Later this spring, Uniting Voices will open applications for the 2025-26 cohort of our Future Music Educators (FME) Program.This paid mentorship supports the academic, professional development and future success of music education students and career teachers who reflect the diversity of America and the Uniting Voices community.
One of the current FME cohort members is Christian Hampton, Uniting Voices alum who was a part of the Beverly Neighborhood Choir Program and our Dimension ensemble for changing voices before joining Voice of Chicago. While with VOC, Christian toured to Egypt and Mexico, and sang on Saturday Night Live with Karol G. Currently, he attends the University of Miami where he majors in Music Engineering. He returned to Chicago in February to volunteer at the Black Futures Concert Series as part of the FME program. We caught up with Christian at the concert to learn about life as a college student, Future Music Educator and alum.
Uniting Voices Chicago: Give us an update on your life as a Music Engineering major! What’s most exciting about college? Are you still singing with choral ensembles?
Christian Hampton: I was a producer before, I used to produce my own music and make my own beats, but I’ve never had the chance to go into a studio as nice as the one on campus and be in the control room and work with all the monitors. It’s been really fun and really eye-opening for me.
I’m currently singing with three ensembles: the Frost Chorale, the Chamber Singers and an a cappella group. I’ve grown close to each of those groups.
UVC: When did you join the Future Music Educators program?
CH: I started in the FME program last August, when I began the school year. It’s been really cool, and I’ve been enjoying getting to know the other students, and getting to keep in touch with Veronica [Román-Meyer] and Judy [Hanson]. They teach me a lot about what it takes to be a music teacher, and what it takes to put on concerts like the Black Futures Concert Series. It’s a lot of work, and it’s really eye-opening for me to see how much the conductors do for the students here. It’s made me want to affect young people like the way that music affected me.
UVC: What’s it like to be a part of the Black Futures Concert Series as a volunteer instead of a singer?
CH: It’s great! Even though I was there so many times last year, it feels like it’s been a lot longer than it has been. It makes me appreciate this city, appreciate being home, appreciate this great stage. To be in the audience with the School Program singers instead of up in the terrace with Voice of Chicago, it’s a lot different. I can understand what they’re actually feeling and how excited they are. It’s so good to see so many students from all over the city being up on that historic stage, even if they don’t understand how crazy it is just yet, they’ll understand soon.
UVC: What was it like to see Voice of Chicago from the audience?
CH: Seeing VOC has been fun, a lot of my good friends are still in the choir. It makes me really miss it to be quite honest! But I know they’re having fun and it’s their time.
UVC: How have the values you’ve learned from Uniting Voices prepared you for college?
CH: A lot of the values I’ve learned from Uniting Voices makes me a better performer out in the world. Expression and our other values are taught everywhere, but not to the extent that it’s emphasized at Uniting Voices. I find myself being one of the more expressive members of the choirs I am a part of.
Those values remind me of why I love music so much. It’s an outlet for everybody, not just for a certain group of people, or race or ethnicity. It reminds me of why I’m doing this, why I’m waking up and going to 8am classes, because I want to be able to positively affect everybody, not just a certain group. I really want to work to create a harmonious world like Uniting Voices teaches us. It’s a great motivator for me, for sure.
UVC: Normally we would ask what you would like your fellow alumni to know, but since you’re studying to be a music educator, what is something you’d like current singers to know, whether it’s Voice of Chicago or a singer in our School Program.
CH: You should appreciate what you’re doing now because you will miss it. Take it all in. Remember everything, all the education you’re taught. Even if you don’t become a music student like I did, all those values and hard work are still going to be important for communicating with people and being out in the real world outside of Chicago. Chicago is a very diverse city, it has segregation but Uniting Voices makes you forget that when it brings everyone together to sing. When you go out to other places, whether it's another big city or somewhere more rural, you’ll meet different kinds of people and it might be uncomfortable but if you appreciate everybody and give them a listening ear, you can connect with them. So yeah, just remember your values.