When Portage High School choir teacher Jordan Dollins first arranged his Irish folk tune “I’ll Tell Me Ma,” he had no idea it would one day find its way to the stage of one of the most prestigious youth choirs in the country. But over a decade after first composing it, he had the exceptional experience of hearing his arrangement performed by the Indianapolis Children’s Choir Master Chorale, their high-school-aged choir, at their recent March concert.
“I couldn't stop smiling when they were singing,” Dollins said. “I got the opportunity to work with ICC's Master Chorale back in January, but the incredible performance they had [in March] was an otherworldly experience for me.”
“I’ll Tell Me Ma” is a traditional Irish play song about young boys playfully trying to figure out the prettiest girl in town. Dollins, a lifelong admirer of folk music, first arranged the piece in 2014 for his husband’s middle school choir. The song later found its way into the repertoire of Portage High School’s Concert Choir during the challenging early days of the COVID-19 pandemic.
In the summer of 2022, after attending a conference session on composing for children’s choirs, Dollins took a leap of faith and submitted the arrangement to the ICC Publishing House.
“I've always been captivated by traditional folk music, so when the opportunity presented itself, I jumped at arranging it,” Dollins said.
ICC accepted the piece, made a few modifications, and published it in 2023. Then, last fall, Dollins received the incredible news that ICC’s Master Chorale would be performing his work.
“Honestly, I was ecstatic,” he said.” “The ICC is such a giant in the world of children’s choirs. It’s been around for almost 40 years and was founded by one of the authorities on young voices. It was very humbling not only to have my work published by the ICC publishing house but also to have it performed by them.”
For Dollins, this achievement is the culmination of a nearly lifelong passion for composing and arranging music. He hopes that his journey composing music since his high school years will inspire his students.
“I hope that they will take it as a charge that no matter how long your dreams take, if you work hard at it and put yourself out there, you can be rewarded with incredible experiences,” he said.
As Dollins continues to foster a love of music at Portage High School, he remains deeply grateful for the music educators who encouraged him along the way.
“I am only where I am today because I had music teachers in high school who believed in me and fostered my curiosity,” he said. “Music education is so incredibly important, as it fuels everything from concert halls to what we listen to on the radio to the background sounds in movies and TV shows. I’m proud that here at PHS, we’ve created a place where our students can explore and grow in their musical gifts.”
Dollins teaches four choirs: Chorale, Bella Voce, Concert Choir, and Cantabile. He serves as the director of the PHS Choraliers and lends his vocal talents while assisting with the PHS Thespians' annual spring musical. He has coached his students to earn multiple ISSMA awards, including several Solo & Ensemble gold awards this season.