Articles
The increasing decline of funding for music education in public schools in the United States and Canada has led to a massive gap in students’ education and access to music opportunities. Many arts nonprofits, including choral organizations, are working with schools to provide a combination of in-school and afterschool programs to fill this gap.
Chorus America’s 2022-23 Music Education Partnership Grant (MEPG) program provided an opportunity for collaborations between these nonprofit organizations and public schools to increase access to choral music education for students. Twenty-one organizations in the United States and Canada received grants to implement their programs, many of which specifically offered opportunities to students in Title I schools.
The digital edition of our Summer/Conference 2023 issue of the Voice is here! Read more for a letter from the president & CEO Catherine Dehoney on collaborations that move the choral and arts fields forward, news from our members, an interview with 2023 Conference speaker Melanie DeMore on how healing and connection occur when singing together, testimonials from leaders who participated in Chorus America's ADEI Learning Lab on implementing what they learned at their organizations and communities, and strategies to help you refocus and reinspire your board.
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These practical strategies will help you refocus and reinspire your board.
The past three years have been challenging ones for nonprofit boards. During the pandemic, some board members leaned in too closely while others pulled way back, and the ones who stuck it out with us are tired. We need our board members to be strategic governors, compelling ambassadors, and powerful fundraisers, but how do we get them refocused and reinspired? Here are some practical, no-cost tips to get you going and help you along the way.
Three choral leaders who participated in Chorus America’s ADEI Learning Lab share what happened when they brought what they learned back to their own organizations. What worked, what shifted, and what challenges have they faced as they implement changes?
Born in the Bronx, raised in Alaska and Texas, and now based in Oakland, Melanie DeMore is a singer/composer, choral conductor, music director, and three-time Grammy nominee. Describing herself as a vocal activist, she leads vocal and stick-pounding workshops for professional choirs and community groups and was a founding member of the ensemble Linda Tillery and the Cultural Heritage Choir.
The digital edition of our Spring 2023 issue of the Voice is here! Read more for a letter from the president & CEO Catherine Dehoney on the step-by-step process behind Chorus America's news FY 2023-2025 strategic plan, news from our members, insights from six choral leaders on audience-building efforts, reflections on Brubeck's The Gates of Justice from performers of a festival hosted by the Lowell Milken Center for Music of American Jewish Experience, and a look into the social and emotional challenges young singers are facing following the lockdowns brought on by COVID-19 and how choral leaders and organizations are offering support.
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Young singers returning to choruses face new social and emotional challenges. In response, choral leaders and their organizations are making changes to programs to offer more support.
As 2022 came to an end, audiences that had been gradually returning to the concert hall began to pick up the pace. In December, many choral organizations experienced remarkable ticket sales for their holiday concerts, and reduced concerns about COVID may not be the only reasons for their success. We spoke with leaders of six choruses about their audience-building efforts and what is working well for them right now.
Sharing the step-by-step process and key approaches behind the creation of Chorus America’s new FY 2023-2025 Strategic Plan.
A revival of The Gates of Justice anchors a three-day festival that the Lowell Milken Center for Music of American Jewish Experience will present on February 26-28 in Los Angeles. Leading up to the performance, artists, and scholars involved with the festival reflected on the significance of Brubeck’s trailblazing cantata and how music and choral singing continue to be vehicles for probing issues of race and social justice.
SPONSORED STORY FROM A CHORUS AMERICA PARTNER
The first thing that most people might know about Berkshire Choral International is the immersive week-long experiences that BCI offers for adult singers and lifelong choral enthusiasts. Perhaps not as widely known is this choral institution's longstanding commitment to developing future generations of choral professionals. For more than 30 years, the BCI Apprentice Program has provided opportunities for young aspiring choral conductors, singers, and accompanists to gain valuable experience early in their careers. Chorus America spoke with staff members and recent apprentices from BCI to learn about what the Apprentice Program looks like in today's choral field.
The digital edition of our Fall/Winter 2022 issue of the Voice is here! Read more for a letter from the president & CEO Catherine Dehoney on opportunities guiding the choral field toward being more inclusive, news from our members, insight from choruses on making a first administrative hire, and an interview with Arreon Harley-Emerson about his career trajectory and changing the choral landscape for emerging leaders of color.
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