1. The Impact of Choral Singing on Children & Youth Presented by Catherine Davies ACDA Children’s Choir Conductors Retreat

2. The Chorus Impact Study:
How Children, Adults, and Communities Benefit from Choruses

3. Watch the You Tube video!

4. Methodology Respected research firm Online surveys of:
More than 2,000 singers in choruses of all kinds
500 members of the general public
500 parents
300 K-12 educators from a variety of disciplines

5. Reasoning Previous research on value of instrumental music education.
Choral singing has often been overlooked by researchers—this data fills that research gap.

6. Four primary findings
Far more people sing in choruses than participate in any other performing art.
People who sing in choruses demonstrate characteristics that make them remarkably good citizens.
Children who sing in choruses have academic success and valuable life skills.
Parents & educators report a troubling decline in choral singing opportunities for children.

7. Benefits for children who sing…
Children who sing in choruses demonstrate valuable life skills.
Parents and educators from every discipline attribute a significant part of academic success to singing in a choir.

8. Benefits for children who sing…
Parents date their child’s improvements in a variety of areas to their joining a choral group.
That, and the breadth of benefits described by both parents and educators, points to a unique ‘chorus effect,’ one that isn’t simply replicated by participation in other activities.

9. Benefits for children who sing…
70%
of parents said their child
is more self-confident
is more self-disciplined
developed better memory skills

10. Chart 5: Choir Participation and Children’s Success Skills

11. Benefits for children who sing…
80%
of educators and parents say that choir participation enhances numerous aspects of a child’s:
academic success (including better grades)
social development

12. Chart 4: Choir Participation and Academic Performance

13. Benefits for children who sing…
90%
of educators believe choir participation keeps some students engaged in school who might otherwise be lost.

14. Chart 6: Educators on Choir Participation and Student Success Skills

15. Chart 7: Educators on Student Choir Participation and Social Skills

16. Chart 8: Choir Participation and School, Community Participation
Furthermore, 76% of educators say they can tell which students in their classes participate in choir.

17. The adults matter, too…
Educators tell us that schools where parental involvement is high are:
Significantly more likely to have music programs than schools where parental influence is low (96% v. 81%)
Significantly more likely to have choir programs than low parental influence schools (80% v. 60%)
Parents, educators & choral singers identify these priorities for training young singers:
Develop listening skills
Choose music that kids can relate to
Provide lots of positive individual & group feedback

18. Decline in choral singing opportunities for children…
More than one in four educators surveyed said there is no choral program in their schools.
More than one in five parents said that there were no choral singing opportunities for their children in their communities
65% of adult choristers say they got their first choral experience in elementary or middle school, down from 69% in 2003.

19. Making the case for choral programs
Choral singing is an accessible entry point for arts exposure, with fewer barriers—economic, cultural, or educational.
More choral singing opportunities in schools and communities could be a good strategy for bolstering student achievement and engagement in schools.
Leveraging the benefits that choruses bring to children, adults, and communities is good for schools and society.

20. Tools Available Chorus America’s 2009 Chorus Impact Study
Executive Summary for download
Top 10 Reasons to sing in a choir
Parents’ Guide
YouTube video & this PowerPoint
For more information about how to use these resources, visit: