Choral Arts Link, Inc.
615-260-5278 ext. 6152605278
4200 Kings Court
Nashville, TN 37218
Nashville, TN 37218
Programs
Budget
$6,000.00
Description
Upon These Shoulders (UTS) is an annual program co-established in 2017 by Choral Arts Link and Intersection CME. UTS honors and artistically explores historic impressions in the African American journal of racial equity and cultural inclusiveness through footprints of yesterday and today.
Beneficiaries
Seniors
Black/African American
Families
Long-term Success
As we have progressed more stories of yesterday and today are being shared from community sources, staff and artistic associates. Past examples include the Nashville premiere of The Seven Last Words of the Unarmed (all male community chorus), and the Freedom Riders still living in Nashville (example Rip Patton) and reflections from three women who were the first students to integrate an elementary, middle and high school in Nashville. Using an artistic process, these stories of everyday neighbors have been shared through multiple artistic processes: music (choral and orchestral), drama, poetry, visual art and discussion sessions. Long time success includes 2 directions creating a repository(ex. Nashville Public Library) of these integrated arts stories in video, online and book form for curriculum dispersal to schools as extended curricular resources.
Program Areas Served
Fisk University, Carl Van Vechtan Gallery, National Museum of African American Music, Nashviolle Public Library (Downtown Nashville), Participants included all 4 parts of Nashville - adults & youth
$6,000.00
Description
Upon These Shoulders (UTS) is an annual program co-established in 2017 by Choral Arts Link and Intersection CME. UTS honors and artistically explores historic impressions in the African American journal of racial equity and cultural inclusiveness through footprints of yesterday and today.
Beneficiaries
Seniors
Black/African American
Families
Long-term Success
As we have progressed more stories of yesterday and today are being shared from community sources, staff and artistic associates. Past examples include the Nashville premiere of The Seven Last Words of the Unarmed (all male community chorus), and the Freedom Riders still living in Nashville (example Rip Patton) and reflections from three women who were the first students to integrate an elementary, middle and high school in Nashville. Using an artistic process, these stories of everyday neighbors have been shared through multiple artistic processes: music (choral and orchestral), drama, poetry, visual art and discussion sessions. Long time success includes 2 directions creating a repository(ex. Nashville Public Library) of these integrated arts stories in video, online and book form for curriculum dispersal to schools as extended curricular resources.
Program Areas Served
Fisk University, Carl Van Vechtan Gallery, National Museum of African American Music, Nashviolle Public Library (Downtown Nashville), Participants included all 4 parts of Nashville - adults & youth
Budget
$8,750.00
Description
Even coming through Covid, MET Singers continued through online rehearsals and eventually in person sessions, which in 2023 allowed the 25th anniversary of this annual performance with Nashville Symphony.
Background: The MET Singers is the signature performing arts program of Choral Arts Link Inc. Initially designed to serve as a model for Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools (MNPS) in 1997, this ensemble now consists of singers from public, private, charter, and home school settings in grades 2 through 12 representing middle Tennessee's cultural pluralities. Established as a nonprofit in 2004, CAL continues its community-school alliance with Music Makes Us. Training provides critical thinking experiences in a laboratory setting, and offers civic-minded performances. The MET Singers volunteer & serve as the Nashville Symphony's Celebration Youth Chorus during its annual concert honoring Dr. M. L. King, Jr.
Program Successes
Diversity in serving public, charter, home school and private school populations.
Increased student leadership within and across ensembles.
Parent participation in teams that meet the needs of (pre & post) rehearsals and performances.
Category
Youth Development - Youth Leadership
Beneficiaries
Adolescents
Families
At-Risk Populations
Long-term Success
Continued inroads with cultural economic diverse representation in families served.
Assessing & updating CAL's strategic plan to re-set yearly goals towards the next 3 and 5 years.
A fluid online presence across social media platforms sharing performances AND educational assets of student participation.
Short-term Success
Board member mentoring/leadership in the Parent Leadership Team (recruiting & mentoring parent volunteers. Developing a support community by Activating the 'I CAN Do' & 'Let's Work Together' to accomplish what is needed to support all student participants.
Update online services (ex. website, Soc Med) to more effectively share the many experiences evolved and CAL's leadership in serving diverse communities over the past 25 seasons.
Program Success Monitored By
Parents inviting additional families.
Post performance and end of season assessment tools.
Survey responses from participants, parents, audience and staff, shared, discussed and culled for increased best practices.
Program Areas Served
None
$8,750.00
Description
Even coming through Covid, MET Singers continued through online rehearsals and eventually in person sessions, which in 2023 allowed the 25th anniversary of this annual performance with Nashville Symphony.
Background: The MET Singers is the signature performing arts program of Choral Arts Link Inc. Initially designed to serve as a model for Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools (MNPS) in 1997, this ensemble now consists of singers from public, private, charter, and home school settings in grades 2 through 12 representing middle Tennessee's cultural pluralities. Established as a nonprofit in 2004, CAL continues its community-school alliance with Music Makes Us. Training provides critical thinking experiences in a laboratory setting, and offers civic-minded performances. The MET Singers volunteer & serve as the Nashville Symphony's Celebration Youth Chorus during its annual concert honoring Dr. M. L. King, Jr.
Program Successes
Diversity in serving public, charter, home school and private school populations.
Increased student leadership within and across ensembles.
Parent participation in teams that meet the needs of (pre & post) rehearsals and performances.
Category
Youth Development - Youth Leadership
Beneficiaries
Adolescents
Families
At-Risk Populations
Long-term Success
Continued inroads with cultural economic diverse representation in families served.
Assessing & updating CAL's strategic plan to re-set yearly goals towards the next 3 and 5 years.
A fluid online presence across social media platforms sharing performances AND educational assets of student participation.
Short-term Success
Board member mentoring/leadership in the Parent Leadership Team (recruiting & mentoring parent volunteers. Developing a support community by Activating the 'I CAN Do' & 'Let's Work Together' to accomplish what is needed to support all student participants.
Update online services (ex. website, Soc Med) to more effectively share the many experiences evolved and CAL's leadership in serving diverse communities over the past 25 seasons.
Program Success Monitored By
Parents inviting additional families.
Post performance and end of season assessment tools.
Survey responses from participants, parents, audience and staff, shared, discussed and culled for increased best practices.
Program Areas Served
None
CEO/Executive Director/Board Comments
| Our challenge and goal is to provide quality, equitable performing arts opportunities to any child or youth. One of our challenges is consistent workflow with our parent volunteers, a mechanism that matches their skills and interests with the needs of MET Singers. We have gone from a two person leadership team to four people which include two parents representing different age groups within the ensemble. It also includes two board members who are current and or past parents of MET Singers. We have also engaged a MET parent who is the volunteer coordinator for a much larger non profit here in Nashville. She has assessed our needs and provided recommendations which we are using as strategic steps to improve outcomes that support programming needs. One challenge facing our organization is a steady rehearsal space for our MET Singers program. The fact that we are a small organization limits our ability for pay for space. With the growth of Nashville real estate and increasing pricing facility space rental is at a premium. We look for space that is at no cost (i.e.: police precincts) but as these places are becoming more popular we are having issues booking these spaces. Our organization is now looking to collaborate with local universities that have space we could utilize and provide opportunities for a "student lab" environment for students that may need community service hours, practicum hours, and student teaching sites). This type of focused collaboration provides a twofold benefit to our organization and becoming a community educational partner. |
