Life-long Values Through Music

"Music is the vehicle to life-long values through the pursuit of excellence, discipline, teamwork, poise in front of an audience, and brings more global understanding of the world and it's people," exclaims Emily Ellsworth, Artistic Director of the Glen Ellyn Children's Chorus of Chicago.

Dedicated to bringing out the best in young people through extraordinary choral music experiences, the Glen Ellyn Children's Chorus (GECC) is known for excellence in performance and outstanding music education. The award winning GECC is a world-class organization that has been entertaining audiences in the Chicago area and internationally for 41 years. Young people experience the joy of singing, teamwork, musical understanding and artistic expression— skills which foster self-growth and enhance their entire lives.

"Surveys show that 80% of the practicing physicians in the USA participated in music during their formative years. Coincidence?," asks Jim Hollomon in his essay, Music Education: A Magic Wand for Improvement? "The evidence suggests that it is not. A number of recent studies have looked at how music and other intellectual activity may be related. Musical instruction, especially that begun early in a child's development, has a profoundly positive influence on a variety of things; among them SAT scores, grades in school, and achievement in life."

But the experience of being in the GECC goes further than in just improving test scores. Graduating with honors at the age of 16, Nicolette Stosur'Bassett, a Senior at Glenbard West High School, has been coming to GECC for the past 7 years. Gaining skills like punctuality and professionalism, Nicolette says that her experience in the GECC has given her a great sense of family. "I wouldn't be the same person without the [GECC]. The opportunity has carried over into my life in a variety of ways you wouldn't expect," she explained, "if I have a typical throw-out high school day, I know I can come and talk to my friends at GECC, or sing my heart out."

Rehearsing twice weekly, the GECC's ongoing programs include performing ensembles that serve children at various skill levels. The challenges of musicianship and repertoire increase incrementally with each ensemble, creating a sequential upward spiral of learning and development. Through rehearsals and performances, boys and girls in the Treble Chorus, the intermediate Concert Chorus, and the more experienced Touring Chorus enjoy a high level of accomplishment, make lasting friendships, and enjoy a nurturing and challenging learning environment.

In recent years, the choristers have performed at Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, as well as the the Ravinia Festival with the renowned Chicago Symphony Orchestra (CSO). In addition, the GECC has participated in four Grammy Award-winning recordings with the CSO and performed under such prominent conductors as the late Sir Georg Solti, Christoph Eschenbach, James Levine, and Claudio Abbado. The group has toured not only North America but also Europe, Scandinavia, Australia, New Zealand Brazil. Most recently, the group performed in Hong Kong and Mainland China.

In July 2005, children, aged 12 to 18 years-old, performed two concerts at the Forbidden City Concert Hall in Beijing. One evening, the GECC performed music from Australia, China and "The Nightingale"— a Hans Christian Andersen tale of a Chinese Emperor and the lesson he learns from a nightingale about the value of discerning the natural from the artificial.

In another performance, the GECC shared the stage with Beijing Children's Palace Chorus. Afterward the two groups joined at a banquet. Despite the initial language barrier, the silence was soon broken after a piano began to play; inspiring the children to share in their common love for music. The singing led to laughter and later dance.

The GECC will be performing "The Nightingale" once again at the 2006 New Tang Dynasty Television (NTDTV) Chinese New Year Global Gala on February 4 in Chicago's Arie Crown Theater. Proving once again that the universal language of music can unify us all, the GECC will join many other performers in a multi-cultural effort to portray the great Myths and Legends of ancient China.