>> Cathy: THE SONG YOU JUST HEARD IS ONE OF MANY THAT WILL BE PART OF THE VOCAL ESSENCE "GLOBAL RHYTHMS, JOYFUL VOICES" CONCERT ON SUNDAY MAY 3RD AT THE ORDWAY.

THE CONCERT WILL CELEBRATE THE CULTURAL TRADITIONS THAT SHAPE AMERICAN MUSIC AND THE 250TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE.

HERE WITH MORE, VOCAL ESSENCE BOARD MEMBER AND ALSO SINGER, BRIANNA HILL.

WELCOME TO THE PROGRAM.

>> THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME.

>> Cathy: AMBITIOUS PROGRAM, MY GOSH.

NOW, THIS IS VOCALESSENCE PART -- YOUR EFFORT TO CELEBRATE THE 250th ANNIVERSARY OF THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE.

TALK ABOUT THE THEMES.

YOU'VE GOT A LOT THAT ARE GOING TO GO ON HERE.

>> YES.

THIS IS ROBABLY ONE OF OUR LARGER EVENTS IN TERMS OF COMMUNITY FOCUS AND BRINGING THE COMMUNITY TOGETHER, ESPECIALLY FOR THE CELEBRATION OF THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE.

AND, SO, WE HAVE SOME PERFORMANCES THAT ARE PRECONCERT.

AND, SO, IT'S VERY IMPORTANT THAT PEOPLE COME FROM 2:00 TO 4:00 TO SEE ALL OF THE ARRAY AND VARIETY OF PERFORMANCES THAT WE'LL HAVE.

SO, FOR INSTANCE, WE DO HAVE KNEE BOXING FAMILY WHICH IS A TRUING FAMILY.

DRUMMING FAMILY.

COLLECTIVE, DANCE COLLECTIVE AS WELL.

SO WE'LL ALSO HAVE THE HMONG DANCE TEAM FROM HOPE COMMUNITY ACADEMY.

THE RJK DANCE ENSEMBLE, SOUTHEAST ASIAN GROUP, AND THE LOS LAGOS FROM MEXICO, SO WE HAVE A LOT OF REPRESENTATIONS FROM DIFFERENT CULTURES WHICH I TRULY BELIEVES REPRESENTS THE TAPESTRY OF THE TWIN CITIES.

>> Eric: IT'S THE OLD MELTING POT IDEA OF AMERICA.

>> ABSOLUTELY.

>> Eric: AND THIS IS BEYOND MUSIC.

>> YES.

>> Eric: CAN YOU TELL US, THERE'S DANCE AND STORYTELLING AND SOME OTHER THINGS.

>> YEAH, SO THERE'S DEFINITELY DANCE, STORYTELLING, THERE'S ALSO SOME INSTRUMENT MAKING AS WELL, SO PARTICIPANTS THAT COME TO THE PRECONCERT WILL BE ABLE TO MAKE AN INSTRUMENT, DO SOME COLORING O SOME ARTISTRY AS WELL.

THERE WILL BE FOOD TRUCKS THERE AS WELL.

AND, SO, IT WILL BE FUN, IT WILL BE A LOT OF FUN.

>> Cathy: WE WERE TALKING OFF AIR, YOU'RE A DANCER.

>> I AM.

>> Cathy: RIGHT.

AND A SINGER.

>> YES.

>> Cathy: 'M WONDERING HERE, OUR COUNTRY AS SO MANY WONDERFUL, DIFFERENT CULTURAL INFLUENCES ON OUR MUSIC.

AS A PERFORMER, WHAT DOES THAT MEAN TO YOU?

>> HONESTLY, WHEN I'M ABLE TO COMBINE DANCE AND SINGING, IT'S ONE OF THE BEST WAYS TO EXPRESS CULTURE.

IT'S THE BEST WAY TO EXPRESS EMPATHY, IT'S THE BEST WAY TO EXPRESS EMOTIONS.

AND, SO, TO BE ABLE TO HAVE THIS FUSION OF FOOD, DANCE, SINGING, YOU KNOW, ARTISTRY, EVERYTHING COMING TOGETHER, IT REALLY WILL BE LIKE OUR SOUL CATERING TO THE COMMUNITY.

