Welcome to Students First

Mike was caught up by the spiritual, humanitarian vision his colleagues in the Fine Arts Department shared several years ago. As a result, he joined a determined group of volunteers who visited successful children’s choirs in Trenton and Chicago. Drawing from their success and from the talents of a diverse group of people near Philadelphia, the West Philadelphia Children’s Choir was created with our first rehearsal in October 2003.

"We cannot tolerate another generation that knows so much about destroying life, but so little about enhancing it. We cannot permit our children to come into their maturity as masters of the atom and the gene, yet ignorant about the ways of the human mind and heart. We are star dust; we are golden; we've got to get back to the garden."

Philosophy of the Girard Academic Music Program, an arts magnet school in the Philadelphia School District. Soundings, February 2, 2004.

Included here is an abbreviated mission statement and a link to the Choir’s web site with more details and a brief video or two at: http://www.wpcchoir.org/.

Please feel free to contribute financially to the success of this worthy charity in any amount. The West Philadelphia Children’s Choir is a 501 c 3 non-profit organization. One way to contribute is to send a check by mail to the address below. Please e-mail Mike if you would like to discuss other ways to contribute.

Make Donation by Mail:
To send you check in by mail, please use the following address:
West Philadelphia Children's Choir
BMP Church
625 Montgomery Avenue
Bryn Mawr, PA 19010.

WPCC Mission

The West Philadelphia Children’s Choir (WPCC) endeavors to enrich the lives of children from all religious, racial, cultural and economic backgrounds through music, thereby fostering the personal and social growth of its members.

The West Philadelphia Children’s Choir is a multiracial, multicultural choir, shaping the future by making a difference in the lives of children through musical excellence. It is open to children in grades 3-5 who have demonstrated their personal accountability in some way.

WPCC is a special learning environment designed to provide a rich and rewarding musical experience for each child. The children study and perform a variety of music from simple unison folk songs to contemporary musical literature. The music performed is from many religious and secular traditions.

Singing skill and musical understanding are essential components of the creative process. The WPCC believes that through singing, children can experience the “inner life” of the music in a way that transcends the surface of notation and words. Singing is a way of “touching” the music and a way of being “touched” by the music.

We hope this experience of singing in weekly rehearsals and in performances will form the foundation of a life-long relationship with music for both the singers and their families.