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The Voice

Chorus America's award-winning quarterly magazine, The Voice, highlights chorus news, artistic initiatives in the choral world, and advice and commentary on the business of running a successful chorus. The Voice is distributed to nearly 2,000 choral leaders throughout North America. It is published in Spring, Summer, and Fall/Winter; ISSN 1074-0805. Browse articles and past issues in the tabs below. Editor, Liza W. Beth

Voice Magazine, Issue 46.3 - Summer/Conference 2023

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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How to Get the Best out of Your Board

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.

Keeping Up the Work: ADEI Learning in Theory and Practice

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?

“I Use My Voice as a Weapon of Mass Connection”: An Interview with Melanie DeMore

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.

Voice Magazine, Issue 46.2 - Spring 2023

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 Recovering from Life after Lockdown

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.

Audience Development for Choruses: What’s Working Now?

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.

The Power of a Strategic Planning Process

Sharing the step-by-step process and key approaches behind the creation of Chorus America’s new FY 2023-2025 Strategic Plan.

Justice Resounding: Dave Brubeck and Contemporary Responses to The Gates of Justice

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.

Voice Magazine, Issue 46.1 - Fall/Winter 2022

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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Filling Gaps and Fulfilling Dreams: Making Your First Administrative Hire

Hiring an administrator is one of the most significant steps volunteer-run choruses can take to support their organization’s growth and development. During the height of the pandemic, most organizations were too busy staying afloat to make that kind of move, but recently a number of choruses have decided they are ready for the plunge. The five organizations represented in this story are facing today's hiring challenges by relying on strategies that evidence an increasing willingness to think big.

Changing the Trajectory : An Interview with Arreon Harley - Emerson

Conductor, administrative leader, and scholar Arreon Harley Emerson’s personal and professional development weaves together many different strands into a singular story. As an equity coach and nonprofit strategist, he consults with arts and cultural organizations to center diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging in their work. As the former director of music and operations at the Choir School of Delaware, Harley-Emerson led an organization with a legacy of serving Wilmington’s youth and families that dates back to 1883.

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