Arcadia FYI

How A Parents Choir Built Community, Culture, And Confidence

• Christine Zito

Share episode

Use Left/Right to seek, Home/End to jump to start or end. Hold shift to jump forward or backward.

0:00 | 30:38

I have a talented show for you. A hidden gem of Arcadia takes the mic: the Arcadia High School Chinese Parents Choir. What started as a group of school boosters became a confident, 40-voice ensemble that now brings joy to city festivals, fundraisers, and cultural celebrations across the San Gabriel Valley. We sit down with members Heidi, Ming, Juan, Marilee, and Lillian—plus their artistic director Marie, a professionally trained lyric soprano—to trace how carpools and bake sales turned into breath support, harmonies, and a stage presence that lights up a room.

Tell me what you want to hear at https://ArcadiaFYI.com/

Welcome And Sponsor Shoutouts

Christine

Welcome to Arcadia FYI. I'm your host, Christine Zito, and I'm so glad you joined me today. No matter where you're at, whether you're walking the dog or just out walking, jogging, wherever you're at, I'm so glad that you're here with me. Arcadia FYI, what we do here is to try and, well, my goal, my mission is to keep you and me informed, up to date on the things that are happening here in the city of Arcadia, outside the city of Arcadia, because like I always say here in the San Gabriel Valley, we're one big happy family. At least I hope you're happy. I'm happy. I love it here. So with that, I would like to thank our sponsors, Longo Toyota Toyota in El Monte, and you know I'm gonna say it. They have a huge acreage of land with cars and trucks and other things that you can check out. Star 7 Financial with Francine Chiu. She is remarkable at keeping you on track with your investment, money, money management, how to save your money, because we all love money, right? Yeah, well, Francine is the one that you need to see. The San Anita Park! Now I know if you're listening on your favorite podcast channel, you can't see me pointing, but if you are on YouTube, right down the street, right down is San Anita Park, and they're doing the races right now. Every weekend you can go and check out the races. It's just a beautiful park. You can just go and just uh browse. The Le Méridien Hotel right here in Arcadia and Pasadena. Have you been there? Try out the bar, try out the restaurant. Have you been to an event there? It's beautiful, isn't it? I know. I love it. Alright. Today's a special day on Arcadia FYI. And I that's why I said I'm so glad you're here. Because for your information, do you know that there's a lot of talent in the city of Arcadia? I I didn't know. I mean, did you hear about parents singing? Yeah, yeah. I mean, if you're on YouTube, you see here, okay, you don't sing, yeah, neither do I. But I do in the shower because nobody can hear me. I have in studio this choir that I didn't even know existed here in the city of Arcadia. This is the smaller version of it. And I met Heidi Tong. She's gonna speak first here. And this here I'd like to introduce to you the Chinese Parents Choir. Is that right? All right.

Heidi

Heidi, come on up to the microphone there first. How are you? Good, Christine. Thank you so much for having us. We're so happy to be here. I am so glad that you guys are here. This is gonna be exciting.

Meet The Arcadia HS Chinese Parents Choir

Christine

Yes. It is. Now, I met you through MJ. Yes. Instrument. MJ, D MJ. The MJ. MJ of all MJs with downtown Arcadia and the marketing guru. Now, why did here I've known when I first met you and I learned about this uh parents, the let me make sure I got this right, the Chinese uh uh parents choir. How come it's a hidden secret?

Heidi

Well, um I thought we're we've been to downtown Arcadia for many, many years singing for them, and um I we we're up there singing all the time, but uh maybe we we're we're not we're not as exposed.

Christine

But now we would you know like to people to get to know us share your story. Um I must have missed, I must have been drinking too much wine. I don't know. It could be but let's get to let's get introduce all the players here. Absolutely. Or the musicians. What do you have? So I should say singers? Okay. So you're Heidi, Heidi Tong. Yes. And behind you, I I come on up.

Ming Luo

Hi, hi Christine. Hi Ming.

Christine

You're you're Ming.

Ming Luo

Yeah, one of the veteran singers of the group. A veteran singer of the group. Make a little correction. Okay. We're Arcadia High School Chinese Parents Choir.

Christine

All right, you know what? Let me get my let me get this is why I write everything in pencil. So Arcadia High School.

Ming Luo

We don't represent that many people. Arcadia High School.

Christine

High school parents. Chinese parents. Oh, Chinese parents, sorry. That's why I got a pencil, that's why I got a pencil. Chinese parents choir. That's right. All right, okay. I have been corrected live on the air. It's a good thing. So okay. So Ming, you're the the you're the veteran.

