Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Access Statement

Boulder Chorale Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Access Statement

The Boulder Chorale believes that a diverse membership, board, staff, audiences, and
collaborators strengthen our perspectives and ability to reflect and serve our community. We
share these value statements of our intentions and commitments to continuing to build a
diverse, equitable, inclusive, and accessible organization:

  • The Boulder Chorale pledges to foster a diverse membership and leadership. We
    welcome our singers, board members, and volunteers from all intersectional identities
    of race/ethnicity, class, age, gender identity, sexual orientation, religious affiliation, or
    lack thereof, disability status, and other marginalized identities.
  • We recognize that diverse perspectives enrich our personal experiences and ability to
    reflect our community. We appreciate our common humanity as well as our
    differences.
  • We acknowledge that we do not all start from the same place in this society.
  • We believe that music is a bridge, from which we can listen, learn, and connect with our community.
  • Every singer, parent of a child singer, volunteer, audience member, musical
    collaborator, donor, and sponsor has a place in our organization.
  • We will challenge ourselves to continually assess and address the evolving needs of
    our members and community.
  • We recognize that certain individuals face significant barriers, and our organization provides
    equitable access, including financial scholarships, for all to participate in our program.
  • We accommodate disabilities whenever possible to further enrich the participation of
    our adult and child singers, audience members, and musical collaborators, and pledge
    to continue providing access to participation.

A MESSAGE OF UNITY

Dear Boulder Chorale Community,

BLACK LIVES MATTER.

We at the Boulder Chorale want to state unequivocally that we support our Black community members, friends and family, and their rights to justice and equity.

As choral musicians, a great part of our mission is about inclusivity and diversity: inclusivity in musical choices, in membership, in staffing, and in the audience. Children in the Boulder Children’s Chorale are taught music from all around the world, and in many languages. The adult Concert Chorale and Chamber Chorale have made music with musicians from Argentina, Nepal, Brazil, New Orleans, Appalachia, and Europe – to name a few. Last summer, we brought the music of Duke Ellington to The Netherlands with our superb musical guests, including Dr. David Sharp, and Joslyn Ford-Keel, two revered African-American dancer/musicians from Colorado. Choral singing is about embodying the lives and cultures of others so as to embrace and celebrate our common humanity. We believe that few things can transmit cultural understanding the way music can.

But we also acknowledge that we are centered in Boulder, one of the least diverse places in Colorado. We acknowledge that we live in a privileged and wealthy city. It is not always easy for us to have experiences with people of color that create knowledge and understanding. And so, we make this promise: to listen more, to learn more, to reach out more, to leave our place of privilege so as to meet others where they are, and to stand with our Black brothers and sisters and ALL those who encounter bigotry of any kind.

Music is a healing force that has, and will continue to, help heal the world and bring people together. We trust that when we are able to return to our Boulder Chorale community, we will be stronger and more committed to each other and to you.

Thank you for being a part of our family.

In solidarity,

Dr. Vicki Burrichter, Boulder Chorale Artistic Director, and the Boulder Chorale Board of Directors

Land Acknowledgment

In the spirit of healing, we acknowledge that we sing on the original homelands of the
Southern Arapaho, Ute, and Cheyenne and over 48 contemporary tribal nations of the
land now called Colorado. The Boulder Chorale recognizes the contributions of
indigenous people to the arts since time immemorial and honors the singers and
songs yet to come.