Denver Children's Choir

Background Statement

For over 25 years the Denver Children's Choir (DCC) has been inspiring youth and building an inclusive community while elevating Denver's cultural profile. In 1995, the Choir was initiated in response to limited opportunities for cross cultural connections and music programming for Denver youth, especially in neighborhoods with high percentages of low-income families. The DCC was founded on the belief that community choirs are an excellent way for children of all backgrounds to connect with each other and create a nurturing environment safe for self-expression. Additionally, the Choir was created to bring music programming to all of Denver's diverse children, regardless of background, neighborhood, or socioeconomic status. The DCC remains steadfast in its commitment to equitable access to quality music education programming and has never turned a child away due to lack of previous training or financial hardship.

With school budget cuts and music programs often the first to go, many schools around Denver lack the resources for a music education program. A 2016 report by A Plus Colorado showed low-income public-school children in Denver are much less likely to get a quality arts education and access to quality arts programming is disparate among socio-economic status. Today, there are only 155 music teachers in DPS creating a music teacher student ratio of 1:595. The DCC was created to address these disparities and make music education affordable and accessible to all of Denver's youth. The DCC partners with multiple Denver schools to provide in-school and afterschool music education programming and cover the gaps in arts funding. By providing schools with a superb music program and talented instructors for a fraction of the market price, the Choir helps make music education equally accessible for all children.

Over the course of the Choir's history, programming efforts have shifted to more adequately address the needs of our most vulnerable community members. In an effort to address attrition rates, the Choir invited feedback from community members and found that transportation barriers were the primary contributor. To overcome these transportation obstacles, the Choir decentralized rehearsal locations to spread out over the four quadrants. This program location distribution caused the Choir to double its participants and increase diversity to 59%. Participant rates have remained high, over 350 children annually, and diversity has remained at an average of 60% non-white participants. Financial aid also increased from 33% to 51% and remains at 52% on average.

The DCC creates a community space for Denver's youth to come together from diverse backgrounds and cultures to celebrate differences and sing together in harmony. The Choir has positively impacted the lives of thousands of children all across Denver through its community music education programing. The DCC impacts the whole community by collaborating with numerous local and regional arts organizations that contribute to the $13.4 billion arts industry in Colorado and stimulate the economy. The DCC collaborates nationally and internationally to make multicultural harmony a reality and bring international perspectives to the Denver art scene and local neighborhoods. Because DCC partners with Denver Public Schools, it serves as a unique collaboration to cover the gaps in arts education funding by making music education accessible for all children. This partnership relieves school budgets while supporting arts in the community and strengthens the performing arts scene through concerts, performances, and collaborations. By inspiring and fostering the next generation, the Denver Children's Choir has impacted whole families, whole neighborhoods, and the whole Denver Community.