The Vocal Music Program at Burbank High School in Burbank, California is the nation’s leading vocal arts program directed by Brett Carroll and assistant director Randy Sage. The vocal performance groups from the school utilize professionally created vocal arrangements, cutting edge choreography, and theatrical elements to create new and exciting outlets for our talented singers. The students in this program benefit from professional instruction by nationally recognized arts educators and professionals from the performing arts industry. Over the years, the choirs have been awarded 1st Place with caption awards for Outstanding Musicianship and Showmanship at every competition in Southern California as well as multiple national titles and awards at festivals in New York City, Chicago, Los Angeles, San Diego, Nashville, Indianapolis, Boston, Cincinnati, Orlando and Toronto, Canada. The students have been featured in many professional concerts/shows over the years. In the past, the choir was hired to perform in the pilot episode of “GLEE” the television series and recently performed as the opening act for Megan Hilty, star of Broadway’s “Wicked.”
Many of our talented students have gone on to make their mark in the entertainment world. Blake Lively (“A Simple Favor”/“Gossip Girl”/”The Age of Adeline”), Dove Cameron (Disney’s “Liv & Maddie”/“Descendants”), Aijia Grammer (singer-songwriter/wife of recording star Andy Grammer), Julie Adams (2014 Metropolitan Opera Winner/professional opera singer), Matt Rosell (professional Broadway performer) Chloe Bridges (actress starring in Disney’s Camp Rock 2) and many more have gone on from Burbank High to have highly successful careers in professional performing. We are extremely proud of these notable students but also find great pride in the thousands of other students who may not have pursued a career in music yet carried the skills they learned into the rest of their lives. The program emphasizes work ethic, team dynamics, creative problem solving, and self-growth through a rigorous and demanding regimen of rehearsals, workshops, and performances.
The performance choirs of this urban and multicultural public high school have weathered the storms of economic uncertainty and have managed to continue providing an exceptional and unusually high-quality music education experience to thousands of high school students consistently over the past 25 years. As a self-funded co-curricular arts program, the choir relies on donations and fund raisers as the primary means of financial support. The Burbank Youth Vocal Arts Foundation, a nonprofit 501c3 corporation, was created by the parents of these students to support their efforts in vocal music performance. The Foundation provides logistical and event support as well as pursuing fund raising through multiple events every school year. Burbank High is not a “wealthy” school and provides outstanding music education to a student body that is 43% economically challenged. At current federal and state education spending levels, this kind of program does not exist without generous support and help from a wide community of outside patrons of the arts who wish to see this wonderful experience continued for our talented and deserving children. Each year, our program’s budget starts over “from zero” without aid from any endowment or annual gifts. The students and community must work together each year to ensure that the students are able to benefit from this nationally recognized performing arts program. Annually, the choirs travel to National Competitions and festivals and have been named Grand Champions and Outstanding Vocal Artists at multiple events over the year. Most recently- “In Sync”, our advanced mixed group, was awarded Grand Champion honors (as well as captions for Best Vocals and Best Visuals) at the Show Choir Nationals 2017 competition in Nashville, TN where the group performed on the Grand ‘Ole Opry stage.
In His Own Words, A Student Testimonial, click here…
On behalf of the Burbank High School Vocal Arts Students and the Burbank Youth Vocal Arts Foundation, we greatly appreciate any donation you could make to our program to help keep us competing at the top level.. Your donation is tax deductible! Thank you!