Ming Luo

I'm wild. Singer. Original singers. Oh my gosh. Uh over ten years. Ten years, you guys. Ten years, I know. I was gonna get into all Acadia um uh graduate uh student parents. From Arcadia High School? From Arcadia High School.

Christine

All of you guys graduated from Arcadia High School?

Heidi

Wow. Yeah. Our children graduated from Arcadia High School. Your children of us, not you.

Christine

Okay. Okay. I was gonna say, well, Arcadia High School's been around that long? Okay. Yeah. Okay, I see it. So you uh oh your 10th anniversary. But it says here 2024 was your tenth anniversary. 11 years. Okay, so I'm I'm pointing at the middle singer here. Why don't you come on up and what's your name?

Origins, Mission, And Membership

Juan Liang

My name is Juan Liang. Oh my goodness. Say that again. J-U-A-N. J-L-Y-U-A-N. Oh, you l see? Yeah. Julian. Juan. Julian. Am I saying? Chinese, say Juan. Juan. Oh, hey, see Juan. Okay, I got that. Actually, I'm uh one of singer too. And uh now I'm manager the choiry. You can say my manager.

Christine

Put that down. Manager. Okay. So alright, okay, now we have we have the the second the come on up, come right up to that microphone.

Marie Li

Hi. Um my name's Marili. Marilee. Okay. And how long have you been in the the Arcadia High School Chinese Parents Choir? Yes. Uh I'm being here for 11 years. 11 years. So we started uh this choir. And I'm the um director of the um choir right now.

Christine

Oh, all right. Okay, and then we have the tallest person in the room. And come on up to the microphone.

Lillian Cheng

Hi, Christine. Hi, hi everyone. Uh I'm Lilian Chen. Yeah, my daughter Lucia graduated from Arcadia High School in 2019. Uh this year she got a National Merit uh scholarship. Oh, she did where? Yeah, uh Arcadia High. I see.

Christine

Wow, that is great. Congratulations. Thank you, thank you. Okay, so now now that I'm learning that that you guys are the parents of your children who've gone to Arcadia High School, or now are all your children still in high school, or some of your children have graduated?

Heidi

So um let me go back to how we started. Um so uh 11 years ago, Miss Marie was the uh back then the president and um one of the volunteers at Arcadia High School. We have this Chinese Parents Booster Club that support uh Arcadia High School and our children. And our group were volunteering together to fundraise for our school, our school district, and serve our children and the community. And so um all of all of our kids have grown up, graduated, and some many of them have gone off to college and to work, and we're still in the community, and we thought that we would continue this mission to serve our community by uh performing in community events and help our school with fundraisers. So mainly all of us are uh parents of Arcadia High School students that have graduated.

Christine

Oh, okay. So so you guys are you guys are mothers and and grandmas now? Or just mothers?

Heidi

Just mothers. Okay, I'm the high school student.

Christine

All right. Okay, so let me ask you this. Um who here among you guys are some of your kids are married? Are any of your kids married yet? No kids?

Ming Luo

One of them is engaged and getting married.

Christine

Okay in a couple months. Oh, in a couple of months. Okay, so all your children. That's great. Congratulations. And um, and so now this so let me just make sure I got this all right. The the your children, at least here, um getting engaged, but most of them are just have now graduated, and and here's one that got a scholarship, right? And um, so is your is do you have children still in at the Arcadia High School?

Lillian Cheng

Uh graduated Arcadia School. Yeah, okay. She graduated college.

Christine

She graduated okay. Got it, got it. Now, you guys are yeah, there's only five members here. How big is the choir?

Ming Luo

Well we have close to 40 members. Wow, 40 members?

Christine

Yeah. Wow. Oh, we are and you guys and how do you guys perform that in downtown Arcadia?

Heidi

Yes.

Christine

Okay, I need to stop drinking wine. I need to start. I mean, wow, okay. Oh here's a picture. Okay, I'll probably I'll probably scan it so if you watch on YouTube, I'll make sure that you see. There are some young young parents. Oh yeah, I see some youngins. I see some youngins in here.

Ming Luo

Yeah, happen too. But is she is she a parent? One of the young parents.

Christine

Oh, she's in high school?

Marie Li

Okay. Yeah. Come right up to come right up to the microphone there, Marie. Some of the parents that still uh have kids in uh KD High School.

Christine

Yeah. Wow. Okay, so how long you guys been together as a as a group? Over because you said that you were 11 years. Yeah, 11 years. 10 years. And I know it says 10th anniversary.

Juan Liang

Yes.

Marie Li

That was 2024. So it was twenty.

Christine

So eleven, so that was twenty twenty-four, so that's ten, right? Yeah. 2025 is 11. So 2026 is 12.

