Key Chorale Wins Chorus America’s 2020 Award for Education and Community Engagement

Chorus America has announced the recipients of its 2020 awards program, honoring artistic excellence and growth, creative and adventurous programming, education and community engagement, and outstanding service to the field. Key Chorale’s innovative commitment to education and community outreach made them the unanimous choice, competing with choruses throughout the country with budgets of more than $200,000. Past recipients of this award have been Chanticleer, Cantus, Pacific Chorale and VocalEssence.

Chorus America was founded in 1977 to gain recognition for professional choruses and today represents more than 6,000 choruses of every kind throughout North America and beyond. Chorus America is the advocacy, research, and leadership development organization that advances the choral field.

“Through their outstanding work, these award-winners are lifting the choral field to new heights of artistry and service,” said president and CEO Catherine Dehoney. “Chorus America is delighted to recognize these accomplishments, and hope they provide inspiration and encouragement during this time of crisis and in brighter days to come.”

The 2020 Education and Community Engagement Award honors the best collaborative program. Led by artistic director Joseph Caulkins, Key Chorale has developed a suite of programs that serve a wide range of populations in its Sarasota, Florida-area community, many of whom are vulnerable. The organization’s “Tomorrow’s Voices Today” music education initiatives—which

include a partnership with Visible Men’s Academy for at-risk elementary school boys, an annual high school choral festival, and a student scholar program for students to sing in the Chorale’s performance season—reach over 400 students annually. Key Chorale also provides choral outlets that contribute to the well-being of older adults living with Parkinson’s, through their Off-Key Chorale, and the Where Are My Keys? Chorale for those living with memory loss, along with their caregivers and family members. Along with the award and recognition, Key Chorale will receive a $2,500 grant.

“This recognition reflects the leadership of Joseph Caulkins, our Artistic Director, and the hard work and dedication of our Education Committee and Key Chorale volunteers who collaboratively work with our schools and community on a regular basis to provide outstanding musical opportunities for students and other community members,” said Education Committee Chair Bob Wennberg. “I am so proud to walk alongside my Key Chorale colleagues in facilitating these meaningful experiences.”

The award would typically be given at Chorus America’s Annual Conference this June in Miami. While the conference has been cancelled due to the pandemic, they plan to do a virtual convention in which Bob Wennberg and artistic director Joseph Caulkins will make a special presentation about their Student Scholar program. This outreach is for high school juniors and seniors, with exceptional aptitude, who plan to pursue music after graduation.

“This is such an impactful program. It has grown from four students three years ago, to 18 who participated this season,” remarked Caulkins. “We gave more than 150 hours of private voice lessons this year and growth in these students was exponential. We want to share what we have learned so that other organizations might create a program similar to ours to benefit the next generation of music makers.”