Matching Grant Campaign Completed

The year 2012 was a year of growth for Chorosynthesis. We were challenged by an anonymous donor to raise money towards a matching grant campaign. As artists, this proved to be a challenging task for Chorosynthesis. Business? Fund-raising? What are those? In addition to all of our projects, we decided to try our hand at raising money for the organization that is working to effect change in the American choral culture. By year's end, we were able to raise $1,165 from individuals and $1,000 from organizations and grants. We are grateful to all those who support the cause of Chorosynthesis and are excited about how that will carry us into the future. Your gifts are being doubled. Thank you!tremendous

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Collaboration at Chorosynthesis

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Conductors as collaborators. Wait! Is that possible? Chorosynthesis tried its hand at a collaborative effort between conductors Wendy Moy and Jeremiah Selvey in their performances of Ein deutsches Requiem by Johannes Brahms last November. Initially conceived as a collaboration among religious and educational institutions in an ecumenical liturgy designed by laypersons, scholars, musicians and ministers, "A Human Liturgy" featured collects to begin and end the service, as well as the reading of lessons in between each movement of Brahms's magnum opus. This collaborative effort from last winter strengthened the communities of those who participated and served as a benefit concert. None of the performers were paid for their services. Feel free to check the project out at www.brahmsrequiem.org.

Washington ACDA Grant Awarded

The Washington American Choral Directors Association awarded Chorosynthesis a $500 grant for a performance as part of our American Choral Summit. As many of you are aware, we are seeking to develop this summit experience online this summer. We look forward to sharing with you our plans for utilizing this supportive gift from a fellow choral organization. More to come, as plans develop...

The 12 Days Before Christmas

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

It is easy to say that the product (or performance) of a group should be excellent in order for success to be achieved, but the wise judge will take into account the process (holistic development of the singers and audience) as well. Excellence is such a hot topic, but what aspects of excellence are truly essential? We will expound on our belief that excellence ...breeds a sustainable program and, in turn, more excellence. What are ways in which dynamicism in collaboration can foster excellence in ways not possible individually? How can innovation be used as a stepping stone toward excellence? In the month of December, Chorosynthesis will “rock the choral world” by redefining excellence and by making a call for specific actions toward strengthening the American culture through its choral music.

Seattle Choirs Collaborate to Form Consortium!

Jeremiah is assisting in the formation of the Greater Seattle Choral Consortium (GSCC), an association of local choirs with the purpose of promoting the choral art in the greater Seattle area through cooperation, public awareness, and performance. As part of the membership subcommittee, Jeremiah compiled information from 46 Seattle area choirs to create a collaborative document that announces each choir’s headliner concerts.

We Are Now Chorosynthesis

Choral Arts Synergy has adopted the trade name of chorosynthesis. Our new name embodies our vision of creating a world where the choral art and its communities are preeminent.

What does chorosynthesis mean?

choro = chorus

synthesis = coming together of things to create something new

Also check us out on Facebook!

Seed Grant Awarded!

Chorosynthesis is  excited to announce that we are recipients of a College Music Society (CMS) seed grant.  CMS awards grants to imaginative and exemplary community engagement projects that bring together participants in higher education and members of the local community.  Chorosynthesis will host the American Choral Summit in Seattle during the 2011-2012 academic year. This summit will bring together the whole choral community—teachers, researchers, community members, artistic boards, and performers—to create a national dialogue by which the past, present, and future of choral music can be discussed with a focus on innovation, collaboration, and sustainability. 

Choral Collaboration in Seattle

Jeremiah attended the first meeting of the Greater Seattle Choral Consortium on behalf of Choral Arts Synergy. The idea for a Seattle choral consortium comes from the Greater Boston Choral Consortium – which is an independent organization to help foster cooperation vs. competition in the city’s choral community.  We are so encouraged that the Greater Seattle choral community sees possibilities for sustainability by way of collaboration and pooling resources. Of course, Choral Arts Synergy hopes to draw from this valuable resource and network  in the hosting of the upcoming American Choral Summit.

We are Official!

