Meet the Yuma Youth and Men's Choir members
The 2010 Yuma Youth Choir who are traveling to Italy range in age from 9 to 18. Dr. Beth Tibbs, director of the choir, added a men's group to enable the presentation of more challenging music and a blending of deeper voices. The men range in age from 18 to 25. Meet the singers and listen to some of their prior performances and thoughts on the trip to Italy in the video selections to the right.
Yuma Youth Choir
Mary Stofft
Age: 9
School: 4th Grade at McGraw Elementary School
Length of time in choir: 1 year; Italy will be first trip with the choir
Past travel experience: Kauai, Seattle, Cabo San Lucas
Interests outside of music: Making movies, playing on the computer and collecting Pokemon cards
Favorite Italian food: "Pizza!"
Hanna Stoner
Age: 11
School: 7th grade at Castle Dome Middle School
Length of time with choir: 4 years; Traveled with choir on second Europe trip
Interests outside of music: "I like soccer, shopping ,and hanging out with my friends."
Favorite Italian food: "I don't know yet :)"
Rebeccca Rose Gill
Age: 12
School: 7th grade at Centennial Middle School
Length of time with choir: 4 years; Traveled with choir on second Europe trip
Interests outside of music: Drawing and reading
Favorite Italian food: "I don't know. I guess pasta or gelato."
Kamyla Ruiz
Age: 14; "Will turn 15 on July 5th…while in Italy!"
School: Sophomore at Cibola High School
Length of time in choir: 2 1/2 years; Italy will be first trip with the choir
Past travel experience: Dallas, Texas is farthest trip so far
Interests outside of music: Dancing and comedy
Favorite Italian food: Spaghetti
Robin Beauregard
Age: 14
School: Freshman at Gila Ridge High School
Length of time in choir: 5 years; Traveled with the choir on both previous trips to Europe
Interests outside of music: Sports, including wrestling, hockey, and starting football next year. Also interested in becoming a pilot and speaks French fluently.
Favorite Italian food: Pizza and Italian sodas
Nannette Aveñdano Rodriguez
Age: 15
School: Sophomore at Gila Ridge High School
Length of time with choir: 2 years; Italy will be first trip with the choir
Past travel experience: Cabo San Lucas, Mexico is farthest trip so far
Interests outside of music: Camping, dancing & running (track)
Favorite Italian food: Spaghetti
Sarah Elizabeth Land
Age: 16
School: Senior Yuma High School
Length of time with choir: 5 years; Traveled with the choir on both previous trips to Europe
Interests outside of music: "I am presently serving as the President for my FFA Chapter; I breed, raise, show, and market goats as well as showing and marketing a veal calf at this year’s Yuma County Fair." Also enjoys photography, ceramics, architecture and all forms of art.
Beryl Lay
Age: 17
School: Gila Ridge High School
Length of time in choir: 6 years; Traveled with choir on both previous trips to Europe. "They both were amazing."
Interests outside of music: "Reading, I'll be doing this for most of the time on the plane. I want to be a doctor and have a big interest in the research field for diabetes. I also love history and art, I think they are both connected and just fantastic to see and learn about."
Favorite Italian food: "I love their desserts =]"
Katie Ritsko
Age: 17
School: Attending Arizona Western College; Music Major
Length of time in choir: "I have been a part of the choir for at least four years."; Travelled with choir to Europe on second trip.
Interests outside of music: "Theology and literature would be my other key interests, other than music."
Favorite Italian food: "As of now, I have no particular favorite, but I am sure that will change as soon as I get to Italy. : )"
Jessica Tibbs-Tacke
Age: 18
School: Will be a freshman at Middlebury College in the fall.
Length of time in choir: Since the beginning (2003); Traveled with the choir on both prior trips to Europe
Interests outside of music: Politics, history and reading
Favorite Italian food: "I love it all!"
Jhamiel Robles
Age: 19
School: Working toward an Associate Degree in Nursing at AWC
Length of time with choir: 1 year; Italy will be first trip with the choir
Past travel experience: "United States? I've spent most of my life on the other side of the planet. South-east Asia (Philippines)"
Interests outside of music: "Technology and, well, I want to be in the Air Force too (even if it ain't possible because of my citizenship.)"
Favorite Italian food: "LASAGNA!!!"
Yuma Youth Choir Alumni
Teresa Tibbs
Age: 20
Length of time with choir: 7 years; Traveled with choir on both previous trips to Europe.
Quote: “When I look back on my teenage life and experiences I immediately think of the Yuma Youth Choir. All my pastimes with the choir are happy and gratifying thoughts of how much I learned and the beautiful cultures I experience both in and outside the U.S.”
Alexa Juarez
Age: 20
Length of time with choir: 4 years; Traveled with choir on both previous trips to Europe.
Quote: "I can honestly say that both trips have forever changed my life and both were equally remarkable. It’s an awesome feeling when strangers come up to us and say, 'Thank you so much, that was beautiful,' and they have tears in their eyes! That’s a great moment for me, when I know we have touched people’s hearts."
Men's Choir
Isaiah Andrew Matlock
Age: 18
Length of time with choir: Less than a year; Italy will be first trip with the choir
Interests outside of music: Computers
Angel Gabriel Calderon
Age: 18
School: Upcoming AWC Freshman; Music Major
Length of time in choir: 1 year; Italy will be first trip with the choir
Past travel experience: "New Mexico, but I was too young to remember it anyway."
Interests outside of music: Screenwriting, including writing, acting, and directing; Enjoys reading and writing in spare time.
Favorite Italian food: "It's a toss up between pizza and spaghetti...so hard to choose."
Gilbert 'Gibby' Noriega
Age: 18
School: Recent Yuma High School graduate
Length of time in choir: Less than a year; Italy will be first trip with the choir
Travel experience: "The farthest I've traveled to was Anaheim, Calif. to Disney Land."
Interests outside of music: "Honestly, nothing - I've been in band for about 7 years and I've been singing for 2 years and I have no other interests besides music."
Favorite Italian food: "Ooooo, I don't have any favorite Italian foods sorry :-( "
Justin Lujan
Age: 20
School: Arizona Western College Music Major
Length of time in choir: Less than a year
Past travel experience: "The farthest I have ever travelled would have to be to to the island of Hawaii."
Interests outside of music: "Other than music some of my interests are dancing and acting."
Favorite Italian food: Chicken Alfredo or Five Cheese Ziti
Jonathan 'Jet' Juarez
Age: 22
School: Music major at AWC
Length of time with choir: Less than a year; Italy will be first trip with the choir
Interests outside of music: History, art
Daniel Christopher Loroña
Age: 25
Occupation: Assistant manager at Joanne's craft store
Length of time with choir: 2 years; Italy will be first trip with the choir
Past travel experience: Hawaii is farthest trip so far
Interests outside of music: Hiking and very crafty
Favorite Italian food: "Don't have one at this time."
Rob Powell
Age: 25
Occupation: Yuma Sun Editor
Length of time in choir: 10 months; Italy will be first trip with the choir
Past travel experience: Hawaii
Interests outside of music: Magazines, current events and politics
Favorite Italian food: Tomato basil salads with balsamic and mozzarella. I'm growing my own plants at home so that when I truck back a bottle of balsamic, I'll be able to make it whenever I want!
Members of the Yuma Youth and Men's Choir unable to attend the trip to Italy:
Nigel Jones, Hana Simms, Mario Soto, Riley Dieckhoff, and Elizabeth Ritsko.
