THINGS WE CARE ABOUT
The Pitches were founded 48+ years ago with the mission of breaking down barriers and democratizing access to opportunities for women in the arts at Harvard, whose voices had long been marginalized.
We are grateful for the groundbreaking leadership our founders demonstrated. The Pitches of today look forward with a sense of shared responsibility to continue to address equity, accessibility, and inclusion issues over the next 50 years.
Our Mission, as we celebrate the 50th year since our founding, includes advancing our unwavering commitment to serving marginalized students. We are developing innovative Confidence-Building curricula and Master Classes to engage with young students of all genders in the communities we inhabit and visit on our tours as they evolve in this age of complex and pressing issues.
Our Thesis is that the confidence-building that comes from creative expression can fuel self-expression and accomplishment in and outside the classroom, in and across social, academic, business, cultural and multiple other ecosystems.
In 2020, the United States marked the 100th Anniversary of Women’s suffrage, with the 19th Ammendment.
Recognized as trailblazers, the Pitches were invited by the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum to keynote the Library’s celebration of this critical advancement in our nation’s and civilization’s history.
At the 10:57 in this video the Pitches introduce the Suffragette inspired “Bread and Roses”, reminding us all of the work that must be done and the opportunity the Pitches have now and ahead of us to continue to advance progress:
2020 is the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment, which means it's the 100th year that women get to vote in presidential elections. So to honor this anniversary, we wanted to include a separate anthem called Bread and Roses, which was based off of a 1912 speech given by suffragette Helen Todd.
In that speech Helen Todd expressed the ideal that she hoped suffrage would help achieve a world where all women had access to both necessities like food and shelter, which is bread in the metaphor, as well as experiences of beauty like art and music, which is roses, along with suffering. This was a phrase that was picked up by early 20th century labor movements as they fought for working people's rights.
So singing the song here before you today, we hope it can be a reflection on how far our country has come in the past 100 years working towards gender equality and women's political participation.
On the other hand, we also want it to serve as a reminder that we still have a long way to go and combating racism and sexism, xenophobia and poverty, and to work towards a world where all people, regardless of their background can have access to both Bread and Roses.
For nearly 50 years The Pitches have aligned ourselves to accelerate the outcomes of good work being done both locally and globally through high-value initiatives like the Breast Cancer Research Foundation; Big Brothers Big Sisters; Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (Annual Community Day); Meals on Wheels, and many others.
We are grateful for your thoughtful support of The Radcliffe Pitches.
— Grace Bida ‘26, President, September 2023
Here are a few of the ways The Pitches have deployed to pay it forward over the years:
SAY! Somerville Arts for Youth
We had a lovely time performing with our friends, the Harvard Krokodiloes, the Harvard Din and Tonics, and the Yale Whiffenpoofs during our innaugural fundraiser concert for SAY! in October 2023.
SAY! believes the arts provide a unique opportunity for students with diverse talents, learning styles, strengths, and challenges to work together. The arts ask all students to expand their learning beyond traditional academic frameworks. in fact, many students who may struggle with current curricular models flourish in arts education, and as their confidence rises, so does their academic performance.
Breast Cancer Research Foundation
The Radcliffe Pitches have partnered with The ‘Cliffe Notes for two decades in raising money for the Breast Cancer Research Foundation. The ‘Cliffe Notes are a contemporary a cappella subset of the Radcliffe Choral Society, and were founded in 1991. Performing mostly contemporary pop music, the ‘Cliffe Notes are featured during Radcliffe Choral Society performances.
The Melrose Emergency Fund
The Melrose Emergency Fund was originally established in 1996, after 25 families in Melrose, Massachusetts were displaced by two fires. The fund was established to provide “relief and aid to resident families found in emergency need.” Since that time, the fund has accepted and disbursed hundreds of thousands of dollars in donations to Melrose families, with a focus on basic needs such as food, rent, and utilities.
