2021-612-E-Arts Commission-Sisters' Voices-Restart the Arts

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Provide a brief description of your pre-pandemic core arts-related programming or offerings. Sisters’ Voices ensembles offer a meaningful and connectiv e singing experience. A full-year commitment is requested of all singers because ensembles grow together. Ov er the years, singers progress through our sight-singing curriculum, using John Feierabend’s Conv ersational Solfege as groundwork, and experience ensemble work that is fun and engaging while preparing girls for excellent singing indiv idually and as an ensemble. The age groupings for each ensemble has ev olv ed and currently is as such: SV-One is for kindergarteners and first graders. SV-Two is for second and third graders. SV-Three is for fourth and fifth graders. SV-Four is for sixth through eighth graders. SV-Fiv e will be for ninth through twelfth graders. Sisters’ Voices leadership is working to promote an open, inclusiv e, and accessible program. To this end, we welcome any singer who wishes to join us (we do not hold auditions for the purposes of admission), we offer tuition aid to anyone who needs it, and we activ ely seek to expand our circle of singers and leadership to include v oices we hav e not yet heard. W hile we offer excellent musical teaching and experience for indiv iduals, we also seek to dev elop a strong community and to support indiv iduals in many ways. Our program deliberately builds relationships among the singers, promotes healthy attitudes, encourages cooperation, asks the best work of each singer, fosters support singer-to-singer, and allows many opportunities for self- expression and growth. Singers who hav e been inv olv ed for years tell us that Sisters’ Voices was an important part of their dev elopment of a strong sense of self and confidence in many areas of their liv es. Please explain the impact of your organization on the Orange County community in a typical year. Our choral community is open to school-age girls liv ing in Chapel Hill, Carrboro, and the surrounding area. Last year, Sisters' Voices One (SV1) ensemble was comprised of 14 girls in 2nd and 3rd grades, SV2 was comprised of 20 girls in 4th, 5th, and 6th grades, and SV3 was comprised of 13 girls in 6th, 7th, and 8th grades. In 2019-20 there was also a group of 10 girls that met weekly to practice ukulele, learn music theory and other music skills. Typically, SV choruses perform a winter and spring concert, and a spring opera featuring the SV3 ensemble, each with an audience of about 200 community members. In addition to these free public concerts, SV also hosts an annual fundraising ev ent called SingFling to an audience of about 100 indiv iduals. Traditionally in February, SV hosts a choral workshop, Glee W eekend, open to 3rd - 6th grade girls from the broader community. The last Glee W eekend, SV hosted 50 girls who gav e a short performance to about 50 parents. As opportunities arise, SV groups perform at v arious community ev ents such as the Carrboro Music Festiv al, ClydeFest, and Shakori Hills. SV singers hav e also sung the national anthem numerous times for Girls on the Run ev ents and for the Harlem Globetrotters v isit in 2018. Although some of these ev ents take place outside of Orange County, many residents of Orange County attend these ev ents and hear SV perform. In fact, it is through some of these community wide ev ents that girls often learn about and join the chorus. DocuSign Envelope ID: 4841FBF3-6B43-4614-B917-CA5F037D3584