The Shades Alumni Family is a 501c3 nonprofit with a new mission, new vision, and new strategic plan. Make a contribution to the Shades Spring Tour 2021 or the Fund for the Future to preserve the Shades legacy and share it with young people and communities throughout the world, for years to come. You can make a tax-deductible contribution today.
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Outreach

For us, singing is not simply something to do. Music of the African Diaspora is sustenance, culture, oral tradition, and spirituality all rolled up into a family of music genres. An essential part of the Shades Alumni Family mission is to inspire and educate people about music of the African Diaspora, and so we are piloting two programs that share knowledge and encourage the performance of this music: Bridges and the Vocal Arrangement Competition.

Bridges

“Take it to the bridge”

An essential part of the Shades Alumni Family mission is to spread knowledge about music of the African Diaspora. To meet these outreach goals, we are piloting a program called Bridges, an outreach fund allotted to bring music of the African Diaspora to young people in schools, organizations, and communities that may otherwise not be able to afford music education programming. Initial funding for this pilot is provided by the Founders Circle.

Vocal Arrangement Competition

To share music with new audiences—musicians, arrangers, teachers, and performers must find ways to present the music in relevant, informative, and entertaining ways. It’s challenging to find/create new compositions and arrangements. The Shades Alumni Family would like to foster the creation of new vocal arrangements specifically for music of the African Diaspora with an annual competition.