CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) — About a half-hour before showtime at the Chicago Cultural Center, Josephine Lee and Judy Hanson got in a little last minute rehearsal time ahead of the Winter Concert and the annual promotee ceremony, which celebrates the newest members of Uniting Voices Chicago.
The group, known as the Chicago Children's Choir until October of this year, has been around for 66 years.
"The founder was Unitarian Minister Reverend Christopher Moore, and he brought children together. He wanted to bring in young people from the city, outside of the church so they changed their name to the Chicago Children's Choir," said Lee, president of Uniting Voices Chicago.
"It was the height of the civil rights movement,” Lee said. “That was the mission: to bring children of diverse backgrounds together to create a better world. What started out as one choir is now a network of more than 100, and we have partnerships with more than 80 schools, and we have 12 after school sites."
Students, mostly from Chicago Public Schools, ages 6 – 18, audition to be part of the citywide choir.
"Because we have these partnerships with Chicago Public Schools, we have awareness in the communities,” said Lee. “For the top ensemble, we audition them. It's any child with the desire to sing. People know about the Chicago Children's Choir because it's been a pillar of our city."
Ella Anello, 16-year-old from Addison, is an alto who joined the choir when she was 13.
"I did always sing as a kid, literally since I could talk,” Ella said. “My mom was a singer, so I was born into it, but I loved it, and there was never a moment in my life when I wasn't singing.”
Her mother Donna Anello said music is in their DNA, so it's no surprise to her that Ella has chosen this path.
"I knew from a very young age that she definitely had a gift, so I tried to nurture that in every way possible, and that always meant going outside of maybe where we lived to make that happen,” Anello said. “That's been going on since she was 3."
Lee said between all the different ensembles, they spend 100 hours of rehearsal time per week, but, she added, it's the collaborations that make Uniting Voices so unique.
"Since my tenure, we have really deepened partnerships with cultural institutions here in Chicago," said Lee, referring to organizations such as the Lyric Opera, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, and Ravinia. The choir has even worked with Bobby McPherin, Al Green, Wycliff Jean, and Chance The Rapper.
"Meeting the most wonderful, brilliant leaders in the community is amazing,” she said. “Chance was working with some of our alumni as well. This ecosystem is a Chicago cultural incubator of talent. It's unlike any other city in our nation.”
Speaking of alumni, there are thousands of them, along with thousands of success stories.
"100% graduation rate, 50,000 alumni, singers who are Pulitzer Prize winners, Grammy nominated musicians, doctors, lawyers, politicians, just to name a few,” Lee said. “They are our leaders of our world and our world and I'm so proud of them."
One alumni in particular is now a collaborator and composes a lot of Uniting Voices’ original work.
"I met Mitchell Owens when he was 8,” Lee said. “He started at our Beverly program the South Side, performed on the Lyric Opera stage, traveled the world with me, [and] performed at the Music Fedine in Vienna when he was 10. He's now our resident composer and wrote our anthem, ‘United.’ That's a partnership I've had for over 20 years. He writes all of our anthems."
Uniting Voices is a 501c3 nonprofit. Most of the singers participate free of charge, and there's also a sliding scale of tuition.
"Yes, we are a non-profit, and I think people forget that,” she said. “Over 80% of our singers participate free of charge so fundraising is a key component to keep our programs running."
In a time when many school districts trim their arts and music budgets, Lee said the organization is able to fill that void for so many.
"That's a shame, isn't it? I think music is a basic human right, and I think — look — what's happened with the pandemic, the lack of social connectivity with others; there's something powerful when you're able to sing and breathe, have movement and express your innermost thoughts and joys and have that process to be able to release,” said Lee.
“That's the course of why music exists,” she added. “We are human beings, and we have to fuel our souls, as well, with that love for self, and music allows us to do that. Why isn't music on the same level as sports? You're less likely to be angry and violent when you're making music with people. There's so much respect and honor that comes with this art form."
Students also have a chance to travel the world. The choir has performed on 5 continents, at Carnegie Hall, in Spain, India and,most recently, in Egypt.
Lee said exposing kids to the arts, more than anything, gives them an outlet. It also gives them a sense of belonging and purpose.
"We're creating a global network, not only for Chicago, but a place where they can come back and recharge, a place where they can meet other alumni,” said Lee. “It's a family. It's about finding a home away from home, finding their joy. Young people have a hard time fitting in. This is a community where they can be themselves and not be judged. The ultimate goal is creating empathic, more compassionate citizens."
For Anello, seeing her daughter "find her joy" is emotional, and she found it hard to describe.
"They are so happy, good vibes, it's what you wish for for your kids,” she said. “I've seen firsthand the friendships she's formed. She sings with such passion and feeling. It's touching, it really is. This organization is really the cream of the crop."
In the end, Lee said, the power of music stems from its connection to our personal experience. Their new name: Uniting Voices, reflects the long-term mission to inspire and change lives through the power of music.
"I knew music was my calling once I recognized [that] it was this means of communicating with people on a deeper level, to be able to transcend boundaries and connect people from all over the globe, and just bringing a lot of joy and a sense of solace and peace,” smiled Lee. “That's my mission."
Last year, the collective ensembles of Uniting Voices Chicago — including performances by its school programs and international tours — put on 100 performances.
For more information about the organization, visit unitingvoiceschicago.org
Related
Related
