Wilmington Children's Chorus fellowship invests in educators of color

The Ridout Teaching Fellowship was born from a simple idea — to invest heavily in the early careers of music educators of color.

Creating unique solutions to address issues of equity and access in the field of music education is nothing new for the Wilmington Children’s Chorus. We are known for our innovative approach to programming.

From the Neighborhood Choir program (a collaborative project with OperaDelaware) which partners with community centers to bring choir to the child, to our Early Learner’s Music Program which embeds music classes into the children’s school day, to our tuition-free nature — we’ve been rocking the boat of music education since our founding.

The boat of teacher recruitment, preparation, and training could use some rocking. Only 13.8% of candidates for music licensure are people of color (this is in sharp contrast to the 40% of students who identify as BIPOC). Black educators are twice as likely as white teachers to leave the classroom.

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Professional development for young educators, particularly music educators, is fragmented — an hour-long webinar here, a half-day conference there.

The antidote to such a fractured system was clear to the team here at the Wilmington Children’s Chorus: A full-time, full-year fellowship, specifically for BIPOC professionals, that provides the recipient with a salary, benefits and endless opportunities to learn.

We were lucky to connect with the family and friends of the late Daniel L. Ridout, Jr.

Dan believed that music is humanity’s great connector.

A local educator, composer and choral director, he was known throughout Delaware as an accomplished musician with a deep knowledge of Negro Spirituals. He taught at Elbert-Palmer Elementary School, Stubbs Early Education Center, and was an administrator at Stanton Middle School and A.I. duPont High School for many years.

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We were honored to name the fellowship after him and continue his legacy through this work.

We embarked on a national search for our country’s top music educators and choral conductors of color. The applications that came in were nothing short of impressive.

Our semifinalists, diverse in experience and background, consisted of current classroom teachers, undergraduate and graduate students, and even professional artists looking to grow their teaching experience. They came from as far away as Texas and as close to home as Delaware State University.

The search for applicants revealed what we already know — there is no shortage of diverse talent in our country, only opportunities.

After a search that spanned the nation, we have found our inaugural fellow.

Meet Ariel Alvarado! A Georgia native, Ariel is pursuing her Master of Music Choral Conducting at The Ohio State University. In addition to her studies, Ariel is a graduate teaching assistant and serves as the associate director of music at Indianola Presbyterian Church.

Having grown up with little representation of her identity, Ariel focuses on centering the voices of the marginalized in her musical endeavors.

Notably, Ariel knows just how transformative the role of a children’s chorus can be, having participated in Spivey Hall Children’s Choir since she was 12 years old!

“It is my honor to join the Wilmington community in the coming months as the Ridout Teaching Fellow. From the moment I heard about this opportunity, my intrigue began.

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Through the months of communication with the wonderful staff of the Wilmington Children’s Chorus to finally meeting their amazing and bright children, I had a feeling this was the space that I needed to be,” Ariel said. “I hope to honor and live into the legacy of Mr. Ridout fully.”

The Wilmington Children’s Chorus will formally welcome Ariel to Wilmington in August when she will begin her year-long fellowship.

Ariel will collaboratively teach and conduct our Performing Choirs, ensembles known throughout the region for their excellence and collaborations with the area’s top arts organizations. You will be able to see Ariel in action at all of WCC’s performances throughout the year.

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Wilmington Children’s Chorus fellowship invests in educators of color

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