VocalEssence WITNESS School Program

The VocalEssence WITNESS School Program is an exciting opportunity for Minnesota students and teachers to learn more about the contributions African Americans have made, and are making, to the fine arts and to our shared cultural heritage.

Thanks to generous support from our program sponsors, we are pleased to offer tickets to the Student Matinee: WITNESS Young People’s Concert at Northrop as well as two days of Teaching Artist workshops and access to lesson plans and curricular resources – all completely free of charge again this year!

As a reminder, the 12:00 PM concert will also be livestreamed.

To become a WITNESS Partner School and attend the Student Matinee: WITNESS Young People’s Concert at Northrop, please contact Learning and Engagement Managers Rob and Emma (robert@vocalessence.org or emma@vocalessence.org) to inquire about remaining program capacity and to complete the Partner Agreement and Program Registration forms if we are able to accommodate your school still in the 2024-25 School Year!

2024-2025 VocalEssence WITNESS School Program

VocalEssence joins forces with a collective of Twin Cities-based artists—actors, dancers, storytellers, and musicians—presenting songs and stories about pivotal figures and landmark events of the Civil Rights Movement. This matinee will feature guest artists, members of the VocalEssence Chorus, Singers of This Age, and Teaching Artists. Experience stories woven to connect past struggles to the present in pursuit of an equitable future for all. Be a part of the journey to “keep your eyes on the prize and hold on” as you lift your voice to commit to and continue the legacy of those who fought for freedom, as we march towards racial justice.

Students and teachers will be provided opportunities to create community and build relationships through classroom activities that engage students singing, dance and movement, and collaborative song creation.

Each partner school is able to take advantage of several free program components that provide an enriching integrative experience for both students and teachers, including: Teacher Orientation, Classroom Resources, Workshops with a VocalEssence Teaching Artist, and attendance at the Student Matinee: WITNESS Young People’s Concert at Northrop!

Teacher Orientation

The annual WITNESS Teacher Orientation will take place from 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM on Saturday, September 28, 2024 in Guild Hall at Plymouth Congregational Church in Minneapolis.

Participating schools are asked to send at least one participating teacher, but all participating teachers are encouraged to attend.

Cost to attend: $15 per attendee

Registration: Pre-register your attendance to help us prepare! Registration form coming soon!

At orientation, teachers will:

receive professional development by participating in activities led by VocalEssence Associate Artistic Director G. Phillip Shoultz, III and the VocalEssence Teaching Artists,
learn about this year’s program theme and special guest artist,
receive classroom resource materials,
enjoy a boxed lunch, and
earn up to 3 clock hours of CEU credit.

Teacher Resources

VocalEssence WITNESS Resources

Participating teachers have free access to a selection of lesson plans and activities that will engage students in this year’s program theme, “Eyes Still on the Prize”. Lesson plans, activities and other audio/visual resources will be available this fall via the online VocalEssence Classroom Resource Hub, which teachers will be able to access via a special web link that will be forthcoming.

To access the Classroom Resource Hub, you need to be a registered Partner School. If you are a current Partner School teacher, please contact emma@vocalessence.org for access.

Artist Workshops

Students and teachers are given the opportunity to learn from our VocalEssence Teaching Artists through live, in-class workshops. Teaching Artists explore the yearly program theme through the lens of their artistic discipline, creating an integrative academic experience for students combining the study of African American culture with art, music, social studies, literature, character building, and other areas of school curriculum.

Booking your Teaching Artist

The primary contact teacher will receive an email from VocalEssence Learning and Engagement staff with a link to the Workshop/Residency request form, where teachers will submit their preferred workshop dates, class schedule and other information that will assist with the scheduling process, as well as share what they hope their students will gain from this experience. VocalEssence staff will then pair the school with an appropriate Teaching Artist who will be a good fit for that school.

All participating teachers are expected to attend a planning meeting with the selected Teaching Artist, at least 2-3 weeks in advance of the first workshop date to allow plenty of time for planning and preparation.

VocalEssence will provide the teacher/Teaching Artist team with a checklist of important questions and discussion topics that will help guide the planning meeting conversation, preparing everyone for the workshop experience and bringing everyone onto the same page with shared learning goals and expectations. A signed copy of the planning checklist will need to be emailed back to Emma Jirele following the planning meeting.

Student Matinee: WITNESS Young People's Concerts

We are delighted to co-present the 2025 WITNESS Young People’s Concerts in partnership with Northrop, as part of their Student Matinee series! This strategic partnership with Northrop will allow double the number of schools, and students to participate in the 2024-2025 WITNESS School Program, including home school programs!

Join us for an immersive, 50-minute, participatory musical experience, featuring VocalEssence Associate Artistic Director G. Phillip Shoultz, III, the VocalEssence Teaching Artists performing alongside the VocalEssence Singers Of This Age, members of the VocalEssence Chorus, and special guest artists. Through singing, body percussion, movement and a wide range of music from the American Civil Rights Movement, students will get to raise their voices together as we continue to keep our “Eyes on the prize” and work together to create a world where all can thrive!

The Student Matinee: VocalEssence WITNESS Young People’s Concerts at Northrop will take place on Friday, February 21, 2025 at 10 AM and 12:00 PM*.

NOTE: The 10:00 AM and 12:00 PM Young People’s Concert Student Matinees have both reached capacity for un-obstructed seating and is currently considered SOLD OUT. We do have some wiggle room to accommodate more students, but some of those remaining seats may have some obstructed views or be in the highest balcony areas. If you are still interested in registering your school for the 2024-25 school year, please contact Learning and Engagement Managers Rob Graham and Emma Jirele (robert@vocalessence.org, emma@vocalessence.org) to inquire about capacity.

* The 12:00 PM Matinee performance will also be livestreamed for any schools who are unable to attend in person! Livestream and on-demand access can be reserved on Northrop’s K-12 Student Matinees website. If you have additional questions contact matinees@northrop.umn.edu.

Cost: $0.00/ticket – tickets are FREE!
For the VocalEssence WITNESS student matinee, we are offering free tickets instead of bus reimbursement. If you are facing a financial barrier to securing bussing for the concert, please email matinees@umn.edu and we will be happy to work with you on a case-by-case basis to provide some support.

Want your school to participate in the 2024-25 VocalEssence WITNESS School Program? Email robert@vocalessence.org and emma@vocalessence.org to inquire about capacity for 2024-25!