Singing To Serve

SJCI Swing Choir

The St. Joe’s Swing Choir looks something like the choir on the 2000s TV show "Glee.” Talented students singing and dancing in perfect synchronization. But unlike Glee’s choir “New Directions” or other show choirs you’ve seen, our 39-member Swing Choir ensemble doesn't compete. 

Their stages aren't auditoriums filled with judges and rival schools. Instead, their audiences include hospitals, long-term care nursing homes, schools for children with special needs, cancer groups, Veterans, and members of the community who are often overlooked or forgotten.

They're not chasing trophies. They're interested in connecting with souls.

Sparking Joy Through Song

Swing Choir began in the late 1960s and, under the direction of James Deiotte in the early 1970s, truly became the service-based group it is today.  This co-ed ensemble is composed of young men from St. Joe’s and young ladies from schools all over the Buffalo area. 

Swing Choir's philosophy was, and continues to be, about serving the community through the “ministry of music.” The ensemble is rooted in the core Lasallian values that everyone, without exception, is created in the image of God and deserves to be treated with dignity and respect. We believe that the arts are a way to minister to and lift people’s souls.

Swing Choir focuses on heart-based connection, spreading joy, and inspiring others to find hope. The students share their talents, time, and open and loving hearts in the hope that audiences will see the face of God in some small way.

Today, music director and vocal music teacher, Mr. Michael Hooker ‘06, choreographer Ms. Beth Polito (SHA ‘91), and moderator, Mr. Kieran Deyell ‘16, carry that legacy forward. Each is an alumnus of the group and has their own story of how the artistry and mission of this program moved them deeply. So much so that they are back sharing their time and talent to inspire the next generation. 

"Swing Choir is about performing from your heart and using your gifts to serve. It is truly about spreading the light of Christ."

- Ms. Polito 

Mr. Deyell moderates the ensemble and leads them in deepening their faith and spirituality.  “Our goal is to make genuine connections with our audiences, to learn about the people that we minister to, so it’s not just a performance. We go to spend time with people, making friendships and memories with people all over.”

The group performs music for all generations. This year includes selections from Broadway musicals, standards from the Great American Songbook, Disney Classics, Folk, Rock and Religious Spirituals. 

During one nursing home visit, a 106-year-old woman sat quietly through most of the performance, her gaze distant. She shared with the students after their performance that the 1940s classic “Don’t Sit Under the Apple Tree” took her back in time to when she sat waiting for her husband's return home after serving in World War II. The music reached across eight decades, awakening something inside of her. That’s what Swing Choir is all about!

“The greatest thing that I’ve learned from Swing is that everyone has a story.  After one concert, I spoke with an audience member that stated that our performance was the thing they looked the most forward to during the Christmas Season.  Moments like these can offer an entirely new perspective of community, making the opportunity to serve people you’ve connected with even more special. Our service feels far more genuine when you realize who you’re performing for.” 

-Eddie Fritz, Class of 2026

More Than Notes and Steps

According to Mr. Hooker, the Swing Choir is the highest-performing group at the school, but when building the ensemble each year, the directors aren’t just evaluating vocal range or dance skills. They’re looking for something far more essential: heart.

Walk into auditions and you'll see Mr. Hooker, Ms. Polito and Mr. Deyell watching everything, not just how candidates hit the high notes, but how they encourage the nervous kid waiting in the hallway. Whether they help pick up sheet music someone dropped. How they react when they fumble a dance move.

“Sometimes the best singers or dancers don’t make it,” Mr. Hooker notes, “Talent can only get you so far. We are looking for the individual who is excited to learn and to serve others in the process.”

Ms. Polito recalls a basketball team captain who auditioned with zero formal dance experience, all height and athletic energy, with no idea where to put his hands and feet during a jazz square. But his enthusiasm and desire were genuine. He made the cut and, with practice, mastered the moves.

Being part of the Swing Choir means rehearsing 9 to 12 hours a week on top of academics, sports, and activities. Students learn discipline as they run the same eight-count until muscle memory takes over. They learn responsibility and teamwork when they realize that they’re an integral part of the whole. It takes the entire ensemble to complete the visual picture and create the full sound.  They build confidence tackling routines that seemed impossible in September but feel effortless by December.

And it's not just the 32 voices you see on stage. Accompanying every performance is a live student band that brings the music to life, and a tech crew that manages sound and lighting. At every venue, whether it's a nursing home cafeteria or a hospital atrium, students unload buses, haul heavy risers up staircases (and one time in the Bronx, in snow, with no ramps), and work together to transform any space into a concert hall.

"It’s not just about the ensemble. In Swing, there’s a band plus a tech team that makes the whole thing happen,” said Mr. Hooker. “You have to pull your weight, because if one person is off, it affects the whole group. It’s about leveling up, working on your craft independently, and bringing it back to strengthen the whole team.”

See What Makes Swing Special

The Swing Choir embodies everything St. Joe’s stands for as a Lasallian school. As Mr. Hooker puts it, “It is the music, it is dance, it is performance, it is connection, it is faith in God, it is all 5 of the core principles that extend from the Lasallian star.”

Want to see what service through song looks like?  Swing Choir performs several times throughout the year. Whether you're a prospective family exploring what makes St. Joe's special or a community member looking for an evening of heartfelt entertainment, you'll witness students using their gifts to brighten the world, one performance at a time.