Statements

Mission

The mission of Choral Arts Link is to offer exceptional choral training to children and youth; develop leadership skills, encourage academic excellence and instill professionalism. The vision of Choral Arts Link, Inc. is to be nationally recognized for dedication to the choral tradition.VALUESShared LeadershipArtistryExcellenceCharacterComponents of the organization's distinctives include: Dedicated to Choral TraditionsServices focus on all economic strata and demographicsParticipants represent Nashville ethnic communitiesExpert leaders and volunteers360? mentorship of singers, music teachers, volunteers and community partners

Background

After moving to Nashville, Tennessee in the early 1980s, Campbelle-Holman found that inclusively instructive methods of teaching music were little known to the local public school system?private schools had various opportunities. It was at that point that she made it a mission to provide choral arts and integrated learning to any middle TN child.Since then, Choral Arts Link (CAL), Inc. became an integrated programmatic approach environment using evidence-based methodology that is utilized for students and teachers. Local music educators were recruited to develop a strong youth chorus known as The MET Singers Honor Choir. In addition to offering opportunities to students, participating music educators receive hands-on choral development training. The programmatic focus of the organization includes: The MET Singers Honor Choir, MET Choral Camp, and MET Academy.MET Choral Camp, begun in 2001 was a 1 week session, and since 2010 has increased to 2 weeks has now evolved into MET Summer Academy, which is now a three week session.MET Summer Academy engages grade 2 - 12 voices in vocal training and music reading. Singers perform classical, world music and Americana genres.MET Summer Academy motivates singers' unique talent through musicianship, scholarship, teamwork and leadership. It includes interactive sessions with guest artists who share middle Tennessee's deep artistic network. MET Academy includes Academic and Advocacy projects that nurture and resource the choral legacy throughout middle Tennessee for singers and music educators.Academic Projects include: MET Choral Academy (after school sessions;, MET Academy Master Class/ Professional Development (In-School Master Classes for students with a Professional Development component for teachers); Choral Boot Camp (initiative to rebuild middle school choirs in the Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools (MNPS) district.Advocacy Projects include: Singing in the City (quarterly retreats with expanded choral training for singers); Conversation Network (events for music educators linking them to middle TN's pool of quality community choral resources for MNPS's Music Makes Us - our Mayor's initiative), WritingWorks! (new Commissioned works for children/youth choir ), as well as Competition & Scholarship Options (provided as requested by singers).

Impact

1. Decision to focus on 3 company programs instead of 4 in 2015 allowed us in 2016 to firmly establish our fourth program, WritingWorks!. There was increased teacher and singer participation and significant increase in funding and donor matching monies. 2. Volunteer teachers and collaboration with the Barbershop Harmony Society which continues to provide a music educator in residence as part of our faculty. Outcome of this goal brought more student participants, 100+, across our 3 programs. 2. The stabilized teacher recruitment,the increased funding received, and the interest of parents to continue their child's participation in 2015, led to improved curriculum development and greater number of registrants for MET Summer Academy in 2016. 3. Completion of the 2 year cycle of commissioned works resulting in MET Singers participation in premiers with Nashville Symphony Chorus (spring 2015) and Nashville Symphony (January 2016). Included in this preparation was the opportunity for singers to work and perform with 10 time Grammy award winner Dr. Cedric Dent, formerly of TAKE 6 and now professor of Vocal Jazz and Theory at Middle TN State University. They also worked with Dr. Dent in MET Summer Academy 2016, as he was artist in residence for the academy. Goals: 1. As an ongoing strategic goal, continue building our brand within Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools (MNPS) with music educators, and between MNPS and the services we provide. Impacting the music education and professional community's view of CAL as a choral arts network linking identified needs of local music teachers with resources: TN higher education music departments , as well as current and currently unidentified nonprofit arts organizations. 2. Design new strategies to implement access to clients of Family & Children's Service of Nashville (FCS). These are children who have been absorbed into a relative's family structure do to events that have removed their parents (i.e., parent's death, incarceration, etc.). The family member that absorbs them have limited resources. 3. Follow through with strategic study outcomes and define accountability steps for a shared board member option between non profits. We have identified two other arts related nonprofits that seek to better represent their clientele and the communities served through its board representation.

Needs

Funding support in the areas of:Coordinator of Volunteers: Stabilize administrative needs specific to volunteer task descriptions, expectations and outcomes specific to arts-education programming needs. $30,000Administrative Assistant: Office assistant to organize & preserve business documentation and programmatic media. Assist administrative task assignments/completion to meet production timelines. $30,000Fundraising Coordinator to work with Development Committee to facilitate strategies that lead to productive outcomes that meet our strategic goals. $30,000

CEO Statement

CAL is unique in the clientele it serves. The range of ages is inclusive of grades 2 - 12 with training that meets the needs of these age groups. The clientele is unique for its universality. Children represent Nashville's many cultures and religions, different social and educational backgrounds with public, private, charter and home school singers among the various age levels.Unique in its faculty: Teachers are from elementary, middle, and high school level with performance degrees in voice, piano and music pedagogy. All teachers volunteer their time for weekly rehearsals. Through our fundraising/grant writing, teachers receive a modest stipend for quarterly retreats and performances.Unique in its working relationship with Nashville Public Schools. Unique choral retreats venues - higher education facilities offering singers early exposure to universities including Tennessee State University, Lipscomb and Fisk Universities. Unique with opportunities to perform in many different venues in the Nashville area: Schermerhorn Symphony Center, David Lipscomb University, Fisk University, Tennessee State University, the Country Music Hall of Fame, TPAC and the Ryman. These venues represent much of the heritage that makes Nashville a cultural center.Unique in the variety of music and learning opportunities: authentic spirituals rendered in the tradition of the Fisk Jubilee Singers, commissioned works featuring national and local composers, and music from the Baroque period to the Blues. Guest Artists ranging in age from 18 to 65 representing Instrumental and Vocal music of many styles, perform and talk with students about their love of music and why Music Matters in their lives. Unique Singer expectations instill a sense of decorum, that is, the proper behavior not only on the stage while performing, but in all parts of their life; leadership, as each participant is encouraged to rise to new standards and then mentor others during rehearsals and performances. Unique in its efforts to foster the tradition of community singing in a time when music is perceived as private (smart phones) or loud (concerts) or disposable ( hit of the week). Traditions stressed begin with the voice as the primary and first instrument through which music touches the soul, through varying styles of North American and world music. Through the children who encounter CAL, our goal is that this tradition will not only survive but also thrive in the years to come.

Board Chair Statement

We have pointedly challenged our Board of Directors to a higher expectation of engagement and leadership. This will professionally support our business processes as well as sustain growth. To this end, the level of achievement for, and cultivation of, board members provides Choral Arts Link (CAL) with progressive momentum. Finally, we are also asking new board members to share corporate skill-sets in an environment of servant leadership.

Service Categories
Primary Category:	Arts, Culture & Humanities  - Music
Secondary Category:	Youth Development  - Youth Development-Citizenship
Tertiary Category:	Public & Societal Benefit  - Leadership Development

Areas Served

Services are open to Nashville Davidson county and surrounding counties that touch Davidson. Participants from 2015-2016 season represent Davidson, Robertson, Rutherford, and Wilson counties.Our goal is to reach representation from additional counties representing greater middle Tennessee..

TN - Davidson