About SingFREE!
Building confidence, wellness and connection through song and community service.
MUSIC HEALS!
The SingFREE! Youth Wellness Choir is an 8-week, musical wellbeing, Saturday choir experience for middle
and high school youth throughout Los Angeles County.
Activities connect voice and sounds with deep breathing, traditional call-and-response, movement and community service
to awaken inner resilience, boost morale and explore cultural music traditions.
During the first (5) Saturdays, choir members will progress through SingFREE!'s (5) Core Values:
Creative Expression, Cultural Humility, Self-Care, Collective Affirmation & Community Service.
Choir members will:
- Learn to sing joyful and empowering music
- Explore instruments, cultural healing sounds, songwriting, journaling and creative writing
- Reflect on and embrace diverse identities, strengthening connection & belonging
- Share the healing power of music with neighbors through community service.
SingFREE! Community Service
SingFREE! partners with local businesses or neighborhood councils to create opportunities for choir members to be of service while sharing the joy of song.
Choir members Sing while…
a. giving out groceries, clothing and hygiene supplies
b. doing a neighborhood clean-up
c. caroling door-to-door
d. volunteering at a community garden
(1 community service offering occurs within the 8-week program cycle)
The remaining (3) Saturdays will bring their learning together as SingFREE! choir members and facilitators collaboratively produce a medley of performance pieces, reflecting their growth and self-discovery throughout the program.
The SingFREE! 8-week program culminates with an interactive, joy-filled performance for families, friends and neighbors.
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*For School Administrators and Youth Organizations:
This program is aligned with CA Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) Standards and supports Local Control and Accountability Plan (LCAP) Priorities, making SingFREE! an appropriate investment of district and site-based funds.
Additionally, SingFREE! is inspired by the principles of mindfulness, psychological safety, music therapy, trauma-informed practice, service learning and culturally responsive education, creating a safe, joyful and affirming space for students from diverse backgrounds to connect, heal, and grow together.
OUR (5) CORE VALUES
1. CREATIVE EXPRESSION
We use our imagination and lived experiences to creatively express our true thoughts and feelings.
2. CULTURAL HUMILITY
We are curious and welcoming, while exploring and celebrating our diverse identities.
3. SELF-CARE
The healing sounds of music nurtures our wellbeing and helps us navigate life's challenges.
4. COLLECTIVE AFFIRMATION
We recognize and nurture the inner gifts we all have as a collective.
5. COMMUNITY SERVICE
We take care of our neighbors and positively impact their lives by giving back through music.
OUR FOUNDERS
RUDY RICHARDSON
Co-Founder/Musical Director, SingFREE!
Career Pianist, Singer, Songwriter, Music Teacher & Choir Director
For the last 30 years Rudy has enjoyed traveling the globe as a professional musician in pop, jazz, soul and spiritual music. He also translates his love of music into arts education as an effective tool for strengthening youth development and the family unit. Rudy has found a direct link between music mentoring and self-awareness, self-efficacy and academic improvement. Rudy is currently the Assistant Program Director at the Girls Club of Los Angeles, and has a BS in Youth Development and MS in Organizational Management & Leadership from Springfield College.
DR. SHANI BYARD-RICHARDSON
Co-Founder/Wellness Director, SingFREE!
Healthcare Leader & Former Arts Education Leader, Violinist, Filmmaker and Dancer
Dr. Byard spent 7 years leading afterschool programs throughout LAUSD, LBUSD, and LA County Office of Education (LACOE), exposing youth to visual and performing arts as a means of healthy identity development. Dr. Byard was introduced to the violin, meditation, ballet, modern & African dance at the age of four. She is currently an Empowerment Coach & Inclusive Leadership Consultant who enjoys integrating mindfulness into leadership development for youth, adults and organizations navigating change and overwhelm. Dr. Byard earned her EdD in Educational Leadership for Social Justice at Loyola Marymount University.