common pulse vocal ensemble invites you to our 2023 performances of Rest. We consider rest to be a human right. When we are rested, our spaciousness and healing bear fruits of creativity and freedom dreaming, allowing us to imagine a better world and take action in service of collective liberation. We invite you to join our artists in a deeply restful experience, an immersive presentation of music, meditation, and poetry. Through presence and intention, collaboration and support, we will imagine relationships, systems, and practices that are more just and more loving.

This performance features artists from throughout Chicago and will premiere multiple original works and arrangements by members of the ensemble. Doors open at 3:00 pm, with the performance beginning at 3:30 pm and a reception following.

Thank you to our official reception sponsor, Stephanie Malmquist, Real Estate Broker. Learn more about Stephanie at chitownsteph.com and at her Instagram.

Click here to learn more about upcoming events and purchase your tickets

common pulse vocal ensemble invites you to our 2023 performances of Rest. We consider rest to be a human right. When we are rested, our spaciousness and healing bear fruits of creativity and freedom dreaming, allowing us to imagine a better world and take action in service of collective liberation. We invite you to join our artists in a deeply restful experience, an immersive presentation of music, meditation, and poetry. Through presence and intention, collaboration and support, we will imagine relationships, systems, and practices that are more just and more loving.

This performance features artists from throughout Chicago and will premiere multiple original works and arrangements by members of the ensemble. Doors open at 6:30 pm, with the performance beginning at 7:00 pm and a reception following.

Thank you to our official reception sponsor, Stephanie Malmquist, Real Estate Broker. Learn more about Stephanie at chitownsteph.com and at her Instagram.

Click here to learn more about upcoming events and purchase your tickets

common pulse vocal ensemble invites you to our 2023 performances of Rest. We consider rest to be a human right. When we are rested, our spaciousness and healing bear fruits of creativity and freedom dreaming, allowing us to imagine a better world and take action in service of collective liberation. We invite you to join our artists in a deeply restful experience, an immersive presentation of music, meditation, and poetry. Through presence and intention, collaboration and support, we will imagine relationships, systems, and practices that are more just and more loving.

This performance features artists from throughout Chicago and will premiere multiple original works and arrangements by members of the ensemble. Doors open at 3:00 pm, with the performance beginning at 3:30 pm.

Click here to learn more about upcoming events and purchase your tickets

common pulse vocal ensemble invites you to Rest in Motion: a collective music making, restful reflection & guided walking experience.

common pulse events are not your typical choir concert. Join us as we take this year's artistic theme outdoors for a guided walking experience. Our community of artists will accompany you as we sing together, walk through a scenic Chicago park, and share conversation about rest and liberation. In what ways are you intentionally resting? What would the world be like if everyone had access to rest? This is a highly participatory event, so come ready to add your voice to the music and the conversation! All are welcome (including pets!), and no prior music experience is needed.

This event will be facilitated by Dr. Amy Lewis, Assistant Professor of Music Education at the University of Wisconsin - Madison and researcher in systemic oppression, equity, and racism in music education.

We will gather for the event at 1:45 pm, with the program beginning at 2:00 pm. The event will last approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes. This event will take place outdoors and will involve walking at a slow pace for a total distance of about 1 mile, primarily on paved paths with a small distance on woodchips.

Click here to learn more about upcoming events and purchase your tickets

common pulse vocal ensemble invites you to our first ever open rehearsal and artist Q&A event.

common pulse events are not your typical choir concert. But it's not just the final product that's special; our rehearsal and artistic processes define who we are as artists in community. For the first time ever, we are bringing our audience behind the scenes to share a glimpse into our art-making process. Join us for this exclusive and limited-capacity opportunity to observe a common pulse dress rehearsal, followed by an artist talk-back session where you can ask a panel of artists your questions about our organization and our newest program, titled Rest.

Doors open at 3:15 pm, with the open rehearsal beginning at 3:30 pm and artist Q&A following at 5:00 pm.

Click here to learn more about upcoming events and purchase your tickets

common pulse vocal ensemble invites you to our 2022 performances of Prism, an exploration of how identities refract and reflect through seasons of life. Through song, poetry, instrumentation, movement, and visual art, our artists will invite you into hiding and revealing, turning inward and connecting outward. This performance features artists from throughout Chicago and will premiere multiple original works by members of the ensemble. Doors open at 2:30 pm, with the performance beginning at 3:00 pm and a reception following.

Click here to visit our box office, learn more about this event, and purchase your tickets.

common pulse vocal ensemble invites you to our 2022 performances of Prism, an exploration of how identities refract and reflect through seasons of life. Through song, poetry, instrumentation, movement, and visual art, our artists will invite you into hiding and revealing, turning inward and connecting outward. This performance features artists from throughout Chicago and will premiere multiple original works by members of the ensemble. Doors open at 7:00 pm, with the performance beginning at 7:30 pm and a reception following.

Click here to visit our box office, learn more about this event, and purchase your tickets.

common pulse vocal ensemble invites you to our 2022 performances of Prism, an exploration of how identities refract and reflect through seasons of life. Through song, poetry, instrumentation, movement, and visual art, our artists will invite you into hiding and revealing, turning inward and connecting outward. This performance features artists from throughout Chicago and will premiere multiple original works by members of the ensemble. Live ASL interpretation will be provided at this event. Doors open at 2:30 pm, with the performance beginning at 3:00 pm and a reception following.

