by Ailisa Newhall, Commercial Music If you have ever taught middle school choir, you know what I’m talking about. Everything is a huge dramatic deal inside a tiny bubble. It makes the emotion of the music exhilarating. It makes every other aspect of life a crazy roller coaster. One student told me, “the only reason … Continue reading Middle School Choir is Group Therapy
Author: acdawaunison
written by Tori Casebeer, Vice President, Central Washington University ACDA Chapter For many of us in Central Washington University’s ACDA Student Chapter, social justice is a very important topic of discussion. We know that the choral world is diverse and broad in its membership, and that people of different ethnicities, abilities, sexual orientations, and gender … Continue reading The Big Queer Concert – A Report from the CWU Student Chapter
by Dean Luethi, Chair, Collegiate Choral Music If we conductors wish our students to sing with vitality and vigor within the scope of a focused rehearsal, we must be the epitome of energy in each rehearsal and plan rehearsals that maximize learning. The efficiency of your rehearsals will allow you to produce the best from … Continue reading Energy and Efficiency in Your Choral Rehearsal
As a part of the Music of the Americas International Conductor Exchange Program, we are excited to host Susan Hernández Osés (Costa Rica) in Seattle the week of March 13-18. Susan is a director of the choral program at the Escuela de Musica Municipal de Santo Domingo, Heredia, Costa Rica We have two events planned where members can … Continue reading Welcome to ICEP Conductor Susan Hernández Osés!
by Ken Owen, Two Year Colleges Liaison When I sang with the Utah Chamber Artists, a choir of around 40 singers, I fell in love with the way they staged some of their concerts. They call it a collage concert. I took the idea and have made an annual tradition of a “Spring Collage” concert … Continue reading The Collage Concert
by Allan J. Andrews, Retired Members Liaison Ever since I took the position of the R & R Liaison to Retired Members on the WA-ACDA State Board, I have been searching high and low for an actual retired choral director. People seem quite confused when I tell them that I am retired. They immediately respond, … Continue reading A Different Look at Retirement
by Darcy Morrissey, Chair of Youth Choral Music On January 14 and 15, NKE, WA-ACDA, and 35 attendees kicked off the new year with an in-depth study, “American Folksongs Arrangements for Elementary Choirs,” guided by Dr. Andrew Seifert and Darcy Morrissey. We are delighted to announce that this was the 5th Annual Elementary Workshop and … Continue reading NKE-WAACDA January Workshop
by Aly Henniger, Student Representatve Mentoring is beneficial for people at every level of choral experience. In order to incorporate all Washington ACDA members, Jason Saunders and I are creating Mentor Pods. These Pods will connect members of the profession at every level—from students to retirees—in an effort to share experiences and advice. The Pods … Continue reading Mentorship Pods forming now!
“Where can I find that beautiful Ēriks Ešenvalds, Veljo Tormis or Vaclovas Augstinas score?” by Dr. Heather MacLaughlin Garbes, Chair of Lifelong Choral Music With the popularity of Baltic choral music continuing to grow, many of the sighs of happiness after hearing those compositions turn to sighs of frustration about trying to find the scores … Continue reading An Overview of the UW Baltic Choral Library
By Ailisa Newhall, Commercial Music R&R Coordinator Our choir members bring a rich culture of music with them from the first day they step into our rehearsal. To encourage singers to share their own music, we need to foster a safe and supportive rehearsal environment. All music, from classical to commercial, must be held equally … Continue reading Fostering Mutual Respect with Your Choir Members
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