Evanston Children’s Choir wins Mayor’s Award for Arts

By Sarah Freishtat

EVANSTON, IL — In 2002 the Evanston Children’s Choir consisted
of founder Gary Geiger sitting in a room with three kids who could
not sing the same note at the same time. Today it has more than 100
members and performs with groups such as the Apollo Chorus of
Chicago and Barry Manilow.

The choir is one of two recipients of this year’s Mayor’s Award
for the Arts, which will be given out at the State of the City
address Feb. 25. The other recipient is ABC-7 personality Bill
Campbell.

Geiger said he thinks the Evanston Children’s Choir was chosen
for the award because it has helped improve the quality of life in
Evanston. He said the choir has been instrumental in involving a
wider range of kids in the arts. Geiger (Bienen ’91) founded the
Children’s Choir on the basis of multiculturalism, inclusion and
accessibility, he said. The choir, which practices at the Noyes
Cultural Arts Center, 927 Noyes St., is divided into two age groups
consisting of students in grades two through 12 from 35 different
schools in the region. No student has ever been turned away for
financial reasons, he said, and as long as a student can get to
rehearsal, there is a place for them in the choir.