The benefits of youth choral singing are well documented in research studies and in the most recent Chorus America 2009 and 2019 Impact Reports, and we know them from witnessing this growth firsthand and from annual parent surveys. But what about the long-term impact of choral singing, particularly in those who sing in San Diego Children’s Choir (SDCC)? Can the benefits received while group singing as a child endure through adulthood? From a recently conducted alumni survey, we learned the answer is “yes”!
Over 40 alumni (ages 19-45) responded to a survey sent in the Fall. Data revealed some wonderful insights, including that regardless of their time spent in SDCC, from just a few years to 12 years, choral singing benefits are lasting. Here’s a summary of results:
Fostering Lifelong Skills: Alumni credit the choir with developing essential skills like teamwork, confidence, leadership, and perseverance, which they continue to use throughout their lives.
Enduring Social and Personal Impact: Many alumni formed lifelong friendships and built stronger socialization skills, with SDCC serving as a foundation for personal growth and civic engagement.
Cultivating a Love for Music: The choir instilled a lasting passion for music, with some alumni pursuing professional musical careers, singing in adult choirs, or passing this love onto their own children.
Broadening Cultural Perspectives: International tours exposed participants to different cultures, fostering a global perspective in many alumni.
Raw data wise, 98% of alumni respondents support the arts, 90% credit choir with improving their teamwork skills, 88% credit choir with improving social skills, 88% vote regularly, 35% volunteer frequently, and 18% hold civic leadership roles. Additionally, 50% still sing in choirs today. These figures are well above national averages and align with research on the lifelong benefits of early choral singing.
Many alumni shared their own experience of this lasting impact:
“San Diego Children’s Choir is a wonderfully supportive community. During my time in the children’s choir, having the opportunity to interact with students from all over San Diego and from many different schools was really enriching to my personal and social growth as a high school student. Thank you SDCC for all the ways in which you have helped me grow.” - 3 years in SDCC, age 23
“It's probably not an exaggeration to say that SDCC shaped my future career, and certainly my love of music. My time with SDCC in junior high and high school led to my interest in studying music in college, and things progressed from there. I now work at a university as a musicologist and, for fun, I sing in a regional professional choir and lead a church choir.” - 5 years in SDCC, age 44
“I would be a completely different person without SDCC. I made so many friends that I am still close with. I learned valuable musical and non-musical skills that I use everyday. I gained so much confidence in myself because of SDCC, and I learned how to be a good leader because of Ruthie Millgard and older choristers paving the way.” - 7 years in SDCC, age 20
“My son now sings with Olympia Youth Chorus (where we live in WA) and I am thankful every day for the continued presence of music in our lives. I attribute this to [SDCC founder] Polly Campbell and my time in SDCC from ages 8-18.” - 10 years in SDCC, age 41
“[SDCC] established a sense of confidence in performing solo in front of large groups of people. Established a sense of a world larger than my own through travel and singing with people from other cultures/countries, some of which I keep in touch with still to this day.” - 11 years in SDCC, age 37
We were heartened to receive such feedback and were delighted to check in with alumni in this special way. As we reflect on 35 years of transforming lives through the power of music, we will be conducting more surveys and seeking additional stories from those SDCC has impacted. Thank you for making SDCC the special community it continues to be.