(Credit: Jamie Pham)

The Los Angeles Children’s Chorus is launching its first-ever online music education program for more than 400 choristers.

The program is hosted on the add Seesaw and allows for direct communication between teachers, conductors, and choristers with lessons, rehearsals, and practice plans, among other items, made available to the chorus members. Moreover, the organization is hosting regular sectional meetings for choristers with conductors via Zoom.

“Although the chorus is unable to gather together to rehearse in person during this health crisis, everyone at LACC felt it was imperative to devise a meaningful way for the LACC community to stay connected,” stated Artistic Director Fernando Marlvar-Ruiz in a press release. “I am incredibly proud of LACC’s dedicated and talented staff for stepping up to make it possible to create this remote learning program and to get it up and running in such a short period of time. It has been a monumental task requiring an extraordinary amount of work.”

Among those providing content for the program are Associate Artistic Director Mandy Brigham; Young Men’s Ensemble Director Dr. Steven Kronauer; Apprentice Choir Director Eric Lifland, who trained the staff in how to use Seesaw; Principal Pianist Twyla Meyer; pianists Jackie Koo and Dr. Mitsuko Morikawa; vocal coaches Wendy Caldwell, Sarah Reynolds and Lori Stinson; and music education staff members Lissie Quishenberry and Gail Homan. Also contributing to the success of the project were Executive Director Shawn Ingram; Chorus Manager Ann Giesler; associate chorus managers Kendra Schmidt and Deborah Stark; and administrative staff members Julie Larson, Maria Nazario, Jared Clark, Sara Chervin and Lisa Larson.