All

Almost. See, that's why I'm saying I'm confused.

From Volunteers To Vocalists

Christine

All right, okay. I saw I want to make sure that I didn't get my math wrong on that. And um okay, so what and now so the mission I get, I'm I'm understanding, is that you guys go and perform and you raise money. Right? Am I correct in saying that?

Ming Luo

Yeah, go ahead.

Heidi

Um well, we're mainly because we volunteer together when while we were parents of at Heart Arcadia High School. Uh our musical director, our choir director, Ms. Marie, wanted to keep us together to continue to serve our high school. Uh, we don't particularly raise money, but we participate in events. For example, the Arcadia High School Chinese Parents Booster Club has an annual fundraising event. We perform there. And we'd also like to contribute to the community that had provided so much to our children. For example, the downtown Arcadia or the City of Arcadia events when they have the Full Moon Festival or Fourth of July festival. We would like to contribute back to the community because our children lived and grew up in Arcadia, and we really want to continue this legacy of service and community um engagement, even though our children have graduated and have moved on. But hopefully we they come back someday and start a family here. I think that would be great.

Christine

Now, see how see this is great. I I mean to have community like this and the and the fact that I like what I like about this is the culture. You know, bringing unity together. You know, that's the way it that's the way it should be. And so where do you guys normally perform? You guys just perform at the high school? Do you guys I know you were talking about different events, but what other events? I mean, those are some of the events that I know of.

Ming Luo

Yeah, just just let you know that we're not very good singers. Well, wait. Over the years we learned, for example, myself uh didn't know how to sing at all. Oh my goodness, it's great. So we gradually learned from our um uh vocal teacher and the music director Marine. She she was a professional performer. Oh soprano. Oh lyric. Lyric soprano, professionally trained. Yeah, I see this here. From her.

Christine

Artistic director Marie. Come here, Marie. I'm gonna tell ask you some questions. Come up to the microphone here. So you were a professional soprano? Yes. And where did you perform as a professional soprano?

Director Marie’s Soprano Journey

Marie Li

Oh, um in China I was a professional singer. So we perform and competition, uh, all kinds uh of those things, events. So after Came to America, so um I did like uh pacified a lot of events. So like a Christmas concert before, uh and some church leading uh uh uh soprano, like uh solo, uh gift special music.

Christine

So just uh all kind of the um Did you ever perform like um with an orchestra at like an opera type you know performance on a stage of that that magnitude?

Marie Li

Uh in here we just have a Christmas concert. Okay. Yeah. So and also for the fundraising.

Christine

Yeah. Do you ever have a you guys ever have an orchestra behind you singing? I mean playing while you guys sing? Uh no. No? Well, I play a violin if you guys want ever knew.

Marie Li

We have we have a Chinese like an instrument, like the the whole group, but not the orchestra.

Christine

Okay. That's why I was just, you know, I was thinking, because you were a soprano, so I was thinking, you know, when I think a soprano, I always think of the high up there like that. Like on an on an operatic stage or on a stage, like at the Pantages Theater, or at the Arc or I should boy, I shouldn't maybe I'll cut that part out. But um, because I should have said first is the land is the Arcadia Performing Arts Center. Yes. You know, it was.

Marie Li

Yeah. People weren't there before. Yeah. Yeah, but what with with with instruments, live instruments? Uh no, because uh normally uh uh just uh the songs based on our group's uh level. Oh, okay. Yeah, so that we don't we from the basic to a little bit higher, so because the uh uh so that we don't have that big like like that.

Christine

Well she she was saying that not everybody sings, so they lip sync and then you do most of the singing? I'm kidding. I teach them sing. That's great that you're a teacher too.

Ming Luo

Yeah, now we're a pretty good singer.

Christine

Oh, okay.

Marie Li

From the beginning and then sentence by sentence teach the uh the choir how to sing, like uh and from the first uh uh to getting more higher level like that.

Christine

Now I see that this is an all-female parents group, and but I see Lewis here is the tenor. Does he ever travel with you guys?

Marie Li

Specially invited, guess. Oh, okay.

Christine

Specially invited. Oh, okay. Well, I like his uh groovy picture there, like Haley. Hello, ladies. You gotta check. I'll I'll do I I do have to to scan this so you can see Lewis here. It looks really good. Yeah, we're we're female singers. Okay, so female singers. So all right, so um and you already do your children ever perform with you and they do, because I see some of them here in the picture. Okay.

Heidi

Actually, they they come and support us as a uh uh an audience, but usually only parents perform.

