper Bag, the tale of a homeless and schizophrenic Vietnam veteran living on the streets of Los Angeles. Despite their show business forays, the New Directions Veterans Choir has never forgotten their humble roots or their message of hope and redemption.The choir embarked on its inaugural tour in 2012-13 to audience and critical raves!Why do they sing? They spread their message of love, hope and redemption to other vets who struggle today and that it’s OK for a warrior to ask for help. They remind us we can all change the world, if only one person at a time.

BiographiesGeorge Hill (tenor), veterans’ mental counselor, professional computer technicianThe choir began with George Hill. After serving in the Marines in an undeclared conflict in Korea, he returned home with PTSD and was homeless for 12 years. He used to practice singing in the tunnels of MacArthur Park (great acoustics). In 1998, he went to New Directions and turned his life around. “As crazy as I was,” he says, “I needed the structure of New Directions. The choir is a good portion of what has kept me sober. I’m going to do everything I can to make sure the legacy of this program continues.” After 31 days in rehab, George started the choir at New Directions. Or you could say he continued the choir he started in the tunnels of MacArthur Park.

Carleton Griffin (bass), addictions counselor at the VAAfter leaving the Navy, Carleton spent 28 years homeless in Southern California. He walked 28 miles to the New Directions facility and got his life together. In his efforts to give back and to help his fellow veterans, Griffin became an addictions counselor. Today, he also shares the power of seeking help by singing in the New Directions Veterans Choir.

John Hill (baritone), detox coordinator at the VAFollowing his discharge from the Army, John Hill was out on the street. His daughter used to drive by every day. One day she stopped, looked at him and said, “Look at you, Dad. I can see your ribs. You look like you dying.” She broke out crying. That was the defining moment of Hill’s life. He said, “Come by tomorrow and pick me up. I’ll be ready at seven o’clock.” She dropped him off at New Directions. That was 2004. That’s when he got help, got back to music, and as he says, “That’s what got me back into the circle of life.”

Bobby Hanna (tenor), trainee for the FAA program management specialist departmentWhen he was a child, Bobby Hanna went through a lot of abuse at home in Gary, Ind. When he grew up he joined the Air Force, but afterward ended up on the street. He went to the VA and found New Directions. The facility helped him with his PTSD. “I got some stability,” he says, “and I found the choir.” When he found them, he knew that Lean on Me was much more than a song title. “That’s exactly what we did!” he says.

Danny Tucker (tenor/alto)A U.S. Army vet, Danny Tucker has been singing with the choir since February 2008. He says that music connects him to other people. When asked why he loves to sing, he replied, “I joined to do what the choir was doing with their music — MOVING PEOPLE!” He said, “My mother is the reason why I sing today. Growing up we would sing duets in the church choir. After I got out of the Army, times were hard and I landed at the mental ward at the VA hospital. My mother would come and bring me some KFC and we’d sit in the piano room and sing. I’ve been on some broken roads in my life. One of them is schizophrenia. But my mother is still here for me. I guess you could say she’s the wind beneath my wings.”

Joining the five veterans above are several members with deep family ties to the military and to the choir. These women share a passion and joy for the music they have all developed as a team.

Michelle Mayne-Graves (soprano/alto), registered nurseMichelle Mayne-Graves serves as nurse manager at the Los Angeles VA, serving veterans who fight addiction and homelessness every day. Her father served in the Army and her sister is a retired Army colonel. Many of the men and women at the VA say that when they met Mayne-Graves, they found “an angel,” through her care, compassion and her beautiful music. She joined the choir because of her deep and abiding love for music and the veterans. “I serve because they were willing to give their lives for me. Now it’s my turn to give back to them.”

Morgan Ames (alto), choir arranger and producerMorgan Ames is married to an Air Force veteran. She first met the choir in 2010 when she was asked to produce their recording. A longtime music industry professional, Ames was so moved by the choir (“unlike any group I ever worked with ... deeper, completely genuine”) that what was supposed to be a simple, short assignment turned into a life-changer for her and for the choir. Along with vocal arranging and producing, she coaches, mentors and even sings with the choir.

Holly Pitrago (soprano), singer/actorHolly Pitrago hails from Michigan, which is where most of her family still resides, including two uncles and a cousin who served in branches of the military. She feels such pride to be singing with this group and does so in their honor. Pitrago has been a professional performing artist all of her adult life, working primarily as a singer and an actor. Stage has always been her favorite place to be, but those dreams had to be placed on hold for a while due to congenital orthopedic issues. Two surgeries and much healing later, the opportunity to join New Directions Veterans Choir came up and Pitrago couldn’t be more excited to be back on stage again helping to share the group’s message of hope and healing.

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