Making Communities

Exceptional Experience

As music education is marginalized more and more in the school system, the Toronto Children’s Chorus fills an invaluable role in rounding out the social and academic education of Toronto youth. Children have a great capacity for learning and are vastly under-challenged in a musical capacity. Popular culture has dumbed down music-making and the need for proper music education is greater than ever. The Toronto Children’s Chorus raises the level of expectation and choristers meet it, resulting in breath-taking world class performances and exceptional musical literacy.

Benefits of the Chorus

The Toronto Children’s Chorus is a culturally diverse choral program that offers life-enhancing experiences to any child who has a passion for singing.

School boards across North America are systematically eliminating musical programs for budgetary reasons. Sheet music, instruments and trained teachers are expensive. The Toronto Children’s Chorus steps into this growing gap and provides children with a comprehensive music education that enriches their academic, mental and emotional progress.

Character Building

Through its commitment to artistic excellence, the Toronto Children’s Chorus nurtures the values of discipline, maturity, independence and confidence. Starting right at the preparatory level (age 6), the program is designed to not only teach choristers to become good musicians, but also to inspire them to become responsible and mature individuals.

The program also gives children incentive to develop leadership skills. Choristers who attend all rehearsals and workshops, work hard learning their music and show a commitment to their art are invited to take on leadership roles such as choir leader, section leader, deputy head chorister and head chorister. These leadership opportunities teach responsibility and instill confidence.

Music To Our Ears

A multitude of studies have shown the benefits of music education on the development of children.

A ten-year study done in the United States tracked more than 25,000 students and concluded that music education and performance improves test scores. Regardless of socioeconomic background, music-making students get higher marks in standardized tests – including SAT and reading proficiency exams – than those who had no music involvement.
Source: Dr. James Catterall, UCLA 1997

Music training helps under-achievers. A research study in the United States showed that a group of kindergarten students who were lagging behind in scholastic performance caught up to their fellow students in reading and surpassed their classmates in math by 22% after receiving ongoing music and visual arts training for seven months.
Source: Nature May 23, 1996

There is a very high correlation between positive self-perception, high cognitive competence scores, healthy self-esteem, total interest and school involvement, and the study of music.
Source: O.F. Lillemyr, 1983

“Achievement Motivation as a Factor in Self-Perception“
Norwegian Research Council for Science and the Humanities

Volunteer

The Toronto Children’s Chorus is a community of choristers, parents, teachers and alumni. That community exists because of you.

The success of the Toronto Children’s Chorus is largely dependent on our family of volunteers. As well as selling concert tickets, recordings, participating in our annual fundraising initiative, parent volunteers donate their time and expertise to enable us to function more effectively.

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