Voices of Change: Promoting Diversity and Collaboration in Your Choral Community

Over the past year, a cohort of Philadelphia-area choruses has been coming together for a series of workshops and online learning activities exploring issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion in their choruses and choral community. Facilitated by Nicole R. Robinson, Ph.D., a music educator and the founder of Cultural Connections by Design, the cohort has engaged in dialogue over topics including intersectionality, privilege, and systems of oppression, with the dual aims of making their own choruses more welcoming and fostering a more collaborative, inclusive Philadelphia choral community. Nicole and members of the cohort share an overview of the process, reflect on activities and lessons learned, and provide a framework that other communities can consider to explore these issues.

Panel participants: Flo Gardner, executive director, Mendelssohn Club of Philadelphia; Charles Holloway, singer, St. Thomas Gospel Choir; Anthony Reisinger, board member, Gay Men’s Chorus of Philadelphia