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The Value of ACDA Conferences to the Young Music Major by Erin Kurtz ACDA-MI Student Representative (Undergraduate) This past October I attended my first ACDA Conference at Western Michigan University as a sophomore music major. Being inexperienced in the choir world outside of my high school and college, I did not know exactly what to…
Michigan Male Chorus Network by Matthew Packer ACDA-Michigan Male Chorus R&R Chair “Those who wish to sing always find a song.” ― Swedish Proverb I write this having recently returned from Western Michigan University and the 2017 Fall Conference of the Michigan Chapter of the American Choral Directors Association. There was much singing and songs to be…
Sing for Justice at EMU by Liza Calisesi Maidens ACDA-MIchigan Women’s Choirs R&R Chair Greetings, Michigan Choral Musicians! My name is Liza Calisesi Maidens and I am new to the Board as of August 2017. I served as Concerts Chair this past fall at the ACDA-MI Conference and was pleased to get to know many…
Advice for Better Conducting and Rehearsing by Noah Horn, ACDA-Michigan Co-Representiative for College & University R&R The following advice comes from the instruction of many students whom I have taught at Wayne State University and Western Michigan University since 2014, including M.M. choral conducting students and undergraduate assistant conductors for various ensembles. I share these…
Gender Specific Choirs for 5th and 6th Grade Singers by Garth Starr, Northeastern Lower Michigan Area Representative For the last two years I have been given the privilege to isolate my vocal music classes by gender. I teach eight classes of fifth and sixth grade students every day for nine weeks and then I get a…
My ACDA Moments by Jed Scott, ACDA-Michigan Webmaster/Editor I was not a music education or conducting student as an undergraduate or in graduate school. At Western Michigan University, I effectively majored in Gold Company; my masters degree is in Studio Jazz Writing. It wasn’t until my professional organization, the International Association for Jazz Education, went bankrupt that I…
Children’s Honors Choir at ACDA Michigan 2017 Fall Conference by Megan Higle ACDA-MI Youth Choir R&R Representative ATTENTION YOUTH & CHILDREN’S CHOIRS! ACDA-MI is thrilled and excited to announce Judy Hanson of the Chicago Children’s Choir as our director of the Children’s Honor Choir at our October 2017 conference. Children and Youth Choirs from across the…
ACDA-MI congratulates the following outstanding ensembles selected via blind listening panel to perform at the ACDA-MI Fall Conference on Oct. 27-28. Canticum Novum (Northwestern Michigan College) – Jeffrey Cobb, Conductor Cantus Femina (Western Michigan University) – Dee Gauthier, Conductor 8th Grade Choir (Grosse Pointe Brownell MS) – Carolyn Gross, Conductor Lyon Singers (South Lyon HS) – Andrew Hathikhanavala, Conductor…
Shaping Dynamics in Historical Music: A New Performance Edition of Josquin Desprez for Two-Part Treble Chorus by Alan Gumm ACDA-MI Women’s Chorus R&R Representative As commonly taught in music history, composers came to add expressive markings in music in stages. For centuries there were no special markings to specify details of a composer’s intentions. In…
by Dr. Kimberly Dunn Adams Western Michigan University ACDA-MI Student Activities Chair Take Charge Now! Tips to prepare for the “real world” while still a student “Experience is a hard teacher because she gives the test first, the lesson after.” – Vern Law (1) The first year of teaching is considered the most difficult…
