Choir Program Partners 2020-21
Learning & Growth
87+%
Attendance rate for virtual After-School programs
“My daughter always emerges from her virtual sessions with an extra bounce in her step and a huge smile on her face. We are so blessed to be a part of the CCC community.”
—CCC Parent, 2020
In-School Program
In 2020-21, CCC kept music and creativity in students’ virtual classroom experience. While Chicago Public Schools (CPS) lost approximately 80% of all arts partnerships and residencies in 2021 (compared to 2018-19), CCC retained more than half of previous-year partners. The Choir was granted Tier 2 status: CPS’ top approval and access level for organizations engaging students in classrooms. This status affords CCC the opportunity to support meaningful engagement and open communication with staff, students, and families.
49
Partner Schools
representing a combined 326+ years of partnership
98
Choirs
133
Instruction Hours Per Week
for all choir classes combined in schools
1,037
Students Served
After-School Programs
CCC virtual After-School Programs in 2020-21 supported young people’s close connections within and between communities, with their peers, and with conductors. Leading students as they sang from their homes, conductors found opportunities for individualized mentorship and support—both musical and personal—through “office hours,” individual and ensemble check-ins, and centering Choir as a safe space for all singers.
792 Youth
11 Neighborhood Choir Programs
Dimension: ensemble for changing voices
Voice of Chicago: CCC’s premier ensemble
100%
of high school seniors engaged in CCC graduated
“It was always so encouraging to have rehearsal [while] in a completely different state. I am so thankful for all of the meaningful conversations and connections. I grew so much as a musician and person solely online. It was a reminder that we all have something to learn from each other.
—Nia Weathers, Voice of Chicago singer participating from Florida
Watch Nia and Voice of Chicago perform “Breakin’ the Silence”
Voice of Chicago is presented by Allstate. CCC’s Dimension ensemble and Neighborhood Choirs are supported in part by an award from the National Endowment for the Arts and by the Lloyd A. Fry Foundation. Crown Family Philanthropies generously supports CCC In-School and Neighborhood Choir programs across our city. CCC’s In-School Programs are generously supported by the Paul M. Angell Family Foundation. Community programming in 2020-21 was made possible in part by William Blair’s generous two-year Community Partnership.
Arts Enrichment and Musical Connections
Through the power and reach of online learning, CCC engaged singers, educators, and artistic leaders across the city and beyond. As families navigated the pandemic, Choir members tuned in to classes from different states—and even different countries! CCC partnerships with educators expanded to include national and international guest artists and artistic leaders, teaching CCC sessions from every corner of the globe. Online opportunities were built upon the success of July 2020 online summer programs that kept singers connected and learning in the early days of distancing.
40+
Online Classes
350 Singers
Participated in Musical Connections Workshops
1,675 Registrations
in Arts Enrichment Sessions
1,597 Hours
of New Online
Learning Programs
Arts Enrichment Sessions
Music Production I and II
Intro to/Advanced Beatboxing
Intro to K-pop
Make New Friends! (American Folk Songs)
Classical Music: What am I Listening to?
Pre-history/Medieval, Renaissance, Baroque
Classic, Romantic, Impressionistic, Modern
Breaking Color Lines: Black Women in Pop Music
Vaudeville Blues to the Sound of Soul
Disco Divas and Hip Hop Queens
The Gospel Essentials: A Survey of Gospel Music
Come on Children, Let’s Sing Gospel!
Great American Songbook
Songs and Stories from Latin America
The Tradition of African-American Spirituals
Jazz Improv
Music Theory I, II, and III
Singer-Songwriter Studio
The Journey to Magic
Let’s Dance!
Contemporary African
Hip-Hop
Musical Theater
Musical Theater
Vocal Technique
Vocal Exploration
Theory Tutoring
Jazz Theory
CCC Hits! (Learn & Sing Chicago Children’s Choir Favorites)
Musical Connections Workshops
Beatboxing Workshop
Día de los Muertos with Son Monarcas
Powwow Traditions with Dave Spencer, American Indian Center Chicago
Let it Flow Yoga
Music of Iran with Reza Saffari*
Gullah music with Ranky Tanky
Music of Appalachia with Suzannah Park*
Circle Songs with Bobby McFerrin
Music of Puerto Rico & the African Diaspora with Bomba con Buya
Music of India with Roopa Mahadevan
Music of Bulgaria with Elitsa Stoyneva-Krastev*
Music of Ghana with Sowah Mensah
Latin Dance Traditions with Luis Salgado, Salgado Productions & R.Evolución Latina
Music of Nigeria with Olaolu Lawal*
Music of French Québec with Nicholas Williams*
*Offered in partnership with Village Harmony
Summer Programs
Civil Rights Freedom Songs
The Journey to the Magic!
Music Theory and Sight Singing
Jazz Theory 101
Korean Music - Folk to KPOP!
Let’s Dance!:
African Contemporary Dance
Hip Hop!
Musical Theater
Rhythm Rocks
Seasons of Love! - Musical Theater Workshop
Singing Games for You and Your Family
Songs and Stories from Latin America
The Estonian Singing Revolution
Your Body is Your Instrument: Summer Yoga
Rainbow Beach: New Work Development
Faculty and Culture Bearers
Authentic creative voices amplify the diversity of our city, nation, and globe for singers from all backgrounds. A core value of the Choir—as well as an expression of our commitment to anti-racism—CCC relies upon meaningful partnerships, creative collaborations, and long-term relationships to teach a broad spectrum of musical and cultural forms of expression.
23
Faculty and Adjunct Faculty teaching from all over the U.S.
including four Choir alumni Adjunct Faculty: Jonathan Green, Karim Sulayman, Keanon Kyles, and Jonita Lattimore
29
Guest Artists and Educators representing more than a dozen different countries and cities across the U.S.
20
International musical genres taught as part of CCC online learning
“I love learning about music from all types of backgrounds and cultures. Learning about the deeper meaning behind them means we can really express ourselves through music. All of us come from different backgrounds and cultures and are unique.”
—CCC Singer, 2021
Future Music Educators
Building on years of music educator engagement at workshops and events, in 2020-21, CCC expanded the Future Music Educators program to prepare BIPOC music education students and young professionals for success. Through this year-long, paid professional development program, six outstanding music education students learned CCC methodology and developed skills teaching culturally responsive curriculum, which is proven to enhance the benefits of music education for students of color; this impact is amplified when taught by faculty of color.
These leaders will take their skills into classrooms, organizations, communities, and institutions across Chicago and the entire country, impacting innumerable youth and inspiring national change in the music education landscape.
In the words of our Mentees….
“To be able to talk to colleagues and friends who look like you and have similar experiences is hard to find. There are very few spaces for Black music educators on the rise, despite there being such a need.”
—Julian Goods, FME cohort 2020-21, Asst. Conductor, Austin Neighborhood Choir
“This cohort has served as a safe space for myself and others to express our concerns and excitement towards becoming music educators, and for that I will be forever grateful.”
