20 August 31 - september 6, 2023 dallasobserver.com DALLAS OBSERVER Classified | MusiC | dish | Culture | unfair Park | Contents Here, There and Everywhere The National Children’s Chorus takes young musicians from Dallas to Abbey Road. BY SCOTT TUCKER O ver the past few decades, it’s become way more accessible — and acceptable — to be a young musician. That age-old image, a “turn that damn mu- sic down” yelp from your overworked dad with a combover from the living room as he watches the news, is a cliché from ’80s and ‘90s culture that has all but ceased to exist. Back then, kids played loud music to piss their parents off — and grunge, punk, hard- core and hip-hop really did the trick so seamlessly. Fast-forward a few decades, and young hopefuls now have every opportunity imaginable to fulfill their musical prodigy fantasies with their parents’ consent and en- couragement. Besides the obvious choice of arts magnet mainstay Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts, and private lessons through places such as School of Rock and Zound Sounds School of Music, now Dallas kids with an in- terest in choral music have a great after- school program to join. Even better, the program travels, tours internationally and affords its advanced students an opportunity to record at the famed Abbey Road Studios in London. The National Children’s Chorus non- profit is the brainchild of Luke McEndarfer. The 45-year-old Grammy Award-winning conductor, musician, artistic director and educator began his own musical journey learning the piano at the age of 6. He turned his passion for music into his life’s work, eventually receiving a masters degree in conducting from the University of California in Los Angeles after completing his under- graduate degree in literature. For him, learn- ing music was not just a way to spend his free time, it was a way of life. “I consider music a powerful medium to teach life skills,” McEndarfer says. “It also builds confidence, good character and an open mind.” In 2004, McEndarfer became artistic director of the children’s program the Paulist Choristers of Cali- fornia. Within a few years of successfully running the program he decided it was time for a dramatic change. McEndarfer transformed the Choristers into the Na- tional Children’s Chorus in 2009 and opened a new chapter in New York City where he also relocated. Under a new name and new direction, he grew the academy substantially, providing musical lessons and opportunities for chil- dren of all ages. He credits the academy’s suc- cess to both the mission and the culture the students help cultivate. “We needed a complete shift. so I moved to New York and restructured the whole program,” McEndarfer says. “In 2010, my first rehearsal had four students and now we have over 360. I was also the only employee, and now there are over 100.” Over a decade later, the National Chil- dren’s Chorus has expanded substantially. After opening a bustling Austin chapter in 2020, McEndarfer and his team saw Dallas as the next bit of fruit ripe for the picking. In September 2022, the academy made Dallas its eighth market, giving North Texas kids an opportunity to join in on the choral fun. “Dallas is a very impor- tant point of access for youth in Texas,” McEndarfer says. “I have a lot of friends in Dallas, and it has such a rich cultural landscape; it seemed obvi- ous we should open there. We know that family, mu- sic and culture are very im- portant to Dallas, and our organization meets the needs and wants of our families there.” The Dallas chapter educates children ages 5–18 and opens with seven different educa- tion levels including an advanced traveling class. The group meets for practice at First United Methodist Church in Preston Hollow and is holding auditions for the 2024 season through its website. Within just a year, the Dallas chapter of the National Children’s Chorus has already made an impression with McEndarfer and is quickly growing. Every single advanced stu- dent of the Dallas chapter made the last traveling tour and was afforded an opportu- nity to record at Abbey Road Studios in Lon- don. The tour also passed through Scotland and Wales, giving young students first op- portunities for international travel and in- valuable life skills. As a nonprofit, the National Children’s Chorus also provides a robust scholarship program to help make sure every child gets to participate in these once-in-a-lifetime endeavors, something on which McEndarfer prides himself. “We spent three days recording at Abbey Road Studios and were able to complete a 16-track album,” he says. “It was very inspir- ing for us to be there and a miracle we fin- ished the whole thing.” Now that the academy has expanded with schools in San Francisco, Washington, Los Angeles, Chicago, New York, Boston, Austin and Dallas, McEndarfer finds himself racking up a substantial amount of frequent flyer miles as he tends to each chapter of the academy with care and mindful direction. “I make visits to all of the chapters and travel over 300,000 miles a year seeing all of my schools,” McEndarfer says. Although the academy mainly focuses on teaching classical music and contemporary music by The Beatles, modern composers such as Nico Muhly, Eric Whitacre and Sarah Quartel are commissioned by McEndarfer to add another layer to the cul- tural imprint the school helps sustain. “We commission a diverse array of com- posers to write modern classic pieces,” McEndarfer says. “Musical selections are eclectic and vary from classical to modern with a variety of genres covered.” As 2024 marks McEndarfer’s 20th anni- versary with the program, he acts now as both artistic director and CEO of the National Children’s Chorus, and he couldn’t be more proud of what his students have been able to accomplish. In 2022, the National Children’s Chorus won a Grammy in the category of Best Choral Performance for a piece in col- laboration with the Los Angeles Philhar- monic. This distinction puts the National Children’s Chorus several heads above the typical after-school music program but ulti- mately, McEndarfer seems most interested in the life experience and skills that his students take away after being part of the chorus. “We feel we add something no other pro- gram does, and we are excited to be here in Dallas accepting applications for next year’s program,” McEndarfer says. Courtesy of Children’s National Choir The National Children’s Chorus performs around the world. “IN 2010, MY FIRST REHEARSAL HAD FOUR STUDENTS AND NOW WE HAVE OVER 360. I WAS ALSO THE ONLY EMPLOYEE, AND NOW THERE ARE OVER 100.” - NATIONAL CHILDREN’S CHORUS FOUNDER LUKE MCENDARFER ▼ Music
