Christmas is a time of spreading cheer and joy throughout the country. For students, their cheer is to get off of school and head into winter break with no work to do. For teachers, they are finally able to take a break off of grading and spend quality time with family. For some other people, like GlenOak’s Choir Director Brian Kieffer, it is performing their musical gifts with other talented people at the White House in Washington D.C.
Kieffer has been the choir director at GlenOak for 36 years now. Outside of GlenOak, Kieffer is the artistic and musical director of an adult acapella pop group called Vocal Fusion. It is a choir that is made up of 17 different audition singers and is a non-profit organization.
“We do several major performances here in the Canton area, and we also do several more things outside of those,” Kieffer said.
On Facebook, Kieffer and the rest of Vocal Fusion saw that the White House holds performances in one of the (older) ballrooms in the White House that the First Lady decorates for Christmas. They were holding auditions for musical performances, and Vocal Fusion managed to get selected out of hundreds of submissions. The performance took place on Saturday, Dec. 6th.
“We had a two-hour performance window with singing, and we were able to have several soloists be featured,” Kieffer said. “As a pianist, I decided to be an accompanist and play as a duo with Mrs. Derbyshire from Oakwood.”
Interestingly enough, Kieffer managed to play the same piano that was purchased and used by Harry Truman, which was an incredibly rare experience. While Kieffer and Vocal Fusion were performing in one of the ballrooms of the White House, the President and First Lady could not attend due to having to announce the Kennedy Center Honors in the Oval Office.
“I wasn’t intimidated, I was excited to have the opportunity to perform in that venue since it’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” Kieffer said.
Kieffer has been playing piano since he was 7-years-old, and has done a lot of performances and recitals throughout his musical career.
“I’m most proud of the work I’ve done here with my vocal music students, as well as the community we’ve created here in the Arts Wing and the legacy and integrity of excellence,” Kieffer said.
As a side note, Vocal Fusion is a group that is made up of practically all GlenOak alumni that are selected by audition. Most GlenOak students who follow through with musical talent end up still singing in Canton, and can celebrate big achievements like being able to play at the White House.
