Singer Network

A Service of Chorus America

Deborah Hardy

Syracuse, New York USA

A 2009 study by Chorus America reveals some tantalizing facts about choral singers. Compared to their non-singing neighbors, choral singers vote more, give more to worthy causes, are more involved in their communities, and are generally more engaged citizens. Which begs the question, does being part of a chorus engender these kinds of qualities in people? Or are people who are already community leaders more likely to join choruses?

For Deborah Hardy, a founding member of the Syracuse Gay and Lesbian Chorus, the answer is, "the chorus did it for me." Her "chorus impact" story starts in 1991. The Rochester Gay Men's Chorus had come to town, and sitting in the overflow audience at a local art museum, Deborah was thunderstruck by what she was witnessing.

"It was very, very exciting to see gay people who were so courageous as to stand up in public and say that they were gay and they didn't care if everybody knew it," she said. "The gay and lesbian community were dazzled beyond belief. We were open mouthed with wonder--we were astounded at their guts, at the fact that the art museum did not fall down, that there were tickets sold for the event, everything."

At the intermission, people were buzzing. "We can't let Rochester be the only city where people are doing this," they said. "We need to do this, too."

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How You Can Make a Difference

More people participate in choruses than in any other performing art in America. At 42 million strong, choral singers are a mighty force for good in their communities. Choral singers volunteer more, give more, are more politically active and support culture and arts to a greater degree than the general public. Chorus Impact Study, 2009.

As a group, choral singers have the power to make a difference both close to home and nationally. Singer Network invites choral singers everywhere to join their voices on behalf of choral music making.

    


  • Become a member of the Arts Action Fund

    U.S. Capitol Dome

    Singer Network & Chorus America have partnered with Americans for the Arts to help mobilize one million arts activists by 2010!

    How can you help? 

    Become an Arts Advocate through the Arts Action Fund!


    The Arts Action Fund is a grassroots membership organization created by Americans for the Arts to engage citizens in education and advocacy in support of the arts and arts education. Join the Action Fund as an Arts Advocate for free – just click here and provide your contact information. (Of course, you’re also welcome to support this effort financially, if you like, but it’s not required.)

    As an Arts Advocate, your benefits include:

    • Free access to the E-Advocacy Center, where you’ll find all the easy-to-use tools and information you need to effectively voice your support to key elected officials to help us get more art in our communities, more arts education in our schools, and more art in our daily lives
    • Advocacy alerts and e-newsletters, providing you with the most up-to-date information for shaping arts advocacy at the national, state, and local levels A variety of
    • Special Reports on the arts, plus political candidate report cards
    • An opportunity to join the nation’s only political action committee (PAC) dedicated to identifying and financially supporting those political candidates who demonstrate clear support for advancing the arts and arts education.

    Grassroots arts advocacy works! For example, when some in Congress proposed simply to exclude the arts from the economic stimulus legislation, the Arts Action Fund put out the call. In response, more than 85,000 letters were sent to Congress, thousands of calls were made, and hundreds of op-eds, letters to the editor, news stories, and blog entries were generated in print and online media about the importance of the arts in our economy. As a direct result, the proposed exclusion of the arts was defeated! This stunning turnaround of events exemplifies the power of grassroots arts advocacy.

    For more information, please contact Catherine Davies, Chorus America's Director of Membership Services, at 202.331.7577 x240 or by email.


    Volunteer: Bring the Singing to Your Community

    Alice Parker Your chorus may already have a tradition of outreach-going to boys and girls clubs, hospitals wards, nursing homes and other settings where people need the uplift that only music offers. But there are many other ways to encourage full participation in choral singing-sponsoring a community sing, putting on a special volunteer concert, or leading a choral workshop for children or seniors, or any group of people that loves to sing. Here's help for spurring your creativity. 

      

    Advocate: Bring the Singing to Capitol Hill

    U.S. Capitol Dome Congress appropriates millions of dollars every year for arts grants and arts education. Does your representative know how important singing is to you, and the positive impacts the arts have on your family and your community? Singers are an engaged and powerful army for singing and the arts! It just takes two minutes to let Congress hear your voice.

      

    Educate: Bring the Singing to the Schools

    teach blocks Music benefits learning, cognitive development, and well-being. Yet time and funding for music in the schools are shrinking. Get involved in bringing music back to the schools. By introducing children to music performance early on, we are creating the next generation of singers.

    • Go to SupportMusic.com for resources and tools to help you advocate for a complete education that includes music instruction for every child.

      

    Tell Your Story: Bring the Power of Singing to Your Local Media

    Newspaper rolled up Does your singing group get the attention it deserves? Does your community know about the many benefits of participation in the choral art? These resources can help you tell the story.

      

    Build the Repertoire: Support Commissions of New Choral Works

    Hand writing music You can honor a special person in your life or a special occasion and give your chorus a gift that will live on. Consider supporting choral composers and the choral art by commissioning a new choral work.

      

    Donate: To Organizations that Champion the Choral Arts

    Chorus America 

    Join now!