INSPIRING YOUTH
The Ambassadors of Harmony® chorus is committed to promoting a cappella among those of all ages but especially to young people. We strive to develop a musical culture among youth interested in singing all kinds of choral music. The chorus has numerous programs throughout the year designed to encourage youth singers to pursue choral and a cappella music in their schools and communities.
OUR YOUTH PROGRAMS:
ACAPPELLOOZA FALL
Each fall, AOH partners with the University of Missouri-St. Louis to put on Acappellooza Fall, a unique experience that immerses young people in the joy of singing a cappella music in schools and extracurricular community choruses and quartets.
The festival draws more than 1,000 high school students from across the St. Louis area. Over two days, students get world-class instruction and a cappella singing techniques from Jim Henry, the music department chair at UMSL, and the award-winning AOH. The program explores myriad vocal music genres with selections from Thomas Tallis, the Rays, the Beach Boys and classic barbershop arrangements. All music and lunch are provided to students.
ACAPPELLOOZA SUMMER
Acappellooza Summer is an overnight a cappella summer camp in partnership with the University of Missouri-St. Louis for students in grades 9-12. For four days, students are immersed in singing led by some of the world’s most prominent names in a cappella music, including the Ambassadors of Harmony® and Jim Henry, music department chair at UMSL.
Please visit the Acappellooza Summer website for more information.
Music and learning tracks will be sent to the students in advance so that they can come together to perfect their skills in preparation for a one-of-a-kind a cappella concert on Friday night. The concert will feature all the Acappellooza Summer participants who will comprise a men’s chorus, a women’s chorus and a combined chorus. They will share the stage with world renowned a cappella ensemble Vocal Spectrum.
In July 2016, AOH and UMSL held the fourth-annual, which drew roughly 150 students from across the country to learn the craft of singing a cappella.
For more information, call UMSL's music department at 314-516-6590 or AOH at 636-395-0150.
PROJECT HARMONY
Since 2012, we’ve been actively working with students in various St. Louis-area schools to share our love of a cappella singing (primarily in the barbershop style) with students and teachers.
Project Harmony takes contemporary a cappella music back to its roots by integrating tight harmonies and barbershop singing techniques into a year-long program in local schools.
THE RECRUITS CHORUS
Eric Dalby, longtime member of the Ambassadors of Harmony and the lead for the 2006 BHS quartet champs, Vocal Spectrum, directs a chorus of young women and men called The Recruits. The chorus' mission is to inspire and educate young people to get involved in a cappella music. The chorus has already won youth competitions hosted by the Barbershop Harmony Society. For more information, visit The Recruits' website.
ACAFEST
With the goal of building a stronger a cappella community in St. Louis, The Ambassadors of Harmony (www.aoh.org) and Missouri Baptist University are collaborating to host a one-night a cappella singing festival, AcaFest! We invite local high school and college a cappella groups to perform on stage in front of their peers. For more information, go to the official AcaFest website.