AND, SO, THAT'S WHAT VOCALESSENCE DOES, AND I'M JUST PROUD TO BE A PART OF THAT COMMUNITY.

>> Eric: AND MUSIC IS UNIQUE IN OFFERING THAT SERVICE TO PEOPLE.

REACHING THEM.

>> YES.

>> Eric: I THINK IT'S -- MUSIC IS SO -- WHAT WOULD YOU SAY -- IT'S VERY SOOTHING, HEALING.

>> Cathy: CROSS-CULTURAL.

>> AS WELL.

I WAS GOING TO SAY IT'S GLOBAL, AND THAT'S WHY WE CALL IT THE GLOBAL RHYTHMS AND JOYFUL VOICES CELEBRATION.

>> Cathy: I CAN'T IMAGINE HOW MUCH WORK HAS GONE INTO THIS.

OH, MY GOSH.

>> YEAH.

LOTS OF BEHIND-THE-SCENES WORK WITH THE VOCALESSENCE LEADERSHIP TEAM, WITH THE CHOIRS AS WELL, BECAUSE THERE'S MULTIPLE CHOIRS, AND, SO, WHAT YOU WILL SEE THERE IS THE VOCALESSENCE CHOIR, WHICH IS THE LARGEST ONE, 120 MEMBERS, AND YOU'LL ALSO SEE THE SINGERS OF THIS AGE, WHICH IS THE TEENAGE GROUP, SO THAT'S A SMALLER GROUP, BUT THEY ARE POWERFUL AND THEY ARE WONDERFUL.

>> Eric: AND YOU TAKE IT TO THE STREETS.

>> WE DO, YES.

>> Eric: FOOD TRUCKS.

>> YES.

IT WILL BE OUTSIDE THE ORDWAY AND INSIDE THE ORDWAY.

>> Cathy: WOW.

NOW YOU'RE A BOARD MEMBER, TOO.

>> I AM, YES.

>> Cathy: HOW, AS A MEMBER MEMBER, THIS -- HOW AS A BOARD MEMBER, THIS PARTICULAR EVENT, I'M SURE YOU TALKED ABOUT IT IN YOUR BOARD MEETINGS, IT'S ALWAYS IMPORTANT TO GET OUT INTO THE COMMUNITY, ESPECIALLY YOUNG FOLKS, IT SEEMS LIKE THIS IS A TAILOR-MADE EVENT TO REACH THOSE YOUNG PEOPLE.

>> ABSOLUTELY.

THIS IS A FAMILY EVENT.

SO I THINK NORMALLY WHEN WE HAVE OUR CONCERTS, WE USUALLY WILL SEE A CROWD OF ADULTS.

BUT THIS IS ONE WHERE I PERSONALLY, AM, IKE, INVITE YOUR COMMUNITY, INVITE YOUR FAMILY, INVITE THE CHILDREN.

EVERYBODY'S GOING TO HAVE A GOOD TIME, SO IT'S NOT JUST GET A TICKET AND BRING A FRIEND, BRING ALL YOUR FRIENDS.

>> Eric: IS THIS FAR AFIELD FROM WHAT YOUR GROUP USUALLY DOES?

>> IN TERMS OF PRECONCERT, YES, A LITTLE -- JUST A LITTLE BIT.

AND, SO, -- BUT IN TERMS OF COMMUNITY, WHAT WE REPRESENT, NO.

SO WE SEE A LOT OF, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A LOT OF FUSION OF DIFFERENT WALKS OF LIFE WITHIN VOCALESSENCE, SO WE SEE IT AMONG EACH OTHER A LOT, BUT IN TERMS OF CONCERTS, EXPRESSING IN CONCERT, THIS IS ONE OF OUR HIGHLIGHTS THIS YEAR.

SO IT IS SOMETHING A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT.

>> Eric: ARE THERE TICKETS AVAILABLE STILL?

>> ABSOLUTELY.

>> Eric: MAY 30th -- MAY 30rd.

>> SUNDAY, MAY 3rd, COME AT 2:00, COME FOR THE PRECONCERT, BUT THE CONCERT STARTS AT 4:00.

>> Cathy: IMPORTAN