Click here to visit our box office, learn more about this event, and purchase your tickets.

common pulse vocal ensemble, a program of Chicago Artists for Action, warmly invites you to our summer 2021 performance of She. Weaving together vocal and instrumental music from 1971 to 2021, common pulse has curated a program with one exceptionally creative woman at its center. Catlin Watts' poems will be premiered as a collection alongside a variety of songs from dynamic and diverse composers. This program will be accompanied by live painting and live visuals, including footage of a dancer who choreographed her response to Catlin's poetry. The overall message of the program is one of hope.

common pulse vocal ensemble, a program of Chicago Artists for Action, warmly invites you to our summer 2021 performance of She. Weaving together vocal and instrumental music from 1971 to 2021, common pulse has curated a program with one exceptionally creative woman at its center. Catlin Watts' poems will be premiered as a collection alongside a variety of songs from dynamic and diverse composers. This program will be accompanied by live painting and live visuals, including footage of a dancer who choreographed her response to Catlin's poetry. The overall message of the program is one of hope.

common pulse vocal ensemble, a program of Chicago Artists for Action, warmly invites you to our summer 2021 performance of She. Weaving together vocal and instrumental music from 1971 to 2021, common pulse has curated a program with one exceptionally creative woman at its center. Catlin Watts' poems will be premiered as a collection alongside a variety of songs from dynamic and diverse composers. This program will be accompanied by live painting and live visuals, including footage of a dancer who choreographed her response to Catlin's poetry. The overall message of the program is one of hope.

common pulse vocal ensemble, a program of Chicago Artists for Action, warmly invites you to our summer 2021 performance of She. Weaving together vocal and instrumental music from 1971 to 2021, common pulse has curated a program with one exceptionally creative woman at its center. Catlin Watts' poems will be premiered as a collection alongside a variety of songs from dynamic and diverse composers. This program will be accompanied by live painting and live visuals, including footage of a dancer who choreographed her response to Catlin's poetry. The overall message of the program is one of hope.

You’re invited to join Chicago Artists for Action for our bimonthly listening party! Our musicians will guide you through a selection of songs chosen in response to the current moment in our city, our country, and our world. We’ll listen together, reflect on our connections to the music, and imagine how our connections inspire us to action for justice.

In a busy world, “self-care” has become one more thing to add to our to do list. But how can we be practitioners for change when our own cups are empty? Join guest presenter Coty Raven Morris for an evening of music, story telling, and enrichment as we lift each other up. Let’s celebrate being human together.

Chicago Artists for Action invites you to join us for our bimonthly virtual sing! These events will be low-lift introductions to virtual singing which will include chances to sing familiar justice songs, learn new justice songs, and connect with like-minded justice-seekers.

You’re invited to join Chicago Artists for Action for our bimonthly listening party! Our musicians will guide you through a selection of songs chosen in response to the current moment in our city, our country, and our world. We’ll listen together, reflect on our connections to the music, and imagine how our connections inspire us to action for justice.

This event will be led by guest presenter LaRob K. Payton. A native of Temple Hills, Maryland, Bass-Baritone, LaRob K. Payton developed a love for singing at an early age. He found a spirit in the Gospel songs he sang, passion in the R&B he heard, and nuance in the Classical music he studied. A graduate of DePaul University where he received a Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance, LaRob has studied with world-renowned teachers, directors, and coaches and has had musical opportunities that include traveling to study language, culture, and music. LaRob continues to sing around the Chicago-area (William Ferris Chorale/North Shore Baptist Church) and is the Founder and Artistic Director of Hearing in Color, an organization dedicated to uplifting those whose contributions and stories have been historically excluded from classical spaces.  LaRob aims to use his voice to connect people from different communities as a newly appointed host of Chicago's Classical music station, WFMT (98.7 FM), and hopes to continue changing the predominantly white, European, male centered classical canon.

Chicago Artists for Action invites you to join us for our bimonthly virtual sing! These events will be low-lift introductions to virtual singing which will include chances to sing familiar justice songs, learn new justice songs, and connect with like-minded justice-seekers.

You’re invited to join Chicago Artists for Action for our bimonthly listening party! Our musicians will guide you through a selection of songs chosen in response to the current moment in our city, our country, and our world. We’ll listen together, reflect on our connections to the music, and imagine how our connections inspire us to action for justice.

This month, we welcome Amy Lewis, Assistant Professor of Music Education at James Madison University in Harrisonburg, VA. Amy’s research is focused on Critical Race Theory in music education. Previously she pursued her doctoral work at Michigan State University in music education with a research focus on Critical Race Theory, antiracism education, and activism in music education. She received the 2019 Black Faculty, Staff, and Administrators Association Emerging Leader Award and was also named the 2015 Illinois Education Association Teacher of the Year. She is an active clinician and guest lecturer on topics pertaining to equity in music education. She earned her B.M.E. degree from DePaul University and an M.A. from Concordia University. As a public music teacher, she taught K-1; 6-8 general music, beginning band, middle school choir, and jazz band in Des Plaines, IL.

Chicago Artists for Action invites you to join us for our bimonthly virtual sing! These events will be low-lift introductions to virtual singing which will include chances to sing familiar justice songs, learn new justice songs, and connect with like-minded justice-seekers.

You’re invited to join Chicago Artists for Action for our bimonthly listening party! Our musicians will guide you through a selection of songs chosen in response to the current moment in our city, our country, and our world. We’ll listen together, reflect on our connections to the music, and imagine how our connections inspire us to action for justice.

We’re pleased to announce that our partner for the September listening party will be Jordyn Davis, artistic director and founder of Composetheway. Jordyn will guide us through some of her own compositions that speak to current realities in the US. Please join us in this exciting and important conversation!

Chicago Artists for Action invites you to join us for our bimonthly virtual sing! These events will be low-lift introductions to virtual singing which will include chances to sing familiar justice songs, learn new justice songs, and connect with like-minded justice-seekers.