Education

Education Outreach Program

THE GOALS

To encourage an appreciation and understanding of music

To bring cultural opportunities to students who may not otherwise have the opportunity to work and study with professional artists

To increase students' exposure to music and demonstrate that a career in the arts is possible

To provide professional vocal master classes to young singers

To assist choral teachers by providing technical expertise, training, and repertoire assistance

Joseph Jennings conducting students and Chanticleer singers at the 2007 Youth Choral Festival in New Canaan, CT. Chanticleer Youth Choral Festivals allow choirs from several schools to come together and hone their skills by interacting with each other and with members of Chanticleer.

We rely on generous donations from the public to maintain our education programs. Click here to learn how you can help.

In 1986, Chanticleer began a formal education program, Singing in the Schools. Today, Chanticleer's 12 singers, Music Director Joseph Jennings, Education Director Ben Johns and special guest artists bring the beauty, joy, and discipline of choral music to students of grades 5-12, as well as adults of college age and beyond, across the country. With activities including residencies, workshops, master classes, guest artists, and mini-concerts, Chanticleer takes a multi-tiered approach to education outreach, serving both as a means of discovery for students new to singing (or to formal music instruction in general) and as a valuable source of expert training for more advanced young singers. Across all levels of musical familiarity and expertise, young people also gain formative insight into the nature of a career in the arts through their close interaction with professional musicians. As Mr. Jennings has written of his experience leading the Singing In The Schools (SITS) program:

"It's always exciting to see students in assemblies and workshops who are captivated and inspired by the music we bring. We, in turn, are inspired by their enthusiasm and involvement, as well as by their growth and development as young musicians. We reach thousands of young people each year, and it is always a humbling experience to realize the power we have to influence lives. It gives us a sense of immense responsibility when we see that some children look to us as role models."

Chanticleer's education program continues to expand, encompassing the following programs:

Singing-in-the-Schools (SITS): Under the auspices of this program begun in 1986, Chanticleer's 12 singers, Mr. Jennings, and special guest artists pay visits to participating schools in the greater San Francisco Bay Area and work with choral students in grades 5-12 in a variety of educational activities (e.g., workshops, master classes, and mini-concerts). SITS serves as a means of discovery for students new to singing (or to formal music instruction in general) and as a valuable source of expert training and inspiration for more advanced young singers. Visits are sequentially designed to complement a schools music program. Topics may include vocal technique, music theory, sight singing, music terminology, music history and ensemble-building exercises.

Brian Hinman teaches a group of young singers

If you are a Bay Area School music director and wish to be included in Chanticleer’s SITS program , to email us (put your school name and “SITS” in the subject line).

Nationwide College and University Residency Workshops: The Chanticleer Ensemble, as a part of its extensive touring performance schedule, administers ten to fifteen master classes and lecture-demonstrations in colleges and universities nationwide each year. Consisting usually of a mini-concert (for a student audience) or a workshop (for a choral group), these two-hour residencies allow for questions to the Ensemble at the end and are in great demand across the country.

Chanticleer Youth Choral Festival: Begun in 2000, this annual event is a day-long gathering of approximately 200 of the students taking part in our Bay Area Music Education program during the school year. During this unique, non-competitive festival, students work closely with Mr. Jennings and the Chanticleer singers, taking part in small-group vocal workshops (with two Chanticleer singers assigned per group) and a full-scale evening concert featuring performances by youth groups and the full Chanticleer ensemble.The 2007 Youth Choral Festival took place on October 22, 2007; participating schools were Napa High School, Palo Alto High School, Lowell High School (San Francisco), Gilroy High School, Nevada Union High School (Grass Valley), and University High School (San Francisco). In the past four years, the Chanticleer Youth Choral Festival appeared in Fresno, California, Spivey Hall in Morrow, Georgia, Fort Worth’s Bass Hall, Ogu Elementary School in Tokyo, Japan, and New Canaan, Connecticut.

Choral directors at the high school level who would be interested in hosting a Youth Choral Festival should contact Chanticleer. Put your location and “YCF” in the subject line.

Chanticleer in Sonoma Choral Workshop:

Music Director, Joseph Jennings, conducts Sonoma Choral Workshop participants

Education does not end with school, and choral singing is extremely popular among adults across the nation. According to a recent national study by Chorus America, nearly 28.5 million adults and children regularly perform in choral groups in the U. S., more than any other art form. One or more adults in 15.6 percent of households in America performed in at least one chorus, and of those, almost 45 percent performed with more than one chorus. The study also estimates the number of choruses in the U.S. to be 250,000.

In August 2005, Chanticleer teamed with the Sonoma County Choral Society at Sonoma State University to offer the first Chanticleer in Sonoma Choral Workshop. The Workshop was repeated on August 5-12, 2007. It is aimed at adult amateur choral singers who want to improve their skills; click here for further information on the application process.

The Chanticleer in Sonoma Choral Workshop is directed by Chanticleer Music Director Joseph Jennings and SSU's Director of Choral Music, Robert Worth. They and the 12 members of Chanticleer will participate in coaching sessions, workshops, and demonstrations of rehearsal techniques, as well as more informal interactions with workshop participants.

Student Composer Competition: Beginning in 2001, Chanticleer has held a biennial Student Composer Competition. The competition is designed to encourage current composition students to write quality works for high school-level choirs. The deadline for entries for the 2008 competition is May 30, 2008. Click here for competition details. The quality of entries for 2006 was so high, that seven winners were announced: Vicente Chavarria, Miami, FL; Erica Glenn, Tempe, AZ; Blake R. Henson, Princeton, NJ; Matthew Peterson, Northfield, MN; Philip Rice, Coldwater, MI; Jorge Sosa, New York, NY; and Dale Trumbore, Chatham, NJ. Honorable mentions went to Mark Fromm, Pittsburgh, PA and Samuel Hunter, Fairview, NC. See more information here. The 2003 competition winner was Eric Barnum, whose work based on a Byron poem, “She Walks in Beauty” was included on Chanticleer’s 2004-05 national tour program. The 2001 competition winner was Kelly Crandell, then a student at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, for his setting of the Shakespeare text, “Blow, blow thou winter wind.” Both winning works have been published by Hinshaw Music of North Carolina (www.hinshawmusic.com); the winners of the 2006 and future competitions also will be eligible for publication by Hinshaw.

For more information about our Education program, please call 415-252-8589, or email: info@chanticleer.org