A Saskatoon chorus is hoping some hometown promotion mixed with plenty of singing will catch the attention of New York City’s mayor. Acoustic Theory - the only Canadian chorus selected to take part in the event - is preparing for a once-in-a-lifetime performance at Carnegie Hall Nov. 24. The opportunity came after organizers discovered the Saskatoon group online. For many of the singers, performing in New York City is a dream come true. “They found us online and asked if we would want to audition for the event. We auditioned and we got it, and that was really exciting,” says Justin La, founder and director of Acoustic Theory. While the chorus is busy preparing for the big performance, one member has taken on a separate mission - convincing mayor Zohran Mamdani to attend. John Cody says he’s been intrigued by Mamdani since his mayoral campaign. Cody started thinking about how he could get the mayor’s attention and turn an invitation into a reality for himself and the group. “I’ve been a fan of the mayor of New York since he was campaigning, and I was just standing around like, how can I convince him to come to our show?” Cody has been posting videos on social media every day for more than a month, tagging the mayor and drawing comparisons between Saskatoon and the Big Apple. It’s a campaign built on Saskatoon pride, with the hope the mayor will take notice and make room in his schedule for some Saskatchewan music. He compares Saskatoon and New York’s pizza, bridges, potholes and more. He always ends the videos with “we’re basically the same, as long as you don’t think about it.” Back at rehearsal, the focus is on getting ready for the Carnegie Hall stage. For chorus member Oakley Hamoline, a member of Sirena, a quartet within the larger group, the opportunity is especially meaningful. “New York was the place to go for singing. So I’ve always aspired to be there, and it’s like a dream come true to be able to perform there, especially at Carnegie Hall, too.” Before heading east Acoustic Theory will give Saskatoon audiences a chance to hear them perform at a send-off concert Nov. 18. As for Mamdani, there’s been no response to the invitation so far, but Cody isn’t giving up. He plans to keep posting videos, and potentially get Saskatoon mayor Cynthia block involved, hoping a mayoral connection will help. Cody says he remains hopeful the campaign will eventually strike the right chord.
