Where they’ve been invited to perform at Carnegie Hall -
A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!
Help send Paloma and the Jackson MS
Ensemble Choir to NYC
How You Can Help
Attend a concert
To fund this trip, the Jackson Choir Booster Club
(led by parent volunteers) needs to cover the
travel expenses for our choir director,
accompanist, and principal, and provide
scholarships for students who may need financial
assistance. Anything we raise above those costs
will help offset the costs for all other students.
We greatly appreciate your help to fulfill this
once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for our students!
Videos of Ensemble
Featured on FOX12 on October 29, 2024
“A Merry Autumn” October 29, 2024
“The Seal Lullaby” October 29, 2024
“I Feel Tired Sometimes” Heritage Festival April 2024
“Voice Of My Song” Heritage Festival April 2024
“Go, Said the Star” Heritage Festival April 2024
Click speaker icon in bottom right of each video to turn sound on/off
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Join us in NYC!
Watch at Carnegie Hall Join us March 16, 2025 in New York City to watch Paloma and the Jackson Ensemble Choir perform LIVE at the world-famous Carnegie Hall as part of the National Youth Choir Festival! The Jackson Ensemble Choir has been selected as the featured choir for this performance, and is the ONLY middle school in the country that has received this high honor! Ticket info coming soon! Come witness this unforgettable event and support our choir!
Email with any questions: candidabell@yahoo.com
The Jackson Middle School Ensemble Choir, an audition group for 7th and 8th graders, is led by the dedicated Melinda Murdock, who has been with JMS for over 20 years. They perform 2-3 times a year and participate in an annual choral festival. This past April, the choir competed in Anaheim in the WorldStrides Heritage Festival. Despite being one of the few middle school choirs among high school competitors, our students impressed judges with their maturity and skill, earning a 1st place award in their category. Their performance received high praise, with one adjudicator calling Ms. Murdock a “magical angel person” for the remarkable sound she helped the students achieve, even after a month of lost practice due to the PPS teacher’s strike. This achievement led to an invitation for the Ensemble Choir to perform at Carnegie Hall in March 2025—a tremendous honor! To fund this trip, the Jackson Choir Booster Club (led by parent volunteers) needs to cover the travel expenses for our choir director, accompanist, and principal, and provide scholarships for students who may need financial assistance. Our fundraising efforts have included a Back-to-School spaghetti dinner, fall car wash, concessions at concerts, holiday pie and greenery sales, and a letter-writing campaign. Jackson Middle School (JMS) in Southwest Portland, is a Leonard Bernstein School of Artful Learning, integrating arts into all aspects of school curriculum. Our Ensemble Choir performs nationally, with past tours including Heritage Festivals in Disney and Washington D.C., the Choral Festival of Gold in Nashville, and now, the National Youth Choir Festival at Carnegie Hall.
History of Ensemble
Jackson Middle School (Portland Public Schools) 10625 SW 35th Ave, Portland, OR 97219 Choir Director: Melinda Murdock Piano Accompanist: Mahroo Hamedani Principal: John Ferraro Website: https://jacksonchoirboosters.square.site/ (Donations are tax deductible) Tax ID/EIN#: 93-1249458
Thank You For Your Support!!
Donate Here