Lab Assistant Antoinette Martin is one of 160 voices singing harmoniously in the Kansas City Symphony Chorus. This summer, she auditioned for the 2022-23 season and made the choir for the second consecutive year.
Growing up in Maryland, Antoinette’s parents, Anthony and Jonita, filled their home with music. Antoinette and her five siblings played an instrument or sang. Anthony shared his Nigerian heritage by teaching songs in Yoruba, a language spoken in Nigeria.
As a child, Antoinette took voice lessons and sang in high school and college musicals. At age 25 and newly relocated to Kansas City in 2021, she looked for ways to continue her love of singing and found the Kansas City Symphony. “Being chosen for the chorus was a dream come true,” said Antoinette, who is an alto 1. “It is a prestigious chorus, and I’ve never been involved in anything like it.”
Members sing with the Kansas City Symphony for typically five performances annually. When she is learning new music, Antoinette’s preparation consists of a weekly three-hour group practice and up to two hours daily on her own. “Singing calms me. When I sing or listen to music, I not only feel better, but I feel happier,” Antoinette explained.
Music brings Antoinette comfort in hard times. It helped her cope after her grandmother, Aretha, died. Days after Aretha’s death, choir members dedicated the gospel hymn, “I’m Going Home,” in her honor. “By the end of rehearsal, everyone in the choir was crying,” Antoinette recalled. “I couldn’t think of a better way to honor her than through music. It was such a healing experience.”
