Gresham Community Choir
Gresham Community Choir
We are the Gresham Community Choir!
The Gresham Community Choir began September 1992 as a continuing education class at Mt Hood Community College. Director Annette Steele taught the class at MHCC for 11 years.
After her time at the college, she decided to start the choir again, this time opening it up to everyone in the community.
The Choir has two terms a year, Fall (followed by a Christmas Concert) and Spring (followed by a concert in June). They break for the winter and summer months.
The Gresham Community Choir meets one evening a week for 2 hours. Right now they rehearse at Gresham United Methodist Church, and hold their performances at the Reynolds High School Performing Arts Theater in Troutdale.
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The concerts are always free, though people are asked to bring canned foods or non-perishables to share with locals in need. Over the last three decades, the choir has raised over 100,000 pounds of food that has been shared amongst several charitable organizations.
Membership is open to all ages and abilities; it is all-inclusive.
Director
Annette was born in Kansas City, MO and moved to Gresham at the age of 5. From the time she can remember she has always had a love for music. She attended all her schooling in Gresham, and credits several teachers for nurturing her love of music.
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Annette married her high school sweetheart, Joe Steele and together they have two wonderful kids, and 3 amazing grandsons. February 9th, 2025 marked their 48th anniversary.
When she is not directing the choir, she is working for the City of Portland Bureau of Planning & Sustainability where she is a Coordinator in the Solid Waste Division. If there is anything you want to know about recycling in the Metro Region, she can give you the answer!
Annette enjoys spending time with her family more than anything. She and her husband are avid cruisers, and considers traveling one of her most favorite things to do. She also enjoys writing pen pal letters, cooking, reading, attending concerts, and genealogy. She is a volunteer “Search Angel” helping people discover their biological families through DNA.
Associate Director
Cindy Mair is a retired public school music teacher. Her career included time in the Sandy (Oregon Trail), Gresham/Barlow, and Reynolds school districts and she has been a resident in East County since 1980. Cindy taught elementary, middle and high school music, with an emphasis on choral music. She has a Bachelor of Arts in Music Education from Oregon State University and a Masters Degree in Administrative Leadership from Concordia University. She loves to collaborate with choirs of any level, and has accompanied many ensembles and soloists at both the local and state level. Cindy believes that people who sing in choirs are blessed to be a part of a loving and supportive community and through their talents add beauty and peace to the world!
Associate Director
Tanner Smith is the director of choral music at Reynolds Middle School, where he has taught for the past five years. He completed his student teaching at West Albany High School and has conducted the incredible collegiate ensemble the Oregon State Meistersingers as their graduate assistant. In recognition of his dedication to music education, Tanner received the Oregon State University PAC-12 Teacher of the Year Award in 2024. Tanner holds a Bachelors of Arts degree in Choral music education from Oregon state and a Masters Degree from the same Alma mater. He is passionate about inspiring young musicians through choral performance and fostering a lifelong appreciation for music.
