Letter from Joshua Pedde, Succeeding Artistic Director
W
hen I first visited an Indianapolis Children’s Choir
rehearsal fifteen years ago, I expected to find a room of 50
to 60 elementary and middle schoolers. Instead, I found
80 disciplined and respectful students singing incredibly
advanced music as well as any choir I had ever heard. I was hooked. At the
time, I was a student director at Butler University with Henry Leck as my
conducting professor. I would continue to work with Henry and the ICC for my
next six years at Butler, through my completion of a Master’s in Conducting.
I left Butler to teach elementary music in Zionsville but continued to assist
with the ICC, and it didn’t take me long to return to the ICC as a full-time staff
member.
I owe many great things in my life to the ICC. I met my wife while working
with the choir, and we now have an amazing family with two children. In my
years with the ICC, Henry and I have become very close, and I’ve learned many
invaluable lessons from him. The greatest lesson he has taught me is that the
only thing hindering the artistry of children is the person standing in front of
them. Children are capable of being very artistic and can have a phenomenal
understanding of music and of the world around them. If they believe that they
can do it, and the conductor doesn’t limit them, their potential is boundless.
The ICC has always put a premium on artistry and on the inclusion of any
children who have a desire to sing. It is a place where kids feel like they belong.
In recent years, we have expanded our early childhood classes and regional
programs so that we are impacting more children than ever before. But through
all of our growth, the artistic quality has remained high, and we have continued
to ensure that children feel accepted and accomplished.
It’s a great honor to have been selected to succeed Henry as artistic
director and to have the full support of the ICC staff and Board of Directors.
Their confidence in me and the positive response from the community have
been truly humbling.
As we enter the next phase in the ICC’s story, the choir will continue to
nurture and inspire young people by helping them to achieve artistic excellence,
acceptance, and a sense of community. As we continue to grow, we will focus
on serving our singers and their families first, by making the choir experience
memorable and exemplary for all involved. I can’t wait to see what new journeys
and incredible outcomes the next 30 years will bring!
Joshua Pedde
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