Tonality: Ten Years of Voices, Stories, and Belonging

Tonality began with a question.

While studying at the University of Southern California, founder and conductor Dr. Alexander Lloyd Blake began exploring what it would mean to build a choir that truly reflected the diversity of the communities it served. In a field where racial and ethnic representation was often limited, Tonality started as an experiment — an ensemble intentionally built around inclusion, bringing together singers from different backgrounds and traditions to create a richer collective sound.

What began as a small ensemble quickly revealed something powerful: when singers from different lived experiences come together with intention, the music itself changes. The perspectives represented in the room expand, and the community formed around the music grows stronger.

In the years that followed, the national climate shifted dramatically. After the 2016 presidential election, conversations around race, identity, and marginalized communities became louder and more polarized. In response, Tonality’s work evolved. The ensemble began creating concerts that engaged directly with the social issues shaping people’s lives.

Through carefully curated programs and new commissions, Tonality explored themes of justice, belonging, resilience, and remembrance — using music as a way to invite reflection, empathy, and dialogue.

Over the past decade, Tonality has grown into a nationally recognized ensemble known for both artistic excellence and cultural relevance. The choir has performed across the country and collaborated with artists working across many musical traditions, reflecting the belief that the human voice can connect audiences in ways that transcend genre.

Tonality has performed alongside internationally recognized artists including Björk, touring with her for five performances in 2021 as part of a concert experience focused on climate change awareness. The ensemble has also collaborated with artists such as Kronos Quartet, DJ Tiësto, Scott Hoying, Gerald Clayton, and Ogi, bringing choral music into dialogue with classical, electronic, jazz, and contemporary pop traditions.

Beyond the concert stage, Tonality’s singers have contributed their voices to major film and television projects, including the scores for Space Jam: A New Legacy and Escape from Spiderhead, demonstrating the versatility and artistry of the ensemble’s sound.

Tonality has also partnered directly with major artists in the popular music world. In 2023, the choir appeared alongside Kelly Clarkson in a series of live flash mob performances celebrating the release of her album Chemistry, bringing choral performance into unexpected public spaces and connecting with new audiences.

The ensemble’s work has been recognized at the highest level of the music industry. Tonality’s recordings have earned two GRAMMY® Awards, honoring the ensemble’s artistic excellence and its commitment to expanding what choral music can represent.

In 2021, Dr. Blake also appeared on The Kelly Clarkson Show to speak about Tonality’s mission and the role music can play in helping communities reflect, connect, and heal.

Among Tonality’s most powerful recent projects is Running To, Running From: A Musical Reflection on Ahmaud Arbery, created in collaboration with artists and the Arbery family. The work honors Ahmaud’s life while inviting audiences to consider the deeper questions of justice, remembrance, and humanity that continue to shape our society.

What began as a small ensemble formed in a university rehearsal room has grown into a nationally recognized artistic community dedicated to telling stories that matter.

As Tonality celebrates its tenth anniversary, we honor the singers, collaborators, supporters, and audiences who have helped shape this journey. Together, we have explored what music can do when it is rooted not only in artistic excellence, but in empathy and shared humanity.

Tonight we celebrate the first decade of Tonality — and look ahead to the voices that will carry this work forward.

Tonality's 10th Anniversary Celebration