At the end of each year, the state ACDA president completes an annual report which is shared with the national office. As I reflected on the past year, I was certain that the members of Washington ACDA would enjoy knowing the many activities and membership updates that have taken place this year. I will condense much of that information here.
Washington ACDA sponsored the following events in 2012-2013:
- 2012 Washington ACDA Summer Institute (WA ACDA State Conference): July 25-27, 2012
Our annual conference was held at University of Puget Sound with guest headliner, Rodney Eichenberger. Our 2 and ½ day conference had our highest conference attendance to date with over 250 attendees. The conference included music reading sessions for each of our R&S areas, interest and general sessions, conducting master class, 5 sessions led by Rodney Eichenberger, a roundtable lunch, and a salmon BBQ on the lawn. Clock hours from WMEA and Unit credit from ACDA were available. We presented the 2012 awards at our Summer Institute: Spiritus Award-Al Giles (given to any member or non-member who exhibits spirit, encouragement, and support towards choral music), Outstanding Young Choral Director Award-Megan Lizama, Outstanding Choral Director Award-Karen P Thomas, and the prestigious Leadership and Service Award-Kris Mason. Many thanks to program chair Tim Fitzpatrick for all of the behind-the-scenes organization.
- 2013 Washington ACDA Summer Institute: July 17-19, 2013
Our 2013 conference is planned for University of Puget Sound with guest headliner, Lynne Gackle, and we anticipate another exciting and well-attended conference. New this year will be reading session booklets rather than packets of individual octavos and each paid 3-day attendee will receive booklets for each of the reading sessions (guaranteed for those who register by the early-bird deadline). Clock hours from WMEA and Unit credit from ACDA will be available.
- West Side Washington ACDA Choral Workshop: January 17, 2013
This one-day workshop, organized by Brad Wills, was held in Centralia, Washington and included a packet of newly published octavos created by JW Pepper as well as a Tried and True Reading Session with music brought by participants focused on spring repertoire for elementary and secondary levels. Solveig Holmquist was the guest presenter emphasizing choral conducting and working with participants on “pruning” deadwood from conducting habits and relating conducting to artistry.
- East Side Washington ACDA Choral Workshop: Saturday, September 15, 2012
This one day workshop, organized by Barbara Tappa, was held at Whitworth University and included presentations by Lori Wiest (Conducting Gestures to Facilitate Healthy Singing), Nathan Lansing (Jazz-Arranging Jazz Charts from Scratch and Vocal Jazz Warm-Ups), and Max Mendez (The iRehearsal-Effectively using the iPad or any Tablet Device in the Rehearsal Room) as well as a roundtable lunch, Tried and True Reading Session with music brought by participants, shared and sung as a group, and a follow-up discussion. Clock hours from WMEA were available.
- Jazz Workshop: Working with Rhythm Sections: July 16, 2013
This workshop, organized by Charlotte Reese, will be held one day prior to the 2013 Summer Institute and will allow opportunities to learn from professionals how to work with keyboardists, drummers, and bass players. Kirk Marcy, Stephen Kennedy, and Matt Pelandini will be presenting.
Through our Washington ACDA Grant Fund Request process, we supported the following in Washington with $500 for each event:
- Frank DeMiero Jazz Workshop, October 6, 2012
- Clark College Choral Festival-inaugural event, November 3, 2012
Washington ACDA fully supported the initiatives set by the national office of ACDA, including the ACDA Student Membership Initiative for Scholarships for which Washington awarded 14 new student memberships to collegiate students whereby the student paid $5, the state paid $15 and the national office paid $15, totaling the $35 membership fee for these students.
As this past year was a national conference, the national office also instituted the ACDA Student Registration Scholarship Initiative for 5 student members from each state to attend the national conference with a scholarship for the registration. Washington ACDA supported this initiative in selecting 5 Washington student members through a competitive application process and we also awarded $500 for each of the 5 winners to receive support for travel and room expenses to make their attendance more feasible.
While all of our board members are involved in our membership efforts, our Membership Chair, Sue Green, reported that our current membership numbers in WA-ACDA are fairly healthy with a count of 464 members as of February 2013. In the past year, we have gained 34 new members. Within the last 1.5 years, we have increased our membership by approximately 15%. In addition to ensuring we are offering our members a number of activities and benefits, we have been active in reminding members to renew their membership and we have focused some attention on increasing our number of student members who will become future active ACDA members. Our Youth and Student Activities Chair, Julie Parsons, has been very active in her work with the student members and the student chapters in Washington.
Your Washington board meets 3 times during the year. Immediately following the Summer Institute, we meet to discuss the recent conference and begin the brainstorming process for the next SI as well as set goals for the next year. In early fall, we hold a meeting to put our plans into action for various workshops throughout the year and across the state, the Summer Institute, grant requests and initiatives that we want to support, articles for our online newsletter and updates on our website, and other items that are important to our membership. We conduct much business throughout the year via e-mail and phone and in the spring, we hold a web meeting via the internet, which saves quite a bit of money and is a very productive way to conduct business as we approach the Summer Institute.
The 2012-2013 board includes:
Lori Wiest, President
Tim Fitzpatrick, President-Elect
Marc Hafso, Vice President
Leora Schwitters, Treasurer
Darcy Morrissey, Secretary and R&S Children and Community Youth
Howard Meharg, Website Manager
Sue Green, Membership Chair
Barbara Tappa, Eastern Liaison of Washington
Brad Wills, Western Liaison of Washington
Aimee Mell, Newsletter Editor
Mikkel Iverson: R&S Male Choirs
Timothy Westerhaus, R&S College and University
Neil Lieurance, R&S Community Choirs
Brian Hoskins, R&S Ethnic and Multicultural Perspectives
Rhonda Slinkard, R&S Junior High/Middle School
Joel Ulrich, R&S Music in Worship
Brian Mitchell, R&S Senior High Choirs
April Duvic, R&S Two-Year College Choirs
Charlotte Reese, R&S Vocal Jazz
Joel Karn, R&S Women’s Choirs
Julie Parsons, R&S Youth and Student Activities
It is my hope that you feel that our board strongly represents your interests, upholds the integrity of choral music, musicianship, and music education, and appropriately provides you with opportunities to learn, reenergize, and celebrate what we have the honor and blessing to do in making music with others. Please know that the board welcomes your thoughts and suggestions as we continue to plan exciting events and opportunities. Stay in contact with your R&S area state chair who is there to serve you and to relay your ideas and concerns with the board!
I am honored to have served as your president the past two years and have the deepest respect for the Washington ACDA board members who give so much time, energy, and enthusiasm. I thank them for their dedication, support, and friendship and I encourage you to join me in this appreciation for their work!
Washington ACDA 