The Tribune

By DENISE MAYCOCK

Tribune Freeport Reporter

dmaycock@tribunemedia.net

THE Grand Bahama Performing Arts Centre is due to open next month under the direction of Kevin Tomlinson, Director of the renowned Grand Bahama Youth Choir, which has attained national and international recognition.

The Luis de Torres Synagogue on East Sunrise Highway has been identified as the location for the centre. Restoration of the building and property began on Saturday at 8am local volunteers joining the Rotary Club/Rotaract Club, which is spearheading the restoration process.

The Performing Arts Centre will serve to not only develop the talents of young people, but also to instil character-building skills, transform minds and develop creative thinkers and leaders, Mr Tomlinson said.

“It is not just about singing or playing instruments, it’s about being a better person. It’s about thinking differently. It is one thing for someone to be talented, but we also want for them to think like a leader and not as followers,” he explained.

The 40-member choir is known for its stellar performances and has been invited to perform at various local, national and international functions. This year, Mr Tomlinson and the group has been invited to perform in the United States, Finland and Nigeria.

Mr Tomlinson directs the choir and plays the piano. He said the choir has come a long way in five years.

“We will celebrate our fifth anniversary in October. In five years, we have moved from practising under a coconut tree to the Christ the King Hall, and now to actually opening up a centre. That speaks volumes about the hard work the children have put into the choir,” he said.

The choir consists of children from seven to 18, and meets twice a week for practice and rehearsals. The group first captured recognition with a performance at the opening of the first Local Government Conference in Freeport in 2009, performing for 500 delegates from the Caribbean.

Then Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham was so impressed by the performance that he requested a meeting with the group afterwards. Prime Minister Perry Christie has also been supportive.

Mr Tomlinson says a Performing Arts Centre will help to direct the energies of children in a focused and positive direction.

“Let’s create the environment we’ve dreamed about. I didn’t get the chance to go to a performing arts school, but let me create the environment I dreamed about so that someone else could get the experience,” he told members of the Rotary Club this week.

The former educator says he wants to improve creative arts education in Grand Bahama. He said there are many talented young people who cannot afford to attend a performing arts school. “It will not be a place where they have to pay to come to,” Tomlinson said.

This year, the group has received an invitation from Bishop Neil Ellis to attend the launching of Global United Network airing in Jacksonville, Florida. It would provide great exposure not only for the choir, but for Grand Bahama Island as well, he said.

Well-known motivational speaker Pastor Dr Myles Munroe has also expressed an interest for the choir to perform in Lagos, Nigeria. Invitations have also been extended for the group to perform in Cuba and Finland.

Mr Tomlinson said the choir has travelled to Detroit, Michigan and performed for Pastor Marvin L Winans at the Perfecting Church. They have also performed in Atlanta, North Carolina, New York, and in Washington, performing for former Ambassador Andrew Young, who was instrumental in the civil rights movement with Martin Luther King.

However, probably one of their notable accomplishments was when their music was used for the new Bahamas commercial “Behold” - which also featured Bahamian NBA player Rick Fox - during the Super Bowl.

“The music in the background is actually the GBYC,” Mr Tomlinson said. “No one knew that, the Ministry of Tourism did not even know that. The company who they hired in New York to do the commercial stumbled on our video on YouTube and they found me and said they would like to use our music.”

The choir also gained international exposure during the Miss Universe pageant in the Bahamas. “That was another big accomplishment; they showed them singing when the contestants arrived and it was aired to millions of viewers,” he recalled.

In an effort to improve their outstanding performance, Mr Tomlinson will be introducing a choreography element and other things.

Mr Tomlinson thanked the many persons who have contributed to the success of the choir, including the Prime Minister. “It is not a political thing; I want to stay neutral because we don’t want to lose this programme because of politics. A lady once said in a speech at the UN that investment in young people ensures a more productive society in the future.

“Music is my tool and I am using it to get the young people’s attention, but more importantly, I want to instil character building skills,” he said.

Mr Tomlinson is also launching another programme called ICAN, which teaches four Cs - Curiosity, Courage, Creativity, and Confidence. “This programme is more integrated in the schools and will cater to 130 kids,” he said.

Mr Tomlinson has taught at Temple Christian and Faith Temple Schools in New Providence. He also taught at Bishop Michael Eldon and Lucaya International Schools.

“The first year was a dreadful year and I could not wait to get out, but every school I went to was an impactful experience for both me and the kids, whether it was winning awards at music festivals. It was a learning experience for me and moving into this is the full embodiment of all the skills I would have learned in at those institutions. At first I did not like it, but it has become a part of my life and I see value in it and the ability to help some young people and transform their thinking,” he said.

“My passion is transformational thinking. We have to create a new flowerbed of thinkers and children who can create and produce. The word service has changed. The definition of service now is what idea can I come up with that can actually serve the world?”

Mr Tomlinson said choir members have been able, through partnership with the Pelican Bay Resort, participate in the Up with People programme and summer camps to gain exposure.

“My job is to find more and more scholarship opportunity so we can create vehicle needed to get children going in the right direction. The Centre is a big project it will take a lot of hands to get it done,” Mr Tomlinson said.