By searching for commonality and deepening respect for difference, the Morning Sing broadens students’ conception of community and, consequently, provides the impetus for the service component of the festival. Once per week, students take a ‘break’ from their studies, volunteering at local nonprofits and performing for those who do not have access to the arts—audiences in hospices, nursing homes, prisons, low-income housing projects, and inner-city youth centers. By serving marginalized communities with labor and music, both students and audiences realize their shared humanity.
Annually we hold around 35 public performances, 25 of which are outreach concerts targeting marginalized communities, and we donate around 700 volunteer hours at area nonprofits.
Among the most compelling benefits of the program, however, is the ripple effect produced in our community and in others. Our students leave their summer experience with a new commitment to lead in service, both in music and in physical labor. Throughout the year they play concerts in nursing homes, volunteer in local projects, go on mission trips, and raise money for charities. The amount of 'secondary' activity generated by the Credo alumni is immeasurable, but most certainly exceeds that of the camp itself. As one of our alumni put it, “Credo is not a three-week program, but a way of life.”
