Reuben Lael Griffin has been a part of the MLK Citywide Youth Choir since he was in elementary school and now uses his musical talent to direct the more than 100-voice group.
His parents, Reverend Doctor Roosevelt and Linda Griffin, were pastors at St. Mark Baptist Church when he was growing up and at that time, just about every church in the Garland area got together for the NAACP’s Martin Luther King Jr. parade. The youth choir concert was added when B.J. Williams was president of the association and Griffin and friend TaRon Lockett hoped to make the concert a “for youth, by youth” event. Williams approved the idea and there has been a youth concert after the MLK parade every year since.
Griffin started directing the choir when he was a senior in high school and even when he attended Southern University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana he would come back to direct the event each year. He has now been in charge of the concert for four years.
His mother, who is a Garland ISD board of trustees member, finds sponsorships so that they can purchase matching T-shirts for every choir member and continue to keep the workshop free to the children.
Griffin is passionate about music and about helping youth and it shows in the patience he exhibits while working with so many young people at once. The program enriched his life in various ways and he strives to make it a good experience for today’s youth as well.
“It’s a great opportunity for youth to sing together and it’s also a great opportunity for youth who have the gift of music to come and develop their craft,” he said. “I hope that if they do pursue music in any shape, form or fashion this will be an opportunity that helps them.”
Griffin said that there are not many chances for kids to share their talents and when they step out and do it, it encourages others to do the same. He added that the chance to be on a large stage like the Granville Arts Center is also good experience for them.
Some of these young people have incredible voices and it is often difficult for Griffin to choose who gets solos in the program.
“The range of kids is so wide,” he said. “We have 3-year-olds who are brave enough to grab a microphone then we have 18-year-olds and even college students who still come back.”
He enjoys working with them all, from the one who is shy but finds the courage to get up and sing to the ones that seem like they’ve been singing in front of crowds forever.
The group gets only a few chances to rehearse and what they learn in that limited amount of time is impressive. Griffin said that he is proud of the choir members and their commitment to the program.
“I’m hoping to get a kid to direct soon so I can pass the torch. The opportunity did so much for me and helped me develop my talents so I want to pass it on,” Griffin said.
The sponsors for this year’s youth concert were Plastipak, Veritex Community Bank, Huckabee Architecture Engineering Management, Perdue Brandon Fielder Collins & Mott Law Firm, State Representative Angie Chen Button, State Representative Cindy Burkett, Garland ISD and the city of Garland.