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
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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
by Aimee Mell, Multicultural R & R Chair Every July I look forward to the Washington ACDA summer institute at University of Puget Sound. Some years I feel ready to consider the year ahead, while others I feel as though I’m still recovering from the school year I’ve just completed. After coming to the SI … Continue reading Standing on the Mountain Top: Why I Love the Summer Institute
by Linda Moore, Secretary and Membership Chair “Sharpen the Saw” is habit 7 in Stephen Covey’s book The 7 Habits of Highly Successful People. This habit of self-renewal is the habit of attending to your physical, social/emotional, mental and spiritual needs. For most of the past 9 years, I have set aside time to attend … Continue reading Sharpening the Saw
Thanks to WNYC'S podcast Snap Judgement for playing this moving audio documentary of a man's gender transition heard through his singing. It was recorded in 2010 by Tristan Whiston, the singer, and Carma Jolly of the CBC. The 26 minutes are well worth a listen. Middle C: A Singer's Audio Diary of His Transition … Continue reading Middle C – A Singer Chronicles His Gender Transition
Did you miss the February WA ACDA workshop on creating Safe Spaces for Transgender Voices? See the links below for audio recording and notes from the session. Creating Safe Spaces for Transgender Voices, Part 1 Creating Safe Spaces for Transgender Voices, Part 2 WA – ACDA Transgender Workshop Notes Notes submitted by Dr. Heather MacLaughlin … Continue reading Safe Spaces for Transgender Voices
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