Houstonian launches Houston's first and only bilingual choir for children

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- Earlier this year, a children's choir program was created right in Houston's East End.

It has been so successful this summer that organizers will soon be recruiting for the fall.

As for the man behind Segundo Barrio Children's Chorus, this is a total full-circle moment for him.

The East End has always been a special place for Jorge Garza.

"The neighborhood is a very historic neighborhood," Garza said. "My family moved here directly from Mexico. We were immigrants. We landed here with a lot of other immigrant families."

There were not a lot of opportunities for young immigrant children, he said, but it was right here in the Second Ward that Garza first got the chance to sing in a choir.

It placed him on a path full of opportunities and launched his career. For the past two decades, he has lived overseas as a professional opera singer. Now he's back home, paying it forward.

Garza founded the Segundo Barrio Children's Choir, giving local children the same opportunity he had at their age.

"This is more than we could have dreamed of, so it has been a great turnout," said Marcus Jauregui, Dir. Segundo Barrio Children's Chorus.

Jauregui is leading the choir. They mostly sing in Spanish, but they also sing in English. It's an all-around cultural and musical experience.

"I know this is planting a seed for a lot of these young people that I hope will grow into something great for them in the future," said Jauregui.

This group of young music students had been working all summer, and they already have many open invitations to perform around the city. They will be the first and only bilingual choir to participate in the Houston Grand Opera's Holiday concert. And the invitations keep coming.

"The skills they learn here, performance, confidence, you carry that with you the rest of your life no matter what you do," said Garza.

The Segundo Barrio Children's Chorus will be hosting auditions for the fall on Aug. 20 and 27.

If you're interested in auditions for your children, you can visit their website for full details.

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