Christine

So they're in the audience. Yay, mom! So it's so it's backwards. Instead of the children being on stage, you got the ma the parents on stage and they're cheering. Yes. And are you waving? Yes. Yes.

Heidi

I I think when they were in high school, we did all the chauffeuring, all the back, you know, support for them. And it's it's time now after they graduated that when we perform, they come and be backstage hand and they do they help out with different things.

Christine

So, okay, uh an obvious question, or maybe not. Do all of you live in the city of Arcadia?

All

Yes.

Performing Without An Orchestra

Christine

Okay, yeah. That is great. And so, I mean, you don't have to give exact directions or location, but do you live around here, around the studio here? Because I I I live almost really close to I I can walk to work. Yeah, I can walk here in twenty minutes.

Ming Luo

In twenty minutes? I can walk here in ten. Yeah.

Juan Liang

I live nearby the uh racetrack. Oh, you do? Oh, okay. And and where do you live, Marie?

Marie Li

Huh? Whereabouts? Oh, well, uh I live with Temple City right now. Oh, you live in Temple City? But it's good.

Christine

Yeah, I can do that's fine. We'll just I'll bleep that out. So that's great. That is great because I mean if uh uh for me it is about community coming together. Yeah, yeah.

Ming Luo

Talking about homes, uh I have one two roles in our choir. One is the technical support. I'll tell you later. But about the homes. I'm one of the host families. Open our home for the choir to practice. Oh, okay. We have a regular schedule.

Christine

Forty of you guys in in a it has big.

Ming Luo

Too many. Usually 20 is I'm sure.

Christine

Oh, okay. That's still a lot.

Ming Luo

That's still a lot.

Christine

I mean, I can fit maybe five people in my house. So do you live you live in uh Diamond Street close to here? Oh, you do. Okay, we're neighbors. Okay, so you live close to me, you live close to me. Heidi, we're Oh, and Stalker. Okay, but we all need to come together and you know, you can cook for me. Okay, I want to get to the good part. I want to hear some some singing. So I know you guys have some songs. So I know we have I know on on YouTube, you'll be able to see the little music box here. So what I'm doing, I'm coming over here so I can kind of bring the microphones together so that the sound will be balanced.

Heidi

Alright, I'm the least uh experienced experience of thinking.

Community Roots And Rehearsals

Christine

Okay, but but let me ask you this. Um who we will we recognize the songs? Yes, you will. Okay. Okay, she's uh you would

Ming Luo

guess.

Christine

Okay, we'll guess. Okay, all right. I'm gonna be here kind of like managing the sound, and you guys go right ahead. Ladies and gentlemen, those that are listening and watching, I'd like to present to you the Arcadia High School Chinese Parents Choir.

Ming Luo

Keep guessing, Christine.

All

Choir Sings

Ming Luo

No sing it again.

Christine

Okay, you sing it again on the One Word from the Sun.

Ming Luo

Okay of the Sun. Keep listening, pay attention.

All

Choir Sings.

Christine

Wow.

Ming Luo

Got the name. I thought that you said it had something to do with the sun? Yeah, got the title of the sun. Song. Song.

Christine

Okay, so it's not walking on the sun. Uh I have to be honest, I I couldn't guess it. Okay, let me see.

Ming Luo

Ethelwise? Yeah. You guys did You got it right.

Christine

That was that was really, really, really good. Thank you. Okay, well, let me ask you this. Will you guys be willing to do something in your language? Oh.

Juan Liang

Oh a lot. Well, can you sing?

Christine

Can you sing? Can you do you guys want to sing? How about uh I would like to hear it. I just think it's Oh, I I I can play music on the one we just recently. I know this is is it off in the moment.

Ming Luo

Chinese folk song? Oh a Chinese folk song.

Christine

That would be great. Okay, they're thinking now.

Juan Liang

I just totally told me to do this. You can remember it. Okay, so they're talking about it.

Christine

They're thinking about it. A Chinese song in Mandarin or however, you know, whatever it is that you guys. I mean, if you could do it a cappella, that would be great. Yeah, a cappella. Because you guys don't have the sure yeah, telling you what so now they're looking at the music sheet.

Ming Luo

It's a pretty popular song. It's a pretty popular song, and this is all done and we are in the progress of learning it. Okay.

Christine

So we're trying without a music. I hope you guys are enjoying this. I mean, this is this is different. I and it and if you ever want to um book them to come to an event, they'll be more than happy. I mean, you're gonna have these parents in your home, parents at your event, and singing these these great songs. I mean, for them to come together and practice on their own. I mean, that's great. That is an inspiration. You know, all I do is get up and go jogging. So all right. Okay.

Marie Li

So this song is a little long, so we we only sing half.

