by Max Marbut
Staff Writer
Founded in 1995 at Jacksonville University with just 16 singers, the Jacksonville Children’s Chorus has over the years grown into a significant cultural asset for the community and an opportunity for young people to discover the joys of singing in a choir.
More than 400 children from preschool to grade 12 are members of the Training Choirs, Treble Choirs and Concert Choirs. They come from five counties in North Florida and represent 75 schools.
JCC Artistic and Executive Director Darren Dailey said participating in the program yields many benefits.
“Through singing the children develop skills like teamwork, self-discipline, creativity, accomplishment and pride,” he said. “It’s not just the act of singing. We challenge the children to achieve excellence.”
Youngsters join the JCC through an audition process and many are recommended by their music teachers and church choir directors. Singing in one of the choirs also provides a source of music education that is being curtailed in public schools due to funding challenges even though studies have shown that children involved in music programs score higher on standardized tests than nonparticipants. The choir members also develop social and community skills.
There are also opportunities to perform locally as well as in some of the most famous concert halls in the country. JCC performs each holiday season with the Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra and in recent years the performance choirs have even made some road trips.
“Last summer we sang in Carnegie Hall in New York City and next summer we’ll be back in New York for a performance at Avery Fisher Hall at Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts,” said Dailey. In addition to the Times-Union Center, JCC has also performed locally at Terry Hall at JU and Lazarra Hall at the University of North Florida in addition to area churches and synagogues.
“You name the hall in Jacksonville and we’ve probably performed there,” said Dailey.
While singing in a performance choir is a major commitment, JCC also offers a way for younger singers to explore their interest in the art form without making a long-term commitment. The intermediate and advanced choirs study and perform on a yearlong schedule, but the training choirs for students in grades 2 and 3 are semester-based with sessions in the spring and fall.
“That’s an age when children are exploring music,” said Dailey. “The training choirs give them a chance to try it out without having to make a commitment for an entire year.”
Tuition ranges from $200 per student for the semester classes to about $600 per year for the advanced groups. The season runs from Labor Day to mid-May.
“When you compare it to other after-school programs, it’s a bargain,” said Dailey.
He also said, “We are one of the most diverse children’s choirs in the country. We have kids from the inner city and the suburbs and from every ethnic group. More than 30 percent of our singers are African-American. Fifteen percent are male, which is unusual for children’s choirs.”
About 25 percent of the singers are on a partial or full scholarship through funding provided by private donors, corporate support and other grants. JCC is supported by the Jacksonville Jaguars Foundation through a three-year, $30,000 grant designated for scholarships. Team owners Wayne and Delores Weaver also made a personal donation to JCC which was used for operational expenses and to endow a scholarship fund.
“We wanted to level the playing field for disadvantaged youth and help make sure kids could participate,” said Jaguars Foundation Executive Director Peter Racine. “The kids have to set goals and have discipline in order to learn the material. The Jaguars Foundation doesn’t fund art appreciation programs, we fund art education programs. We want the kids to be the artists not the spectators.”
Auditions for the JCC are Aug. 19-20 at First United Methodist Church Downtown. For more information or to schedule an appointment visit www.jacksonvillechildrenschorus.com or call 346-1636.
356-2466