Music has been a passion for Dail Richie all of her life. From her childhood in Maryland to her 1984 move to Berks, music — particularly vocal music — has been a focal point of her family and career. In addition to her work as Executive Director of the Berks Youth Chorus, Richie teaches voice at Community Music School at the Reading Campus of GoggleWorks, and she performs with many groups, including Opus One: Berks Chamber Choir and its select ensemble, Echo. She lives in Wyomissing with her husband, David, an attorney, accomplished singer and opera enthusiast.
Q: When did you discover your love of music? It was just a part of our household. I remember putting on shows in kindergarten and begging my parents for a piano. In second grade I got to start lessons. We had great neighbors who would let me come over and bang on their grand piano – and I do mean bang. In fifth grade I had my “a-ha” moment when I saw a children’s choir recital at a church. It changed everything. I pleaded with my mom to start one at our church, which she did – not as a director, but she got it started.
Q: Did you perform with that choir all through your youth? Yes. From there I went to senior choir and then one at college. I still perform at Christ Episcopal Church here.
Q: The Berks Youth Chorus is a relatively new name for the group you’ve led since 1997; why the change? It was the Classical Children’s Chorus until 2012. We are still the same group but felt Berks Youth Chorus better reflects what we do, because we have high school students, and they aren’t young children.
Q: For those unfamiliar with the group, can you describe it? Berks is blessed with so many excellent musical opportunities, and we hope all students participate in their school programs, but we exist to provide more musical options. We have summer camps and membership programs that help develop strong voices and teach reading music.
Q: What brought you to Berks? I met my husband at Catholic University in Washington, D.C., where we were both getting our masters degrees in voice performance. He worked at the Library of Congress while pursuing a career in opera. Later, he went to law school at Dickinson School of Law. We moved to this area when he joined the Reading law firm of Stevens and Lee.
Q: When you have time away from teaching and performing, what do you like to do? We have three adorable grandchildren; need I say more? [laughs]
Q: And I’ll bet music is important to them too. Well they’re all still very young – the oldest is just six – but music is a part of our family. We are happy our grown children – Julia, Carolyn and Russell – live nearby, so we get to see everyone often. The younger two grandchildren are Henry, 2, and Hannah, 8 months. They enjoy music and all happy things. The oldest, Paige, has an interest in visual art. In fact, I’m on the board at the GoggleWorks and took her there for the first time this past summer. I loved her reaction; she said, “Wow, you can tell this is a place for kids.” I thought that was perfect.
To learn more about Berks Youth Chorus, visit themat 201 Washington St., Ste. 506B, Reading, or online at berksyouthchorus.org, or call 610.898.7664.
