About Us
Background & History
Born from years of dreams and ideas and the love of making music with young singers, the Yavapai Youth Choirs organization stepped onto the stage in the fall of 2015. Co-founders Arlene Hardy and Amy Van Winkle began YYC with the mission to provide and enhance excellence in choral music artistry and education throughout Yavapai County. This mission is still at the heart of everything we do at Yavapai Youth Choirs.
In its first two seasons, the program consisted of two female vocal ensembles: Voci Sorella, the touring choir; and Angelo Voce, a training ensemble for younger students. These ensembles were immediately embraced by the community and audiences applauded their beautiful music and artistry. Both ensembles were featured in a performance of John Rutter’s “Mass of the Children” as well as performing their own concerts throughout the Prescott area.
It wasn’t long before the need for growth became apparent. Seeing the need for ensembles that included young men’s voices and those children of younger elementary age, Yavapai Youth Choirsresponded in 2017 and again 2018 by expanding the number of ensembles to include two more ensembles: Voci Genesi, a choir for elementary students and boys with unchanged voices; and Nova Voce, a touring choir for men’s voices. Shortly after, in 2019, a fifth ensemble was created from selected voices in both Voci Sorella and Nova Voce to establish Colla Voce; YYC’s mixed ensemble of men’s and women’s voices.
During this time of growth, we saw the addition of outstanding new instructors to our team. Michelle Grubert came on board in 2017 to direct Voci Genesi. Scott Neese followed soon after as director of Nova Voce. Both have brought with them new and exciting talents and creativity to Yavapai Youth Choirs.
Artistic Team
Arlene Hardy
Founder & Artistic Director
Director, Voci & Colla Voce
Arlene Hardy is the Artistic Director and Co-Founder of the Yavapai Youth Choirs, a nonprofit choral program serving the youth of Yavapai County. She has always had a true passion for music and working with youth.
Mrs. Hardy has 30 years of experience in teaching music at the elementary and collegiate level. It was during her early years of instructing at the elementary level that Arlene found her desire to direct young singers in a choral setting. She had been fortunate to be serving as the Assistant Director to the Red River Boy Choir in Fargo, ND during this period, which only solidified this aspiration. In 2005, Arlene founded and directed the Prescott Women’s Chamber Choir until 2015.
Debbie Place
Director, Voci Genesi
Debbie Place has taught music to children and youth in the Prescott area for over 20 years. She is a private vocal music instructor and has also served as Music Director for children’s community theater groups and church choirs. Debbie studied vocal performance at Grand Canyon University, and strongly believes in this quote from Cheryl Lavender: “The fact that children can make beautiful music is less significant than the fact that music can make beautiful children.”
Melanie McCally
Director, Angelo Voci
Administrative Assistant
Melanie McCally, raised a small town Iowa girl, has loved music and performing her whole life. She moved to Prescott in 2013 and jumped right in the music scene, joining multiple choirs, and has continued to sing in various ensembles in Prescott for over 10 years. She studied voice and choral studies at BYU-Idaho and earned her B.A. in Music Education in 2004. She created the Prescott Chorale Children’s Choir, which performs with the Prescott Chorale every Christmas.
Singing in choirs is her happy place, as she performs with Una Voce, a women’s choir directed by Arlene Hardy, the Prescott Chorale directed by Dennis Houser, the Prescott POPS Symphony Chorus, and every Sunday with the Mountain Reformed Church Sanctuary Choir. Her favorite solo opportunities have been singing Bach, Mozart, and Hasse with Prescott Chorale, as well as the divine Faure Requiem solo "Pie Jesu" with the Yavapai College Master Chorale. Her musical theater roles have included Mother Abbess in The Sound of Music and the Fairy Godmother in Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella.
She enjoys teaching a number of piano and voice students in her home studio in Prescott Valley, where she lives with her husband and 4 children. Ms. Mel is thrilled to have been asked to join the Yavapai Youth Choirs as a director.
Gina Steverson
Director, Vocini
Music Skills Specialist
Gina holds Bachelor’s Degrees in Music and Elementary Education from Northern Arizona University. She has years of experience in performance and education.
Gina has directed youth theater including the productions of Frozen Jr. and Peter Pan, and music directed several productions such as Man of La Mancha and The Hunchback of Notre Dame. She is actively involved onstage and has performed many roles including Fantine in Les Miserables, and Mrs Cratchit in A Christmas Carol. Some of her many productions include Phantom of the Opera, Jane Eyre, and Chicago. Her most recent production was Anastasia the Musical at YC and is currently in Fiddler on the Roof.
Gina sings with several choral groups including Una Voce, Prescott Pops, Master Chorale and MRC. Gina has taught and owned a preschool for 23 years, has a private piano studio, and played clarinet professionally. She has four beautifully talented children, all of whom have been, or are, singers with YYC since the original choir. Gina directs YYC’s Vocini and loves working with the little voices. Her heart is in working with youth. She has four adorable micro goldendoodles (and puppies) and is a new grandma!
Join the Harmony
Yavapai Youth Choirs offer enriching ensemble experiences for young singers of all skill levels. Whether they're just starting or ready for advanced harmonies, our choirs provide a place to learn, grow, and shine.