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
Category: Jr. High/Middle School
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
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
Submitted by Heather MacLaughlin Garbes, Western Liaison My Voice: Questions and repertoire for embracing transgender singers in your ensemble This workshop will share up-to-date research and personal insights of transgender singers, give suggestions about logistics and repertoire and allow participants to ask questions and discuss topics that they are experiencing in their own ensembles. Presenters … Continue reading Workshop THIS Saturday!
Hello Elementary Choir Educators, Happy New Year! As your elementary choir R&S Chair for WA state, I want to let you know about upcoming events/workshops that you should check out for 2015. Please keep in touch and have a terrific school year! Sincerely, Darcy Morrissey WA-ACDA Children’s & Community Youth R&S Chair JANUARY WHAT: A cappella … Continue reading 2015 Spring & Summer Events for Music Educators
by Brian Mitchell, President-Elect, WA-ACDA When I try to explain the importance of a choral experience, I find my mind fires off like a lightning storm, shooting around from thought to thought. It bounces from all of the amazing new brain research to the encouraging information coming from the National Endowment of the Arts on … Continue reading Why Music? The Importance of Music in America
by Julie Parsons, WA-ACDA Youth & Student Activities ChairThis year marks the 200th anniversary of Francis Scott Key's penning of "The Star-Spangled Banner." On Friday, September 12, 2014, schools across the nation are asked to hold their own events to honor "The Star-Spangled Banner" and to share these efforts online. The Star-Spangled Music Foundation, American … Continue reading #Anthem200
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