Ep. 21 - Breaking Down Barriers: Choral Music and Social Change - Amanda Stevenson

"My tunnel vision of choral music just exploded. I was able to learn so much about all these different cultures that were in my school and the music that represented them. That's where I really learned that students have to have some representation to make them feel that they're really part of this community."Amanda Stevenson is currently the 4th and 5th grade vocal music teacher at Titan Hill Intermediate School in Council Bluffs, Iowa. Recently, Ms. Stevenson was the Founding Artistic Director for the Omaha Children’s Choir - an organization she founded to provide all singers with an appreciation and understanding of the city’s diversity and to inspire change by the power of choral music. Over the last 7 years, Ms. Stevenson created an inclusive and diverse repertoire that truly reflected the singers represented in Omaha Children’s Choir. She led the organization to launch the Voices Creating Change initiative which gives voice to the issues of our time and uses music as a tool to inspire social change in the community. Ms. Stevenson also taught middle school vocal music in Iowa. Ms. Stevenson holds a Bachelor of Music Education from Iowa Wesleyan University and a Master of Music with an emphasis in choral music education from Western Illinois University. She is currently working on a Master of Arts in Teaching, Leadership, and Cultural Competency through the University of Iowa. She lives in Omaha with her husband, 4 children, and their dog Oscar.To get in touch with Amanda, you can find her on Instagram or Twitter (@amandastvnsn) or on Facebook (@amandarstevenson).Email [email protected] to contact our hosts.Podcast music from Podcast.coPhoto in episode artwork by Trace Hudson from PexelsLOTL: Queer ConversationWe all crave Queer Conversations. Follow the link to listen.Listen on: Apple Podcasts   Spotify