Heart of New Mexico: Trauma-informed chorus director helps youth with music

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – The El Faro Youth Chorus is a children’s choir who performs alongside Coro Lux, a community choir in Albuquerque. 

However, the youth choir’s director, Gabby Dietrich, says it’s unlike any other choir in the entire country.

It’s because it is a trauma-informed choir, meaning they do subtle things differently with a focus on children who might be struggling. 

“For me, the environment that I grew up in was chaotic, and I didn’t feel safe at home and I wasn’t safe at home,” said Dietrich. 

She has dreams of growing the choir and getting funding to help children with transportation and other barriers.

Watch the video above to see how this group is a light in the dark and why Dietrich exemplifies the Heart of New Mexico.