Our Programs

Since its founding, BCC has become an international leader in integrating social justice education with music education. The organization brings singers of different races, ethnicities, religions, gender identities, and socioeconomic groups together in a meaningful and collaborative activity – choral singing excellence. Our curriculum is designed to provide a rich and rewarding musical experience for each child. The result of this unique program is artistic excellence and the development of young leaders.

Our singers learn lessons of active listening, reflection, teamwork, leadership, empathy, and connection as they move through the program. We promote discussions about difference in a safe, supportive environment, creating space for singers to explore difficult issues as they express themselves as exemplary citizens and leaders of Boston.

About Our Curriculum

Boston Children's Chorus has a specialized learning environment designed to provide a rich and rewarding musical experience for each child. Masterpieces of music from all styles and periods form the foundation for musical learning and serve as the basis for the curriculum. We believe that "children should be led to musical masterpieces by means of musical masterpieces" (Zoltan Kodály). Boston Children's Chorus repertoire celebrates the music of many different and diverse cultures including, but not limited to, folk, popular, gospel, spirituals, classical, art song, and patriotic music. Many different languages are studied and performed through the music, and musical pieces will range from a cappella, unison selections to choral works utilizing complex harmonies.

Singing is the major focus of the musical experience in Boston Children's Chorus. Singing is a powerfully personal means of musical expression. We hope this experience will form the foundation of a life‐long, positive relationship with music for the singers and their families.

The singers are taught the use of their vocal instruments through exercises, posture, breathing and tone production. The essence of musical experience is based on pitch and movement as it is "felt" and heard. Because the body is the instrument in singing, musical relationships are internally experienced and are likely to be "felt" and heard by the singers. Boston Children's Chorus believes that through singing, young singers can experience the "inner life" of the music in a way that transcends the surface of notation and words. Singing is a way of "touching" the music and a way of being "touched" by the music. 

We teach our singers a range of vocal, movement and music literacy skills that include music reading, theory, history and foreign languages. Concepts about music (melody, rhythm, harmony, and musical terminology) and musical skills (singing, sight reading, ear training, and dictation) are taught and reinforced during rehearsals. Solfege hand signs, tuning forks, and movement, among other techniques, are often utilized in our music education curriculum, and are taught through listening, singing, reading, writing, and analysis. 

Youth Development

Although music is the core of BCC programs, we also explore developmental goals with the singers. Through music education and performing, BCC singers learn important lessons of hard work, discipline, leadership, teamwork, poise, presentation, and communication. These traits focus on three pillars that all BCC singers learn as they grow through involvement our community and the world around them – respect, responsibility, and a love of learning.

Who We Serve

BCC serves nearly 300 youth, ages 7-18, from over 100 zipcodes around the greater Boston area. 36% of our singers live in the City of Boston. Families come to BCC from as north as New Hampshire and as far west as Holden, MA. BCC ensures that there is a group for every young person with a desire to sing, regardless of their prior musical experience. 4 out of 5 singers receive financial aid. No one is excluded from participation for financial reasons.