History

The Detroit Children’s Choir was established as a vehicle to help the children of metropolitan Detroit grow — gaining self confidence, social and political awareness, and academic skills – while setting the stage for continued active involvement in the arts throughout their lives.

The organization’s mission is to use the power and discipline of singing to bring together Detroit’s children in grades 3-8 – from urban and suburban communities, representing a wide range of ethnicities, religions and socio-economic levels – in a way that strengthens team building, creativity, social interaction, understanding, and connection.

The connection of choir members has been shown to bridge social gaps, fostering awareness of different perspectives on life. It is our hope that the members of the Detroit Children’s Choir will become ambassadors to their own communities, the City of Detroit and beyond, as they share their inspired music at local public events and on tour.

Founded in 2006, the Detroit Children’s Choir (DCC) introduced a new concept in children’s choral music to the city of Detroit. Based on the Chicago Children’s Choir model of in-school, neighborhood and concert choirs, the DCC program aims to make a choral experience of excellence available to ALL 8 – 14 year old children in the Detroit Area. School administrators are invited to have a DCC choir program as a part of their school day offerings. Parents of children who want to develop their singing skills are invited to enroll them in one of our neighborhood choirs. Children who demonstrate commitment and leadership in these choirs are invited to participate in the DCC Touring Choir.

Since its inception, DCC has introduced over 500 children to the joys and rigors of choral music, produced three major annual concerts before over 1,000 audience members, entertained and performed with two choirs visiting from Chicago and the Bahamas National Children’s Choir, collaborated artistically with a virtual international children’s choir, three local choral organizations, two dance troupes, an Ghanaian percussionist, a local rapper and various local instrumentalists.

The DCC Touring Choir has performed before thousands by invitation including the Detroit Pistons and Shock professional basketball teams, Jazzin’ on Jefferson, organizations such as Voices for Michigan’s Children, The Children’s Center, Michigan State University Extension Branch, Michigan Works, the Great Lakes Conference of the Evangelical Covenant Church and was recently featured in a video produced by the Gleaners Food Bank. The choir is also featured in a Lucie Groene film entitled, Detroit Is My Home.

The goal of the Detroit Children’s Choir is to develop young leaders who will bring about positive change in our city – now and in the future.