Audience Development for the 21st Century

We all knew it was true, but it's nice to see it in writing: More Americans participate in choral singing than in any other performing art. The statistics put forth in the Chorus America study, America's Performing Art: A Study of Choruses, Choral Singers, and Their Impact, are impressive. But do these numbers match our own reality? If this is true, why do we struggle each season to maintain our audience base, attract donors, and secure grants? If there are so many people out there who love choral music, why aren't they beating down our doors?

It's important to note that the Chorus America study focused on choral music participants, not audiences. In order for these findings to be useful for our audience development efforts, we need to look at them from another angle. All of us who sing in choruses understand the musical, social, and civic fulfillment we receive as a result of our participation. But does the audience member attending our concerts feel the same passion? What motivates audience members to purchase tickets to a choral music concert and what keeps them coming back? How can we communicate our passion for the choral art to those who haven't experienced it before?