Diversity Must Embrace The Inexperienced

"Strength lies in differences, not in similarities."

              -Stephen Covey

“Diversity” is a bit of a buzzword in modern choral circles, and with good reason. As the demographics of our country continue to evolve, so too must the demographics

of our choruses. As choral leaders, we should strive for true inclusivity, reaching out to choristers of diverse backgrounds- ethnic, socioeconomic and experiential.

We can all agree on the benefits of promoting diversity in the choral field, whether we direct professional, community or school choirs. But many choral directors turn around and slam the door on large segments of the population by creating an audition process that reeks of exclusivity.

As conductors who work with many high school and college students, we have both been appalled at the number of “selective” choral programs for students. Discriminating on the basis of “experience” may be the last acceptable form of prejudice.

Conductors who offer auditioned choral programs where enrollment is “limited”, “selective” or “competitive” cannot expect to recruit a truly diverse group of choristers. While the choristers passing such auditions may be an ethnically diverse group, they will not be representative of the diverse backgrounds of experience that make up a truly inclusive chorus. And one of a conductor’s chief joys- one might even say responsibilities- is the ability to open the door of learning to those who might not otherwise have access to it. In doing so, we open our ensembles to the passionate engagement of choristers with diverse experiential backgrounds.

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KIRSTEN: The most important example for me of diversity being truly inclusive is through the Summer Choral Intensive program that I built first in tandem with SACRA/PROFANA in 2014, and then through the South Shore Children’s Chorus on Boston’s South Shore in 2016. Since the first conception of the program in late 2013, I knew that inclusivity would be a huge part of the program model, and no audition or choral experience would be required for students to participate.

Over the past 3 years (and 4 runs) of the program, I have come to believe that this is the main reason why the program is so successful. Mostly, this is due to the “Voice Placement” model that I implemented in year one. The Voice Placement is a required aspect of the program. When registering for the program, the students are sent a short excerpt (about 1 min) of a choral piece, along with a rehearsal track of a professional singer singing their part. (Note: the track isn’t just of a piano playing notes, but rather of a singer singing the words. This is an incredibly helpful tool for those students who have great natural vocal talent, but little training in music literacy.) Students attend the Voice Placements in groups of their voice part. They come in and sing together, and then sing the excerpt one by one for the Choral Intensive Staff (while the other students wait outside).

This model is successful because:

·      It does not rely on a student’s music reading or piano playing ability to learn how their part goes. But it does put the sole responsibility on the student to learn their part, since they are given all of the appropriate tools to learn the excerpt.

·      It does not alienate those students who may not be able to afford private instruction, or students who may have no choral experience. Much like listening to the radio, students can memorize the parts by ear if that is what suits their strengths.

·      It allows students to sing the piece together with other students with a diversity of experiences before having to sing the piece alone, which reduces nerves for most students.

Most importantly, the Voice Placement does not determine the student’s acceptance into the summer program. By the time the Voice Placement comes around, the student is already registered and accepted into the program. I have had several students attend who are nervous or underprepared for the Voice Placement experience. However, giving them an opportunity a month before the program to be nervous or underprepared also gives them an opportunity to have a second chance to do better. When we audition, often we give our musicians (regardless of the level) a one-time-shot – you’re in or you’re out, based on this moment. Countless times I had students who were completely underprepared for their Voice Placement, only to  later attend the Choral Intensive week totally prepared, knowing every note and rhythm in the collegiate-level music they were singing.

This model gives each student a blank slate. Depending on their experience and understanding of music, they may have to spend a lot of time in preparation, or just a few hours. However, every student has the ability to participate.

Several students who have participated in the Summer Choral Intensive program would have never “made it” into an auditioned program based on experience, vocal quality, music reading skills, or cost. (Oh, did I mention that this program costs only $200-$250 per student? Check back soon for a blog post about effective budgets for your arts organization.) Had these students auditioned for a program and been rejected in their early stages of singing (14-18 years old), they may never try to sing again. But the model that we implemented produced the opposite reaction: several students began to take singing more seriously, or decided to join, commit, and dedicate themselves to their school choral programs because they felt like they “could do it.”

The only way we are going to build choral music into the future is by avoiding the creation of elitist choristers. Teach musicians to see strengths in everyone around them – not just strengths in vocal quality or sight-reading skills. Dedication, leadership, commitment, and attitude are all qualities in choristers that add an incredible amount of worth to a choral team – both musically and non-musically. Most of the time, these singers who have strengths outside of the musical realm are the singers that will change the face of your choral group.

KRISHAN: SACRA/PROFANA, the California-based professional choir that I direct, has always made diversity a cornerstone of its mission. This focus on inclusivity encompasses programming and community outreach, but also the actual makeup of the choir. As Artistic Director, I have always endeavored to include singers whom other choral conductors may have passed over. In recruiting these singers, I have often sensed that what the individual might lack in experience, he or she would more than compensate for in passion, enthusiasm and commitment. Time after time, this practice of hiring those who may lack professional choral experience has been powerfully affirmed when the individual singer has risen to the challenge, bringing a unique perspective and unmatched loyalty to the ensemble.

In the summer of 2013, just before the start of SACRA/PROFANA’s 6^th Season (which was to be our most intense season yet), I found myself in need of a new tenor for our 20-voice professional Core Group, when one of our previous singers unexpectedly dropped out. Our Operations Manager recommended an acquaintance from her church, a young man who had limited choral experience, but a wonderful instrument, magnetic stage presence, impressive raw talent and a great work ethic. While I was slightly concerned about his lack of choral experience, particularly given the enormously challenging music that we were tackling that year (including an a cappella performance of Schoenberg’s Friede Auf Erden), I was convinced that this tenor would be a net positive for the ensemble. His performance over the next several months surpassed my expectations. In discussing this with him recently, he recounted:

“Prior to SACRA/PROFANA, my choral experience was limited to my church's choirs. I had no formal training. At first, the level of singing was a challenge for me at S/P, but I loved it, so I worked hard at it. Which is why I ended up memorizing a lot of the music. Because I drilled it when I got home. I’d practice a lot. I didn’t want to be the weak link, because I already felt that way about my skill in comparison to everyone else’s. However, to this day, I still feel like I could sing whole movements from memory and be 85% on key and correct.”

Indeed, this singer whose lack of choral experience would have made other professional choral ensembles inaccessible to him, became one of our most valued and musically reliable singers. Far from being a drawback, his lack of previous experience ended up being a huge plus for the ensemble, in that it motivated him to set a strong example of commitment and professionalism.

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Our philosophy in this regard can be encapsulated by the maxim: Meet them where they’re at- then raise the bar. Get people in the door by creating a welcoming, inclusive environment. But once they are there, let them know that you have high standards- and give them the tools to meet (and exceed) your expectations.

This is not to say that auditions should never be a part of our process. Some choirs, like SACRA/PROFANA, will always be auditioned. However, no one should ever be turned away without receiving guidance, and a chance to improve themselves for the next time around. With SACRA/PROFANA, those who can’t be accepted into the Core Group are often invited to join the Auxiliary Chorus, a large volunteer contingent that supplements the professional Core for larger performances. Even those who aren’t ready for the volunteer group are given a recommendation to other local choruses, where they might gain some choral experience. It’s not uncommon for singers to audition for SACRA/PROFANA repeatedly, often coming back several years in a row as their skills improve. In some cases, those who come back to audition have eventually been accepted into the professional Core.

Rather than bemoan the lack of interest in our endeavors, lets get creative in our recruiting efforts and make sure that we're truly creating a place where people of all backgrounds can work together in mutual affirmation.