Finding Their Own Voices at SLSO Extra Credit Choral

By Eric Dundon

Alicia Soller has watched her eldest daughter sing at Powell Hall many times with the St. Louis Children’s Choirs. Now, the music teacher at Rock Creek Elementary in O’Fallon hopes to give her daughter a different view of the stage.

“It would be a wonderful turn of events for her to be able to see me do what I love on that stage,” Soller wrote in her application for the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra’s Extra Credit Choral program.

For educators who spend their days helping young people discover music, the opportunity to perform alongside the SLSO carries a personal significance. They are singers, too—with their own memories of rehearsals, friendships, and performances that helped shape their lives.

On Sunday, November 1, at 6:00pm, the SLSO will celebrate those musicians with a pay-as-you-wish community concert at Powell Hall. More than 100 music educators will join members of the St. Louis Symphony Chorus, St. Louis Symphony IN UNISON Chorus, and the orchestra, led by chorus directors Erin Freeman and Kevin McBeth.

Their applications tell the story of why this experience matters, both onstage and back in the classroom.

For Dasol Kim, who teaches at Coverdell Elementary School in St. Charles, singing begins with belonging.

“I have watched children who are hesitant to speak in class sing confidently with a group, and students who struggle academically become the ones helping others remember a rhythm or movement,” Kim wrote. “In music, there is more than one way to be successful.”

That sense of possibility takes many forms. At Betty Wheeler Classical Junior Academy in St. Louis, Maggie Smith describes a classroom where children can explore with their whole selves.

“In music class, we move, sing, dance, act, read, write, play, and dream,” she wrote. “In music, sitting still is not a requirement.”

Creating those experiences takes energy. In their responses, educators repeatedly described how much they love making music with students—and how much they miss opportunities to perform themselves.

“Sometimes, it feels like my role as a teacher leaves little to no time to pursue my own craft,” wrote Cassidy McNeal of Rogers Elementary School in south St. Louis County. “I would love the opportunity to connect with other music educators and to perform in a group again.”

Extra Credit has offered that opportunity since 2017, bringing orchestra and band teachers together with SLSO musicians. November’s concert is the first devoted to choral music educators. Participants represent more than 40 school districts and collectively reach nearly 25,000 students.

The program spans more than 200 years, with music including selections from Mozart’s Requiem, Verdi’s “Va, pensiero” from Nabucco, Eric Whitacre’s Glow, and Gwyneth Walker’s “How Can I Keep from Singing.”

For some applicants, Powell Hall is already part of their musical history. Holly Shogbesan, who teaches at Montera Middle School in Oakland, California, grew up in St. Louis. As a middle schooler, she begged her mother for an SLSO subscription.

“Getting to perform in a space that helped grow my love of music as a child would be such an honor,” she wrote.

For students, seeing their teachers perform can open another door: the realization that singing can continue long after graduation.

“Middle school students have a hard time seeing how choir can exist outside of schools,” wrote Julie Prine of Wentzville South Middle School in Wentzville. “I’d like to be able to show them that music making is something you can pursue your entire life, not just at school.”

That lesson will travel beyond the concert hall. Educators hope to return with new ideas, renewed enthusiasm, and the experience of learning alongside colleagues.

As Kim put it: “Standing on that stage would be personally meaningful, but I think the experience would ultimately reach far beyond me—it would come back with me to every child I teach.”

Extra Credit Choral takes place Sunday, November 1, at 6:00pm. Free tickets are required and may be reserved at slso.org. The event is pay-as-you-wish, with seating available on a first-come, first-served basis.

Eric Dundon is the SLSO’s Public Relations Director.