Indianapolis, IN
For Indianapolis Children’s Choir, new home is convenient high note – Indianapolis Business Journal
Joshua Pedde, artistic director of the Indianapolis Children’s Choir, said a sense of ownership is visible on the faces of young singers when they arrive at the organization’s new home at the intersection of 91st Street and Allisonville Road.
“They know it’s theirs,” Pedde said. “You’re not in someone else’s space. This is made specifically for them to enjoy.”
Before the choir moved into the building last summer, the 38-year-old organization was based in Lilly Hall on the campus of Butler University. No daytime activities were possible because of the school’s schedule, and dedicated spaces for parents and rooms for collaborations with other arts organizations weren’t in the cards.
Pedde said the choir’s headquarters, formerly occupied by F.C. Tucker Co., accommodate children starting from 18 months old through 12th grade.
The building features two rehearsal rooms, with the largest occupying about 3,000 square feet of the 16,000-square-feet structure.
The choir serves 2,500 children each year, and more than 250 singers will perform as part of the organization’s next concert: a March 10 production of “Crossroads of America” at Hilbert Circle Theatre.
Four singing groups, ranging from the ICC’s beginning level choirs through its high school division, will perform selections of gospel, jazz, Broadway, folk and other genres.
Pedde said songs such as “Almost Like Being in Love,” “900 Miles” and “Lift Every Voice and Sing” will convey the concert’s “crossroads” theme focused on railroads that carried passengers through Indiana.
“We even have a train conductor coming in to narrate the performance,” Pedde said.
The choir continues to rebuild its membership after a pandemic decrease, said Pedde, who succeeded ICC founder Henry Leck in the role of artistic director after Leck’s retirement in 2016.
“We never turn kids away,” Pedde said. “Because we’re ability-based, we put them where they need to be trained. We do have some kids who need a little more training than others. The big thing is we need them to be great listeners and have a healthy voice. The other part is we’d like them to match pitch. Those are the things we’re looking for. If they can do those things, away we go.”
Highlights in the choir’s history include singing with Kelly Clarkson during her rendition of “The Star-Spangled Banner” before the 2012 Super Bowl at Lucas Oil Stadium and singing during opening and closing ceremonies of the 1987 Pan Am Games at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
“We are the voice of Indianapolis,” Pedde said. “We really are representing our city, because our singers are from all the school districts around the area—combining in one voice to be singing ambassadors.”
Butler University alum Pedde said the choir is within $1.2 million of raising $4 million for a capital campaign launched in conjunction with the purchase of the building at 9111 Allisonville Road. His goal is to have the funding complete by the end of 2025, with an eye toward the choir’s 40th anniversary year in 2026.
“What does that next 40 years look like,” Pedde said, “and how can we help make Indianapolis even more special than it is today?”
‘The Crossroads of America’
- When: 4 p.m. March 10.
- Where: Hilbert Circle Theatre, 45 Monument Circle.
- Tickets: $14.
- Info: Visit icchoir.org.
INDIANAPOLIS — Indiana is under a heat advisory with temperatures in the 90s throughout the week.
Many cooling centers will open throughout the state for those that need to find relief from the heat. Hoosiers looking to find cooling centers in their area can contact Indiana 211. To learn more, call 211 or (866) 211-9966.
Avaliable cooling centers can also be found by clicking here.
Marion County
For those living in Indianapolis, Indy Parks has several cooling centers across the city.
Those Cooling Centers are:
- Broad Ripple Park Family Center
- Brookside Park Family Center
- Christian Park Family Center
- Frederick Douglass Park Family Center
- Garfield Park Burrello Family Center
- Krannert Park Family Center
- Grassy Creek Environmental Education Center
- Pride Park Family Center
- Rhodius Park Family Center
- Riverside Park Family Center
- Stanley Strader Park Family Center
- Washington Park Family Center
- Windsor Park Family Center
- Watkins Park Family Center
- Thatcher Park Family Center
For addresses and hours of operations of these cooling centers, click here.
Beech Grove will also have two cooling Centers for residents starting Monday, June 29. Those hours and locations are:
- Beech Grove Senior Center, 602 Main St
- 8 a.m. – 4 p.m., Monday through Friday
- Hornet Park Community Center, 5245 Hornet Ave
- 8 a.m. – 6 p.m., Monday through Friday
Other Central Indiana Cooling Centers
For addresses and hour of operations of cooling centers below, click here.
Marion
- St. Martin Community Center
- Grant County Family YMCA
- Grant County Rescue Mission
Kokomo
- The Kokomo Rescue Mission
- The Excel Center in Kokomo
Peru
- Community Resource Center
- Miami County Courthouse
- Miami County Health Department
- Miami County YMCA
- Peru City Hall
- Peru Public Library
- Peru Schools Administration Building
INDIANAPOLIS (WRTV) — The National Weather Service out of Indianapolis has issued a Heat Advisory for all of Central Indiana and a High Heat Warning for parts of northern Indiana. The Advisory and Warning will go into effect at 12 PM on Monday and will run through 8 PM Thursday.
WRTV
A Heat Advisory means that temperatures in the 90s with dew points in the 70s, will lead to Heat Index values reaching 106. Hot temperatures and high humidity may cause heat illnesses.
Stay cool:
Drink plenty of fluids, check up on relatives and neighbors, and stay in an air-conditioned room when possible. If outside for extended periods of time, make sure to take frequent breaks in the shade as much as you can.
TODAY
Patchy fog early gives way to a partly sunny, warmer, and much less active day. Highs reach the mid to upper 80s, with a light south breeze around 5 mph. After the unsettled Saturday, this looks like a far more usable day for outdoor plans, with most of central Indiana staying dry from start to finish.
TONIGHT
Mostly clear early, then becoming partly to mostly cloudy toward daybreak. Lows hold in the low 70s, with a light south southeast breeze around 5 mph. Humidity stays elevated overnight, but quiet weather continues and there are no meaningful travel concerns.
TOMORROW
Mostly sunny and hot with highs pushing into the low 90s. A south southwest breeze around 5 to 10 mph keeps the air moving, but the bigger story is the heat and humidity building in. Heat index values around or above 100 are possible during the afternoon, so outdoor plans will need extra water and more breaks.
TOMORROW NIGHT
Mostly clear and warm, with lows around the mid 70s and a light south southwest breeze. There will be very little cooling after sunset, and the muggy feel hangs on through the night. Dry weather remains in place.
TUESDAY
Sunny and even hotter, with highs in the low to mid 90s and a light southwest breeze around 5 mph. This is another day where heat becomes the main impact, and it will not take long to feel it during the afternoon. Outdoor work and summer activities will need to be paced carefully.
TUESDAY NIGHT
Clear and warm again, with lows in the mid 70s and a light southwest wind. The air remains sticky overnight, and there is still no meaningful rain signal for Indianapolis.
WEDNESDAY
Mostly sunny and hot, with highs in the low to mid 90s. Wind stays light, becoming south southwest around 5 mph in the afternoon. Heat remains the main concern, and another uncomfortable summer afternoon is expected across central Indiana.
7 DAY FORECAST
After Saturday’s leftover storm chances fade away, the pattern flips quickly toward heat and humidity. Sunday looks quieter and warmer, then Monday through at least Wednesday trend hot with highs in the 90s and heat index values over 100 possible at times. Rain chances stay very low through midweek, with the next better opportunity for showers and storms showing up later Thursday into Friday. Overall, the bigger concern after tonight becomes summer heat rather than repeated storm chances.
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