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Sound Strategies

Connecting a Musical Campus to the Community

Andrew Hohman
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Many times, we think of our educational institutions as separate entities from our broader community. We serve the students who enroll in our classes without thinking how we might stretch our boundaries and create not just a class, but a community. By thinking strategically and questioning traditional boundaries within higher education, we can maximize our impact on lifelong music education for all.
More than twenty years ago, as a master’s student at Bowling Green State University, I thoroughly enjoyed my time as a rehearsal assistant for the University Choral Society. As community members combined forces with vocalists in the music department, it created a special atmosphere. There were often over 100 singers in the ensemble, and it gave our choir the ability to sing choral/orchestral masterworks with the necessary balance of voices. Community members also were excited to participate in an advanced choral ensemble. Little did I know at the time, this would serve as an introductory model for my practice.
As I began directing the Chorale at my current college, I would invite local high schools to perform with our Chorale and orchestra on works such as Vivaldi’s Gloria and Hagenberg’s Illuminare. We were able to form a broader sense of community and establish excellent connections throughout our area. In fact, several participating high school students enrolled as music majors in subsequent years. While this path was quite successful, our director of bands, whose bands have followed a similar model, encouraged me to take an even bigger step forward. We moved our rehearsal from daytime hours, multiple days per week to one extended rehearsal in the evening. By doing so, we were able to invite alumni, faculty members, area professional musicians, community members and advanced high school singers to join our ensemble. The results have been remarkable.
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We have more than doubled our enrollment for the Chorale, without sacrificing any of the quality standards we work to achieve. The presence of excellent singers, ranging in age from 16 to 72, has established a new type of multigenerational community. It shows our students that choir is truly a lifelong journey that can bring singers together. It changes the mindset of students from viewing choral participation as something that ends after graduation to seeing it as a continuous activity for all our lives. While not every collegiate ensemble can or should follow this model, it may serve some well. Similar models do not need to stay at the college level either. A colleague of mine just began an alumni choir for past students after school hours at his successful high school choral program. Often, opportunities for singers after their academic experience has ended can feel overwhelming or intimidating. We can help by bridging the gap to members of our community who would be excited to participate.
Another way colleges may contribute to their surrounding communities is through the use of a lending music library. We are currently reorganizing our choral library to lend our legally purchased physical scores to underserved local high schools and those struggling with budget concerns. For many years, music simply sits on the shelves after being used for a single performance. Ensuring students have equitable access to quality music scores is a problem we can help solve.
Many Ohio colleges have also contributed to a sense of community by allowing those age 60 and over to audit courses, including those in music. Where I teach, these students can take Music Theory, Aural Skills, Chorale, Music History and other courses completely tuition free. I have seen the results of these programs first-hand and can say it is a wonderful partnership as many of these students have taken classes for years. To build lifelong learners in music education, we need not only to offer these courses, but to publicize these opportunities to those who will benefit.
As we connect with a greater range of musicians, a new sense of community can form. We need to stretch our boundaries, which will benefit both the institution and the learner. By making aspects of our college experiences multigenerational, we put into practice the concept of lifelong learning. May we look to share the musical resources we have with those who do not traditionally fall within our reach.
Dr. Andrew Hohman is a Visiting Professor of Music and choral director at Sinclair Community College.