Choral Arts Synergy is excited to announce that we have received official nonprofit status in the State of Washington! Be on the watch for updates on our upcoming projects.

Business as Usual

Choral Arts Synergy attended the Chorus America Conference keynote address today led by consultant Alan Brown of Wolfbrown.  Wendy and Jeremiah were clearly energized (see awkward picture above) by his engaging presentation on key trends in consumer behaviors related to arts attendance. His reflections on what these trends means for choruses were enlightening with strong implications for innovation.  How will we and should we respond?  Do we keep doing business as usual or do we transform our concepts of and organizations in choral music?  What resources and support does a chorus need to be thriving in this new economy?

Building Bridges with visionary leaders at Chorus America in Atlanta

Today, Choral Arts Synergy met with two very helpful buttonhole consultants about audience engagement, collaborations, and establishing nonprofit boards. We created such a buzz that one consultant asked to have a second meeting and volunteered to help us! We are so grateful to Chorus America and the many expert volunteers that make opportunities like this possible for us.

Jeremiah and I have talked to numerous artistic directors,   board members, and arts management specialists in choral organization about Choral Arts Synergy (CAS). They echo the desire to see an organization like CAS develop a leading role in the re-formation of choral music and its communities. The arrival of such a service organization is timely. Inspired by the support and with a clearer idea of the needs in the choral community, we sat down and formulated a preliminary 20-year dream plan.  How do you see yourself becoming a part of that dream? How are you advancing the choral art in your own community right now?

Enlarging the Circle

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Jeremiah and Wendy have been invited to present a session at the 2011 Biennial Northwest Music Educators Conference to be held in Bellevue, Washington. Choral programs across the nation are facing many challenges such as shrinking enrollment, rapidly changing musical tastes, and the demand for multi-sensory stimulation. We spend countless hours towards building, sustaining, and revitalizing our programs, but are we really effective? We propose that the majority of trends for revitalizing programs are reactionary and not permanent.  This interest session will explore long-term investments in the choral arts by methods of collaboration among research/academia, performers, education, and communities. We will explore some of the ideas that are currently being proposed by field leaders and current research, help you to engage in further dialogue, and share resources that may be adaptable to your specific context. 

By joining our efforts, we can enlarge the circle, expand the choral arts community, and change the world, one singer at a time!

Chorus America in Atlanta

Jeremiah and Wendy are meeting leaders making a difference in the world of music in Atlanta, Georgia.  We had the privilege of having dinner with Anton Armstrong and Andre Thomas, who were very excited about our vision for advancing choral music.  They look forward to our upcoming projects and to the ways in which we change the chorus in America as a result . We have some crazy ideas about how we will change choral music. What do you think choral music will look like in the next 20 years?

American Orchestras Summit

Ms. Moy and Mr. Selvey attended the American Orchestra Summit (AOS), a landmark conference concerning the American orchestra, with the hopes of creating a similar summit for the choral community.   The AOS examined the wide-reaching cultural impact that the orchestra has had in America, and explored how orchestras and academia might partner effectively to extend this import. From this summit, Ms. Moy and Mr. Selvey learned about innovative community engagement collaborative strategies being employed in the orchestral world that have possible value in the choral community; and connected with many inspiring leaders in the world of music, psychology, and business.

The beginnings...

It’s hard to determine how chorosynthesis first became a thought.  Mr. Selvey and Ms. Moy recognized early on in the academic year that they had similar passions for research.  Mr. Selvey was interested in audience engagement, particularly by connecting with the internal motivation of attenders and Ms. Moy was interested in motivation and retention of students in choral ensembles.  At the heart of both points of research was the desire to advance the choral arts in a sustainable fashion.

Ms. Moy received an email from Ken Kiesler, University of Michigan to attend the American Orchestra Summit.  Inspired by the invitation, she sent it to Mr. Selvey and asked rhetorically why there wasn’t such an event for the choral community. Mr. Selvey boldy replied that they both should attend the summit in order to glean from the experience what would be necessary to put on  a similar choral summit! In typical Seattle fashion, Mr. Selvey and Ms. Moy discussed over coffee their vision for advancing the choral art. And that’s where it all started.