Message From the ACDA Michigan President (Jul 2025)
Dear Friends and Members of ACDA-MI,
As President of ACDA-MI and an ACDA member, I would like to first of all say thank you for being a part of a wonderful organization called ACDA. Secondly, I want to thank you for being a part of ACDA-MI and for being a choral leader for your choir
members whether they be children or adults. Your passion for singing and bringing choral music to our state is invaluable. And to that end, I want to encourage you to continue your membership and to encourage others to join us. This organization continues to be a life-giving source for the musical heart, mind, and spirit. For myself, the opportunities to network with colleagues, friends along with writing and presenting at conferences continue to be ways of sharing my passion for choral music. Our shared choral experience is enriched by the multiple resources provided by ACDA including The Choral Journal, ChorTeach, Choralnet and the numerous online resources.
ACDA is soul nourishing.
Many states, including our Great Lakes State, have outstanding state organizations that provide students with opportunities to share musical skills through events like Solo & Ensemble and choral festivals in a variety of genres including standard vocal repertoire, musical theater and a cappella ensembles. However, it is through ACDA and ACDA-MI that I continue to gain nourishment for my “personal” soul. It is our challenge and mine, as President and as members of ACDA-MI, to fulfill the Mission of ACDA: to inspire excellence and nurture lifelong involvement in choral music for everyone through education, performance, composition, and advocacy.
As ACDA-MI President, I would like each one of us to reflect on this past year and as we plan for another to pause and remind ourselves of the following…
Our ACDA-MI Legacy – “standing on the shoulders of many” including our Maynard Klein Awardees and the many, many members who have contributed in significant ways to sustaining excellence within our organization.
Our ACDA Mission and our continued nurturing of ACDA-MI in the following areas…
- Fall Conference Excellence – through interest session and concert offerings, conference delivery, and conference relevance to our membership
- Increased Membership (new and continued) and Involvement (how can you, the membership contribute to our success either through sharing your expertise or recruiting a new member)
- Student Involvement – increased value and involvement of our student membership as our student members are the future life-blood of ACDA-MI
- Website and Social Media Visibility – we have and are doing wonderful things in choral music in Michigan so let’s share and encourage one another
- Revision of our ACDA-MI “Rules of Governance” – as we function under the National ACDA Constitution and it’s By-Laws
- Practical Implementation – how do we, the board and you, our membership successfully implement a vision and ACDA’s mission artistically, financially, comunicatively and procedurally in a successful way
I ask that as we embark on another season of choral music-making in our Great Lakes State that all of us working together and contributing to ACDA-MI, propel our music, our profession, and ourselves toward musical growth. You, our membership, are ACDA-MI and it is for you that we serve. If ideas, thoughts, or suggestions come to mind, please contact any one of the full board members and share with us how we can best serve you.
I would also ask that you plan on attending our Fall Conference at Alma College in October. The board has been preparing a wonderful two-day event for you, the membership.
Thank you, to our Full Board for your leadership, friendship, support and for continuing your involvement with ACDA-MI in 2025-2026. Thank you, our membership, for your support, encouragement and participation. It is a privilege to serve and be a part of ACDA-MI, our source of “soul nourishing”.
Thomas Blue
President, ACDA-MI
