Message From the President (Feb. 2026)
Dear Friends and Members of ACDA-MI,
February brought about a wonderful MMC conference where several of our ACDA-MI Board members were involved in panel discussions, presentations. ACDA-MI’s very own Dr. Mattfeld was the Conductor for the MSVMA Choral Conducting Symposium along with the Alma College Choir. Bravo and thank you to all who represented their schools, music organizations and especially ACDA-MI.
Passion, decision-making and becoming were three words from last month’s note and each of these words guide my involvement in ACDA. My question for each of us is once again , “will I take advantage of such an opportunity – like our ACDA-MI Fall Conference, will I take advantage of such an organization – like ACDA-MI.”
In a little over a week, I will be traveling by train to Milwaukee for the MWACDA. I take the train because I love to ride the train and riding the train allows me several hours for reading, writing and reflection. At the convention, I am looking forward to hearing beautiful music, listening to ACDA colleagues as they share their wisdom and knowledge, reading new music, networking with conductors and composers, presiding at sessions by our very own Michigan presenters and applauding for our CMU Chamber Singers! ACDA-MI has a lot to be proud of and I would ask that you please contact a board member and let us know what you are up to. Share with a board member, share on the ACDA-MI Facebook page and other social media. We are proud of you.
Even if you are unable to attend the MWACDA, I would encourage you to consider being involved at a greater level at the ACDA-MI Fall Conference this coming October by submitting an interest session proposal, submitting a recording of your choir for performance and/ or nominating a colleague for our Maynard Klein Award. Each of these applications are available on the ACDA-MI website. Challenge yourself and others to become more involved in ACDA-MI at whatever level your time allows. 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 on your quest to “becoming.”.
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, and that is – to inspire excellence and nurture lifelong involvement in choral music for everyone through education, performance, composition, and advocacy.
Members of ACDA-MI are planning for the “Where Great Lakes Meet, Voices Rise” ACDA-MI Fall Conference 2026! We have invited Dr. Jerry Blackstone and Dr. Derrick Fox to be our headliner clinicians for this conference. It is going to be wonderful and we are encouraging you to “come back home.” 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.
As I shared on a panel at the MMC, ACDA-MI is my choral music home, a place where I reflect, find respite and musical refreshment. ACDA is for choral musicians, teachers, and conductors to say, “This is where I belong, this is for me.” I reconnected with a colleague, sent a thank you note to a college professor this past Christmas, I continue to text one of my mentors, and I will be connecting with a mentee soon. Take the challenge and do the same, you will not regret it and your soul will be grateful, not to mention those with whom you connect.
“Music makes human experience “special.” It aims to achieve a level of experience different from the common place. Music makes ordinary experience extraordinary, or insignificant experience significant. Music creates an alternative to the reality of the everyday; an alternative to the ordinary way of being.” – Bennett Reimer, Vision 2020
It is a privilege to serve and be a part of ACDA-MI.
Thomas Blue
President, ACDA-MI
