A Look Inside the Seraphic Fire Youth Initiative

“Patrick told me that the singers were going into public schools, and, for me, that was the best thing that Seraphic Fire can do - share and teach the joy of music. I went and watched four of the Seraphic Fire singers work with about 50 fourth graders. They got them involved physically, mentally, and emotionally with the music. They were fantastic.”

Anneliese Duncan Seraphic Fire Education Donor

15 Years of Making Music Matter in Our Schools

by Beth Braswell

Originally named the Miami Choral Academy, this community outreach initiative of Seraphic Fire debuted in 2009. With funding supplied by a generous seed grant from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, the goal of the Academy was “to create positive social change through music” and was patterned after the heralded El Sistema, Venezuela’s public music program. Patrick Quigley invited his friend from graduate school, Shawn Crouch, to lead the progressive initiative. As winner of multiple prestigious awards and critical acclaim, Crouch had composed for many accomplished vocal and instrumental ensembles. Leading the Miami Choral Academy meant Crouch could focus on another important element of his musical life, which was “being a proponent of music in society, of finding new ways for music to survive in communities, and change communities, and in the school systems as well.”

The Academy created a tuition-free league of youth choirs open to children from traditionally under-served communities in Miami-Dade County. In addition to vocal training, the multi-layered initiative included a music integration program, which stressed music’s connections with math, writing, and reading, and also provided supplemental academic tutoring.

“We talked about the transformative power of music, that it has more than entertainment value, that it has more potential,” said Crouch.

Fast forward to 2023 and the program has grown stronger than ever, accomplishing its goal to make a positive difference:

“I was the principal at one of the four initial schools, and the Miami Choral Academy was very organized from day one - with field trips and transportation and the instruction and, not only the music instruction, but the educational instruction that accompanied it. It worked to educate the children about music and composers, but it also educated them on their curriculum. As principal, I tracked every child in the Choral Academy and each one passed the state assessment test of reading, math, and writing, usually with a higher score of four or five. I attribute that to the organization of the music curriculum, the instruction of reading the music and the lyrics, and the discipline to keep the children on point and organized. It just was fascinating to me that these people would fly from all over the country, leave their families and their lives to come and sing with my children.” Frank

MacBride, Seraphic Fire Education Committee Board Chair