First gig for nonprofit

A local high school senior wants to teach the world to sing.

Samantha “Sam” Smith formed a nonprofit choir, Young Singers of Orange County, which will perform its first gig Sunday.

The choir welcomes kids ages 5 to roughly 14 with no (or advanced) singing experience.

There is an annual $25 fee to join, which covers the costs of printed materials; members also receive a T-shirt.

Sam is an accomplished singer-songwriter with a long background in performance. She maintains a 4.2 grade-point average at Early College High School.

Sam is the president of her nonprofit’s board and has no employees; everyone contributes their time and effort for free.

The group’s first performance will be Sunday at the Roosters Food Drive at the Second Harvest Food Bank in Irvine.

Sam has entertained the more than 400 volunteers at the event for the past three years, so it was a natural fit to bring her new singing group with her, said her father, Peter Smith.

Smith, who’s British, said his daughter’s efforts remind him of the promise of the American dream.

“People do have an opportunity in this country,” he said, even in times of educational budget cuts — in which the arts often are the first thing to go. “When the government falls down, there’s still plenty of people to step up.”

About 15 children showed up for the choir’s first rehearsal this week, including several boys. Most were family friends or classmates.

“I’ve known the Smiths for about 12 years,” parent Darcie Schott said. “Sam’s had so much experience, and I love that it’s nonprofit.”

Sam says her story is a product of fate.

A Rotarian asked her to sing the national anthem at a meeting when she was 8. There, a pastor asked her to sing at his church. The church choir director recruited her for the choir — and to lead the congregation. A jazz musician heard her at church and asked her to sing at his gigs.

She then became the musical director for her old elementary school’s plays when she was a freshman.

In her junior year, she revived Newport Elementary School’s choir with modern songs and guitar accompaniment. She takes the choir to perform at various events like the Balboa Island Home Walk.

Sam also performs at a retirement home in France each summer.

Sam’s goals for the choir are to inspire a love of the arts, and to build children’s skills, self-confidence and volunteerism.

Music is in the family; her sister Sophie performs with a song and dance group from the Orange County High School of the Arts.

Young Singers of Orange County rehearses from 4 to 5:30 p.m. Wednesdays at the Costa Mesa Playhouse, 661 Hamilton St.

The choir is seeking private donations, sponsorships and grants and performance gigs.

For more information, call Sam at (949) 413-3914, e-mail samantha@youngsingersoc.org or visit youngsingersoc.org.