Andres Torres was originally supposed to join Uniting Voices (then Chicago Children’s Choir) for a year, on the advice of his violin teacher to better his musical ear. But thanks to a connection he formed with his conductor, Josephine Lee, he stuck with the organization through high school and has continued on a decades-long journey with Uniting Voices today.
After completing his higher education, Andres returned to Chicago where he worked in many different areas, including community outreach with the Chicago Office of Tourism and Culture and public planning at the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning, and consulted on Chicago arts staples like Chicago Public Library’s One Book, One Chicago program. In 2017, he transitioned from the public sector to philanthropy, and for the past seven years, Andres has worked at the Robert R. McCormick Foundation, rising from a Program Officer to now Vice President of Strategy, Planning and Operations. Andres holds a B.A. in Humanities from Yale University and a MSc in City Design and Social Science from the London School of Economics.
We caught up with Andres prior to Red Jacket Optional this year, where he will participate as one of the alumni honoring Josephine’s 25 years of visionary leadership.
Uniting Voices Chicago: You’re returning to RJO this year as a speaker in the program while we honor Josephine for her 25 years of service to the organization. How has your connection to Josephine and Uniting Voices Chicago (formerly Chicago Children’s Choir) impacted your life?
Andres Torres: I met Josephine in the fall of 1998. We were about a dozen or so kids in a windowless basement of Dearborn Station. For a couple hours each week, we were entrusted to a young musician who sang, played, danced, and taught. Most of us had no vocal training, some had never sung in a choir, and others didn’t even know how to read music, but in a few short weeks we started performing together and by the spring we were touring nationally and premiering original compositions. It wasn’t quite the Breakfast Club or Sister Act, but it wasn’t too far short of it. That Neighborhood Choir closed at the end of the school year, but I decided to follow Josephine to her next choir in Rogers Park. There was something special about her.
I joined the choir because my violin teacher thought I needed some ear training. The choir was supposed to be a one-year stint to help my violin performance as my voice changed. Instead, it was the start of a decades-long journey of education and exploration. Josephine modeled passion and perseverance, never believing a detail was too small to escape notice nor a dream too big to pursue. Those lessons continue to guide me today.
I wasn’t the only one inspired by her work. Some of the most important people in my life were friends I made through the choir. She drew incredible people to her who mirrored her talent and passion, even as they channeled them differently. This is abundantly evident in the diversity of achievements among the Choir’s alumni. Whether alumni have pursued music or followed other professional paths, they reflect the best values of this organization.
UVC: As an alum, what’s it like returning to events like Red Jacket Optional?
AT: The choir is in its strongest place, serving more children at a higher level, and it is still growing. This is not an accident but a product of tireless work by countless people, from singers and their families to staff and donors. RJO is a palpable manifestation of this growth and it’s gratifying to see how this organization continues to bring people together, both singers and their supporters.
The event’s name also resonates personally. I remember how proud I was to don that red jacket for the first time. I knew earning that red jacket was an achievement and an acceptance into a community, but I am not sure I could have imagined when I was 12 years old and wore that jacket for the first time that I’d be part of the program 25 years later. This ongoing connection speaks to the power of this institution and the vibrancy of its constituency.
UVC: You currently work at the Robert R. McCormick Foundation, which invests in communities in the Chicagoland area. How did the lessons learned in the choir impact your desire to work for a philanthropic organization?
AT: I started my career in the public sector and transitioned to philanthropy seven years ago. I have stayed with the choir for much the same reason I entered philanthropy, because they are about doing good. My parents are in public service and I was raised with an expectation to do good and help the world do better. I think this is why, as a family, we remain committed to this organization.
The choir brings people together. It recognizes that your ZIP code is not predictive of your talent, that your family situation is not a determinant of your prospects, and that with access to excellent education, anything is possible. The Robert R. McCormick Foundation, like Uniting Voices, understands that geography should not correlate to life outcomes, but recognizes this is too often the case. Therefore, the Foundation invests in community-led efforts to improve access to opportunity so that children and families can prosper across Chicago.
Choirs make out of many voices one beautiful, moving sound that can help us see a brighter future. But those of us who have sung in a choir know that the first rehearsal is more a cacophony of voices than choir. Working at the Foundation we recognize the many barriers Chicago’s South and West Sides residents confront and we have to understand these myriad challenges in order to invest responsibly. But we also have to believe that a brighter future is possible. Unfortunately, it will take more than a season to get there, but my time singing in choirs gives me faith that with the right structures and support (like in a choir) we will reach our goals.
UVC: How did your experience in Uniting Voices shape the way you imagine your future?
AT: Uniting Voices is a story of continual imagination and reinvention. As I think about my life and my work, these are excellent characteristics to emulate. Without creativity we can’t think or do differently, and without courage to stop and start over, we are confined to our path dependencies. Life’s challenges are too complex to have simple answers, so a creative, courageous approach is probably a smart one.