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One of the best activities I have built into my advanced choir’s schedule is our Fall Retreat. It has proven enormously beneficial to the choir on many levels, most of which are extra-musical. The retreat gives the students a chance to get to know one another, develop section and ensemble identities, and discover the leaders…
Some of us may laud Benjamin Franklin for inventing the “double spectacles” because they allow us to read up close and see far away with one pair of glasses. Some of us may curse bifocals as we strain our necks to focus through a tiny square in our glasses and onto the music on our…
Today’s technology offers a wide variety of options to incorporate the use of digital recording in our classrooms and also to efficiently distribute these recordings to our students. Whether or not you have a recording setup in your classroom currently or if you teach in different classrooms or buildings there is a solution that can…
At a recent ACDA state meeting, our president, Richard Ingram, had us break into small groups and discuss the future of our state chapter and some visions we have. When it came around to me, I shared with the group how ACDA had impacted me in the last 20 years since I first became part…
RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION In my experience, two of the most difficult aspects of running and maintaining a professional organization are recruitment and retention. It can take tremendous effort to inform prospective members on campus that your organization exists. Getting your name out there by using a student listserv, flyers, sidewalk chalk, or word of mouth…
New Web Address: ACDA.ORG In its surge of technology renovations, the American Choral Directors Association has adopted a new domain name: acda.org. The domain name was formerly owned by the Antique and Collectibles Dealers Association. ACDA obtained the name through a timely inquiry and recent ownership change of the antique association. The negotiation took place…
The focus for our Fall ACDA-MI conference was multicultural music. Our clinicians introduced us to some new and exciting titles. Although many of these pieces may sound complex, most are quite accessible. Please click on the link below to see the complete list: ACDA-MI Reading Sessions Lit 2009 »
“Where do you find all that interesting music?” I get this question a lot. In fact, as your Repertoire and Standards Chair for Ethnic and Multicultural Music I’m delighted to get this question. For a long time I’ve placed a priority on programming diverse, exciting literature from as many periods, cultures, and performance practices as…
I’ve Been Here Forever “I’ve been here forever,” eons before the mist and fog shrouded Jurassic landscapes, well before the dawn of civilization. I was here when the only rhythms, music and voices were those of nature: the rolling surf of the ocean, the rhythmic chirp of the nighttime cricket, the raucous rasp of the…
Four undergraduate conductors and three graduate conductors from five different Michigan universities participated in masterclasses with clinicians Francisco Núñez and Jo-Michael Scheibe at ACDA Michigan’s state conference in October. Attendance at the masterclasses by participants, fellow students and ACDA members alike was high, and confirmed our great interest in this particular activity at our conference….
