Singing for good

In January, Michaela McCusker ’27 founded the Firth Center Youth Choir in Phillipsburg, N.J., for kids in second through eighth grades. McCusker has long wanted to find a way to use her love of music to help the community; after learning about children’s literacy issues—for example, only one of three Pennsylvania students are proficient in reading by fourth grade—she wanted to leverage music education. By reading sheet music, analyzing lyrics, and practicing unfamiliar words during weekly meetings, McCusker hopes the nontraditional approach will help local students with both reading and singing skills.