A Cappella Mandarin Folk Excerpt

Christine

Okay, sing half. Okay, just kind of give me an idea of what the song is about. Can you get uh are you gonna give from the world?

Heidi

Okay.

Christine

So what is what is the song about, Heidi? Yes.

Heidi

Um, this this song is a very new, very popular song in Asia right now. It means that we're grateful for what the world has given us and it has a lot of very wonderful deep meanings of of grateful being grateful.

Christine

Okay. Being grateful, that's great. Okay, when you come back in Thanksgiving, we're gonna sing this song. Oh, absolutely. Okay, all right.

Ming Luo

All right, you guys can do it. We have different parts. We have to talk about you are in my parts. You can sing in Haiti with a team. Oh. Okay, they're they're situating themselves in there. They're soprano and uh mezzo soprano and uh auto.

Christine

Alto, okay.

Marie Li

Soprano uh not just soprano one, soprano one. Soprano two, okay, and auto. And what are you and soprano?

Christine

You're so pronoun you guys are both soprano one? Okay. Wow. And they are too loud, so we have to be louder. Oh, okay. Yeah, wait, okay. We're soprano number two. Okay, here we go. Ladies and gentlemen, I'd like to give you again the Arcadia High School Chinese parents choir singing in their language.

Lunar New Year Plans And Themes

Ming Luo

I'm not gonna play them. Acapella. Wait, loud of music. Yo ra phong yeah.

Juan Liang

We performed better with music.

Christine

Okay, that was I thought that that was great for Acapella, plus me telling you off the cuff there.

Ming Luo

Um, they usually have a pianist. We do not have one.

Christine

Well, see, you guys do use instruments, then we guys are.

Ming Luo

Well, we we we use background music.

Christine

Right, okay. So you guys are parents and and you guys perform at different events. Uh now the Lunar Festival's coming up. Yes. Are you guys you guys gonna be at the Lunar Festival?

Heidi

Absolutely. We will be there uh February 22nd. Our our performance time is at two two o'clock, around two o'clock, two fifteen. So we hope that you all come to the downtown Arcadia event. We prepared uh a f three very festive songs to present that day.

Christine

Okay, so what is what what's the uh how do I say this? I don't want to this year is the year of horse. The horse. Now what does that mean? The year of the horse. Yeah, I mean I yeah, I know that, but I mean like what is the meaning of the horse?

Heidi

Uh um uh I'm not sure about meaning, but a horse represents that uh uh energy and uh positivity and uh being active, I think it's generally brave, brave okay. So it's generally regarded as a year that is going to be w uh amazing. So a year of the horse.

Christine

Yeah, yeah of the horse, you know. Um gosh, you and how convenient here in Santa Anita Park and the horses and things like that. I see them as horses that are strong, fast.

Ming Luo

Absolutely. And there's and well that's next year. This year is the year of snake. That's always coming.

Christine

This year, okay, so 2026 is the year of the snake, or it goes by lunar calendar.

Closing Thanks And Sponsors

Heidi

So February 17 of Western calendar is the first day of the new year of the horse. Okay. So right now we're kind of at the end of the year of the snake.

All

Yeah.

Christine

Okay, and and what's the and instead of saying the meaning, what does the snake represent?

Juan Liang

Snake is really smart. Snake is a smart, smart and uh snake and the very talented and the snake is beautiful, actually.

Christine

Yeah, yeah, okay. So we're leaving the snake and getting on the horse. Yes. All right, got it. All right, well, ladies, thank you so much for being here. I mean, you're amazing. I think it's really great bringing the positivity here in our community. And I didn't even know you guys were were performing and and doing all of that. And here's Jennifer Stone. Jennifer Stone just walked in. Hey Jennifer, this is the Arcadia High School Chinese Parents Choir. Hello. And they were just sorry, Jennifer. No, no, we were just, I'm just coming to an to an end. So uh, but the I'm gonna put on on the Arcadia FY FYI website where you guys are you guys are gonna be at the Lunar Festival. And if you guys can leave me a little schedule and maybe some other things that you guys are doing so people can come watch you sing because it it was beautiful, it was most definitely beautiful. So thank you so much for being here. All right, I would like to thank our sponsors uh to making this all happen. Longo Toyota in where? El Monte, right off the 605 freeway. Go by and check it out. They're on a huge acreage of land. Star 7 Financial with Francine Chiu. The Santa Anita Park, we were talking about horses, the year of the horse coming up, and they're nice and strong and running there at the San Anita Park. The Le Méridien Hotel in Arcadia and Pasadena. Until next time on Arcadia What FYI, please be blessed and make it a great day.