Message from the President (Apr. 2026)
Dear Friends and Members of ACDA-MI,
Spring has finally arrived in Michigan…I think. Recently, I found myself browsing through a book titled The Ford Sunday Evening Hour Talks by W.J. Cameron, 1938-1939. One of the talks was titled, “Music Educators (March 19, 1939)”. Since these were “live talks” on Sunday Evenings in Detroit, the guests in the room that night were several thousand music educators from eight North Central states for a Regional Conference in Detroit. I was struck by a paragraph near the end of Mr. Cameron’s introductory remarks:
The music educator of those days was not called by that name, and quite rightly: the “singing teacher” was more accurate and descriptive. The teacher came in, once a week, and for a glorious half hour we floated royally away on the wings of Lowell Mason. And though the years have fled, snatches of these songs still sing themselves at unexpected moments in the silent chambers of our memory.
What a thought. What an honor. What a privilege. What a responsibility. What a joy!
Do we as the “singing teachers” of today allow ourselves and our choirs moments of glorious-ness? Do we allow ourselves to be floated away on the wings of Von Bingen, Bach, Mozart, Mendelssohns, Dvorak, Burleigh, Beach, Parker-Shaw, Bernstein, Thompson, Pfautsch, Whitacre, Hagenberg and the list go on…
Do our choirs sing songs that “though the years have fled, snatches of these songs still sing themselves at unexpected moments in the silent chambers of our memory?” As I read this phrase over again, I am awed at the responsibility but also the joy, and I wonder how many of us and our choir members both past and present have the thought: “I remember when we sang…” at unexpected moments.
It is in those silent chambers of our memory that we are reminded of why we do what we do in music. ACDA is another reason that we, the singing teachers, continue to do what we do for as long as we can because we, too, had “glorious half-hours” when we were growing and learning from our teachers, mentors, fellow ACDA members and now we want to share those moments too. It is contagious. Choral music brings meaning, purpose, joy and allows us to be floated away on wings.
It is for you, Michigan’s choral conductor that we exist. So be encouraged and take the time to seek out ways to become involved and I hope that you will allow ACDA and ACDA-MI to help you find ways to create unexpected moments in the silent chambers of the memory for you and your choirs.
Take advantage of the ACDA website, the ACDA-MI website, and our monthly ACDA-MI newsletter, Bella Voce. We, the board, want to improve our reach to our membership and to meet your needs as a conductor, educator and performer.
The Mission of ACDA is to inspire excellence and nurture lifelong involvement in choral music for everyone through education, performance, composition, and advocacy.
Another opportunity for all of us to be “royally floated away on wings” is the “Where Great Lakes Meet, Voices Rise” ACDA-MI Fall Conference 2026! Dr. Jerry Blackstone and Dr. Derrick Fox will be our headliner clinicians for this conference. We are encouraging you to “come back home” and fill the silent chambers of our memory with moments of glorious singing. This would be a great time for you to re-connect with colleagues, re-acquaint with friends and introduce yourself to Michigan’s future choral conductors. We want to see you at our ACDA-MI Fall Conference as we welcome you.
It is a privilege to serve and be a part of ACDA-MI.
Thomas Blue
President, ACDA-MI