Kettering Children's Choir Records (MS-462)

The Kettering Children's Choir Records document the administration, funding, performances, and travels of one of Ohio's premier children's choral organizations. Researchers interested in arts and culture in the Miami Valley will find documentation of a diverse array of performances, including the work of Dayton's famed poet and author, Paul Laurence Dunbar. The Kettering Children's Choir collaborated with local performance groups, including the Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra and the Bach Society of Dayton, and traveled throughout Europe, China, Australia, and more. The records are organized into four series.

Series I, Administration, documents the operations, travels, financial reports, press coverage, and ephemera produced by the Kettering Children’s Choir. Notable trips and tours include Europe, Australia, and China. Arrangements were made for a children’s choir from Steyr, Austria, Kettering’s sister city, to visit Kettering, Ohio. The records are organized by year. Materials in this series date from 1986-2011.

Series II, Grant Records, consists of materials that document each grant for which the Kettering Children's Choir applied. Materials in this series date from 1989-2009. Within this series is grant paperwork detailing which grant the choir had applied for, which grants they won and lost, and the reason they applied for each grant. The grants break down whether the choir applied for a grant for operational funds or for special circumstances such as performances, workshops, or trips. The different types of grants included are Montgomery County Arts and Cultural District (MCACD), Ohio Arts Council (OAC), Miami Valley Arts Council (MVAC), CultureWorks, Celebration Dayton, Community Foundation for Kettering, Dayton Foundation, and Vandalia Culture Arts Endowment Fund.

Series III, Audiovisual, consists of recordings of the performances and people of the Kettering Children’s Choir. This series is divided into two subseries by format (Subseries III-A: Video and Subseries III-B: Audio); however, the subject matter is very similar in both subseries. Topics of the audio and video recordings focus heavily on holiday performances, travel, and anniversaries. The formats in Subseries III-A: Video include VHS tapes, 8mm videocassette tapes, DVDs, and digital video files in various formats (including DV and MOV). Formats in Subseries III-B: Audio include audiocassette tapes, CDs, digital audio tapes (DAT), and digital audio files (including WAV format). Many items in this series are subject to access restrictions due to preservation needs.

Series IV, Scrapbooks and Photographs, consists mainly of scrapbooks dedicated primarily to the travels and other activities of the organization. The most common materials in the scrapbooks are photographs, ephemera and newspaper clippings, travel schedules, and programs. The scrapbooks were put together originally in plastic sleeves housed in 3-ring binders; these sleeves have been transferred into archival binder boxes. This series also includes a small amount of unmounted photographs, as well as digital photographs. Materials in this series date from 1986 to 2010.