The Choral Commons
The Choral Commons is a media platform that provides a space for choirs and singing communities to realize the liberatory potential of the ensemble as a site of radical imagining. We promote equitable artistic and organizational practices that harness the positive social impacts of participatory music making for the common good and confront racism, poverty, ableism, LGBTQ+ discrimination, displacement, and much more. We produce podcasts and community events, offer educational resources on justice-centered praxis, and incubate creative, artistic, and compassionate projects that empower choirs and singing communities to work for a just and peaceful world.
- Update frequency
- every 4 days
- Average duration
- 49 minutes
- Episodes
- 49
- Years Active
- 2020 - 2021
Building the Beloved Community Roundtable // Alexander Lloyd Blake, Arreon Harley-Emerson, Alysia Lee, Zanaida Robles, & Tesfa Wondemagegnehu
The Choral Commons hosts a timely conversation with Black choral leaders on the liberatory potential of the ensemble as a site of radical imagining.
Panelists:
Alexander Lloyd Blake, Tonality/Los Angel…
Cultural Strategy and the Choral Imaginary // Sage Crump
Communal singing has often been a driver of positive, justice-focused social change, from the history of protest songs in the US Labor Movement to the Anti-Apartheid movement in South Africa, from th…
Decolonizing Gender // Jace Kaholokula Saplan
This conversation considers the choir as a space of plurality where one might discover and experience an authentic sense of self and personhood in artistic, academic, personal, and professional setti…
Singing in Prisons Roundtable // Mary Cohen, Jody Kerchner, Cathy Roma, Amanda Weber, & Wayland Coleman
In this episode, The Choral Commons shared the audio of a live roundtable conversation on Singing in Prison with some of the guests from our winter gather series: Mary Cohen, Jody Kerchner, Cathy Rom…
Collective Imagination for Healing // Michael Rohd
On this episode of Surge, Emilie and André welcome Michael Rohd to a conversation exploring the intersections of culture, story, and community transformation. Michael is a co-founder of Center for P…
World-Opening // Erik Peregrine
On this episode of Engender, Nicky and Brad are joined by Erik Peregrine to talk about a choral world where trans singers, conductors, and administrators can thrive. Erik (they/them or he/him) enjoys…
Singing in Prisons, Part 4 // Jody Kerchner & Jerome Thompson
In part four of this series, Emilie and André talk with Jody Kerchner and Jerome Thompson about the power of communal singing in prison contexts. Jody Kerchner is Professor of Music Education and Dir…
"Do I Belong Here?" // Bex Bagnato
This week on Engender, Nicky and Brad are joined by Bex Bagnato. Bex is a singer with Anna Crusis Women's Choir in Philadelphia as well as being a clinical care manager in Philadelphia. They speak to…
Singing in Prisons, Part 3 // Amanda Weber & Natalie Pollard
Emilie Amrein and André de Quadros host the third of five conversations about choral and community arts programs in prisons featuring Amanda Weber and Natalie Pollard. Amanda Weber is passionate abou…
Taking Up Space for Peace // Monica Curca
This spring, we are taking a deep dive into the work of cultural strategy, organizing, and activism, talking with folks doing this work every day in our communities. On Sunday, we are delighted to co…
Trans Vision and Voice // Lindsey Deaton
This week’s episode of engender features Lindsey Deaton, the director of the
San Diego Queer Youth Chorus and founder of the Trans Chorus of Los Angeles - TCLA. Lindsey brings years of experience as …
Singing in Prisons, Part 2 // Mary Cohen, Simone Frierson, & Karletta White
In this conversation, André and Emilie speak with Dr Mary Cohen and special guests from the Oakdale Choir. Mary L. Cohen is associate professor of music education at the University of Iowa. She resea…
Gender Love // Compilation Episode
The engender podcast is a special project of The Choral Commons. In this twelve week series, Nicky Manlove and Bradford Dumont consider singing and the wisdom of gender diversity. Each episode will h…
Singing in Prisons, Part 1 // Catherine Roma & Michael Powell
The Choral Commons begins our spring gather series on incarceration by welcoming Dr Catherine Roma, professor emerita of Wilmington College, and one of the foremost figures in prison choral music. He…
Cultural Democracy // Arlene Goldbard
Emilie and André speak with Arlene Goldbard about the role of culture in forging equitable futures in our communities.
Arlene Goldbard is a writer, speaker, consultant and cultural activist whose focu…
Engender: Trailer // Nicky Manlove & Bradford Dumont
Nicky Manlove and Bradford Dumont introduce the engender podcast, where they will interview gender diverse choral practitioners in a special twelve week series this spring. New episodes are released …
Surge: Trailer // Emilie Amrein & André de Quadros
Emilie Amrein and André de Quadros interview cultural strategists, organizers, and activists in an edited podcast format. New episodes are released biweekly on Sundays.
Liberation Theology, Poverty, and the Choir / Yara Allen and Charon Hribar
In 1968, Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and many others called for a “revolution of values” in America. They sought to build a broad, fusion movement that could unite poor and impacted communities a…
Intercultural Understanding and the Choir / Micah Hendler
Palestinians and Israelis are deeply divided by borders, religion, and political orientation. This is partly caused by the asymmetrical power dynamic resulting from the Israeli occupation of Palestin…
Borders, Bridges, and the Choir / Ahmed Anzaldúa
In her book, Borderlands/La Frontera, the great Chicana poet, author, and activist, Gloria Anzaldúa writes, “Borders are set up to define the places that are safe and unsafe, to distinguish us from t…