We’re better together.

At the American Traditions Vocal Collection, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion are truly at the core of who we are. These ideals are central not only to our mission, but to our desired impact. Intended as a competition to honor and preserve classic styles of American music, our roots are in Black American Music. From Gospel, Jazz, Spirituals and Blues came other styles of American music, birthed from rhythmic influences of West Africa and the West Indies, married with musical techniques from European styles of composition. Back in 1993, our singing competition was originally conceived as a platform for Black women to sing Black American Music. Over time, our structure changed, the reach of our organization amplified, but our core identity remains a place to honor our musical roots, which stem directly from the influences of Black Music.

Today, we know that having a multitude of opinions and backgrounds only helps us to connect as artists, as musicians, and as people. In our board room, staff, programming and reach, gathering diverse viewpoints makes us better and an organization more representative of our community. We continue to work toward creating an organization that more accurately reflects our community and our society. We are actively committed to anti-racism and anti-discrimination. We do not impose an upward age limit, we do not ask for a singer’s gender, we acknowledge preferred pronouns, we encourage dialogue and we work hard to create a space where each person’s opinion and personal experience is welcomed.

At the ATC, we celebrate what makes the American musical canon so unique - we are a melting pot of rich, historic immigration that is perpetually in motion, and we hope it always will be.