Keith Hancock, our very own Tesoro Grammy Award winning choral director, led Tesoro’s Choir concerts this past Thursday and Friday – nearly selling out both shows for their winter showcase. Hancock was nominated for a Grammy Award in 2016 and won the Award for Music Education in 2017. He describes the journey to his award as rigorous, “... once you make it past the first round, they narrow it down from about 4-5000 teachers down to, like, 250.”
An alumni of Chapman College, Hancock, chose teaching instead of independent musicianship or other music industry jobs because of his interest in making a real impact on the lives of children becoming adults. “As a performer, you can make a difference in someone’s life for a night…” Hancock continued, “whereas teaching, I felt like I could really inspire someone for the rest of their life.” The achievements of both Tesoro’s choir and its director extend far past Hancock’s Grammy Award. “We got to collaborate with Jason Mraz… we got to sing on his album…” Hancock explains. “We got to sing at the Hollywood Bowl.”
The arts, a corner often cut by the public school system, is fundamental to the growth and development of a child. In recognizing the accolades of Hancock and his choir, one can also acknowledge the overall experience and general amusement gained through a music program, and the way that it shapes students’ lives and futures to come. “Some students are not going to excel in math or english…” Hancock says, “but they will excel in music and the arts.”
Art holds a pivotal place in children’s lives. “For some kids this is their thing; this is the thing that gets them out of bed every morning,” added Hancock. “When they go home, [music’s] what they’re thinking about all the time, and to limit that from the school curriculum would be an injustice.”
No doubt Tesoro gains from the vast experience and perspective of our very own Grammy winning choral director, Keith Hancock.