2020-2021 Season Virtual Start
Dear Brooklyn Youth Chorus Families,
It may be the first week of summer, but at Brooklyn Youth Chorus we’re already planning for our 2020-2021 season. Things may not be business as usual for a while, but we have a wonderful program planned with many enrichments.
We all miss the incomparable experience of singing together side by side. However, the severity and contagiousness of COVID-19 – as well as early indications that choral singing may create particularly transmissible settings – make it essential that all of our programming and performing decisions put the safety of our students, staff, and community first.
With that in mind, we have decided that Brooklyn Youth Chorus will be completely virtual in the Fall. Making this decision now, and for the entirety of the fall through December 2020, allows us to put our full attention on re-envisioning choral education in a virtual space for our students. Since we pivoted to online learning in March, we have gained valuable experience and gathered important feedback. Now, we are preparing an enriched curriculum to take advantage of the many resources and modalities that online learning makes available, that explores new technologies, and welcomes special guests and collaborators. Come Fall we look forward to providing a choral experience that is engaging and rewarding in new and exciting ways.
For many of our students, being a singer is fundamental to their identity. And while group singing has temporarily been moved to a virtual environment, the meaningfulness of singing and of community is more important than ever. The experience of chorus may not be the same now, but this time presents a special opportunity to learn new things in different ways as multifaceted musicians and performing artists. We thank you for being a part of our community and hope that you will continue on this journey with us for the 2020-2021 season.
Warmest Regards,
Dianne Berkun Menaker & Megan Lemley
P.S. We hope you enjoy the slideshow video at the link above (and here). While this year didn’t end the way we planned, we are still one community of amazing students, families, and singers.
