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Pittsburgh Liberty Interfaith Choir

We are Rising Voices Company. We aim to create the Pittsburgh Liberty Interfaith Choir.

 

Leader

Rising Voices Youth Choir Artistic Director: Elizabeth Chitester

Location

2700 Wylie Avenue Pittsburgh, PA 15226

Impact areas

About the project

We believe in music as education and enrichment and that all people in Pittsburgh deserve the opportunity to have quality music in their lives.

We are working with our choir on their musical, cultural, and geographic knowledge. We are fostering talent, knowledge, and tolerance in our community.

Currently, we operate two programs: the Rising Voices Youth Choir for grade school students, and the Rising Voices Junior Singers for younger and less experienced voices. We are creating a multicultural community choir which fosters accessible, affordable, inclusive music enrichment services and civics education.

We are professionals and students with backgrounds in Music Education, Music Therapy, Child Development, Choral Arts, and Vocal Performance.

We are raising funds to support our program's expansion: The formation of the Pittsburgh Liberty Interfaith Choir.

The Steps

Step 1) Deepen our roots in our communities

We aim to make this program accessible to every family and community. We are fundraising to employ community members to serve on our staff as music instructors and social justice organizers.

Step 2) Educate our members on tolerance and civic duty

We aim to bring in speakers and presenters who can speak to social justice issues impacting members of the Pittsburgh Community

Step 3) Share our knowledge with others

We want to be involved in events around the city, especially events which promote tolerance, diversity, and civic education. Once we've achieved our goals, we will share our accomplishments with those around us, and will welcome everyone who wants to join our community.

Why we‘re doing it

Music is an important part our our lives, and it is something which every person deserves access to. Tragically, there are students and families with barriers to quality music, music education, or the opportunity to perform or participate in the arts.

The first issue: Cost and Accessibility

The majority of extracurricular and adult music programs come with a high tuition fees or hourly rate. Private lessons are even more costly. This leaves out hundreds of talented students and dedicated families who deserve fulfilling artistic experiences.

 

In our growing and diverse world, it is more important than ever to educate members of our communities on their civic rights and responsibilities. We aim to mentor youth and families on how to be advocates for tolerance and diversity, and provide access points to these ideas through music.

The second issue: Relating to Others

People are unique, and many other programs do not take this into account. Some experience language barriers, chronic illness, autism, and other differences are often underserved. LGBTQ issues, racial tensions, fear, and assumptions about people different from us compound our difficulty relating to each other.

 

Our Solutions?
Our program is fueled by our passionate volunteers and interns. Half of our staff are music students in a variety of backgrounds. Because of this, we are able to keep our costs down in a way which other programs cannot compare. Because of this, we are able to provide quality for students without impacting affordability. 

Additionally, our staff is made up of students and professionals with backgrounds in education as well as psychology and therapy. We are uniquely positioned to make our services accessible to every member, regardless of their strengths and challenges. We have successfully served people with English as a second language, persons on the autism spectrum, and those with medical considerations, and we are committed to continuing these services.

We celebrate the differences in our communities. We appreciate the knowledge we can bring to each other. We collaborate to create peace and to be a force for tolerance and change.

$1,810.00 / $1,810.00