GUEST BLOG: “The Action of ACDA” by Tim Sharp

THE ACTION OF ACDA by Tim Sharp

 

       We have learned a great deal throughout our two-year long strategic planning process. It is no accident that the chair of the Steering Committee for the 2013 National Conference also chaired the work of our strategic planning. As a result, what you will see during the 2013 ACDA National Conference is a reflection of what we learned in our planning efforts.
        My work over the next few years will be to lead our Association in developing relevant, scalable, and sustainable action plans for the outcomes articulated in our strategic planning work. I will frame the beginnings of this vision in terms of the pillars of our mission statement. The “action” items listed below each component of our mission statement come from actual wording coming out of our ACDA Leadership Conference last summer, refined following that event.

EDUCATION
• ACDA Action – ACDA will develop a mentoring program to connect emerging conductors with experienced conductors, and to connect all members to each other.
• ACDA Action – ACDA will develop a successful urban outreach initiative.
• ACDA Action – ACDA will redefine the organizational structure of ACDA’s Repertoire and Standards areas.
•  ACDA Action-ACDA will establish a code of ethics for our profession.

PERFORMANCE
•  ACDA Action – ACDA will encourage and expand grass-roots events, inspiring excellence.
•  ACDA Action – ACDA will balance its efforts between choral education process and choral performance.
•  ACDA Action – ACDA will celebrate artistic growth.
•  ACDA Action – ACDA will provide models of choral performance to all local communities.

COMPOSITION
•  ACDA Action – ACDA will pursue a definition and understanding of what makes choral music compelling.
•  ACDA Action –  ACDA will promote excellence in elementary choral repertoire.
•  ACDA Action – ACDA will be the resource for the choral canon.

ADVOCACY
•  ACDA Action-ACDA will nurture, foster, and mentor emerging conductors and choral musicians as artists and teachers of singing.
•  ACDA Action-ACDA will embrace cultural diversity in membership, and will be welcoming and relevant to all races and ethnicities.
•  ACDA Action-ACDA will involve pre-professional students in all facets of leadership.
•  ACDA Action-ACDA will award emerging conductors financial support to enable conference participation.

       I am sure you agree with me that our American Choral Directors Association membership and leadership have not only succeeded in their strategic planning, but also that they have boldly and solidly moved our mission forward.