OUR MISSION
The Dallas Street Choir offers a musical outlet for those experiencing homelessness and severe disadvantage. OUR VISION
Through community engagement and public performance, the Dallas Street Choir seeks to improve the way society views those experiencing homelessness. Our model demonstrates that participation in a consistent, structured, safe, and creatively engaging environment better equips individuals experiencing homelessness to find a job, housing and improve their overall lifestyle. For our members, we aim to provide: practical musicianship training; an environment that promotes accountability; and a community that offers compassion and hope. For those with capacity to serve—volunteers, donors, community and corporate partners—we seek to engage you in the profound experience of empowering individuals to achieve what once seemed impossible through the seemingly simple act of singing. OUR PROGRAM
The Dallas Street Choir, a recognized 501(c)(3) organization, was established in October 2014. To date, over 800 individuals have attended at least one of our weekly rehearsals amassing more than 4,000 hours of cultural enrichment. In addition to presenting concerts at The Stewpot and the newly-built amphitheater adjacent to The Stewpot, the Dallas Street Choir has performed at the Winspear Opera House, the Dallas City Performance Hall, the George W. Bush Presidential Library, and other venues throughout the DFW area. We have performed alongside opera stars Frederica von Stade and Joyce DiDonato, composer Jake Heggie, and, in November 2015, welcomed Mrs. Ross Perot to our stage. In June 2017, the Dallas Street Choir will perform at Carnegie Hall and The Washington National Cathedral. The Dallas Street Choir strives to offer an otherwise marginalized community of people a place to experience art, and specifically choral music. Our members come from all walks of life: 68% stay in shelters while 23% live on the streets; nearly half are in their forties and fifties; two-thirds have high school diplomas, and 64% are African American. The the tagline for the Dallas Street Choir is “Homeless, Not Voiceless.”
Rehearsals are held every Wednesday morning from 9:30-10:30 a.m. The hour-long rehearsal begins with a group warm-up sequence structured to provide vocal instruction, as well as an opportunity to focus one’s body, mind, and spirit. The remainder of the hour is spent learning and perfecting our performance repertoire. Singers are given word sheets and they learn melodies by rote. No sheet music is used. At the conclusion of the hour, singers are dismissed by row to receive a snack (usually a fruit bar or two and a bag of chips), as well as a public transportation voucher. In November 2015, we launched the Frederica von Stade Honorary Scholarship for Continuing Education. This competitive scholarship, to be given semi-annually, assists Dallas Street Choir members achieve their personal education goals. Also launched in 2015 was the Voice Academy—a program where select members received small-group voice instruction from a professional singer.
