Top, left to right: Shireen Abu-Khader, Felicia Barber, Jeffery L. Ames | Bottom, left to right: Karen Grylls, Nola A. Nahulu, Coreen Duffy
The vision of ACDA is to create powerful artistic experiences and be advocates for cultural and educational change so that we might transform people’s lives. The 2027 National Conference Immersion Choirs bring this vision to life by offering meaningful artistic, cultural, and educational experiences in which all members are invited to participate. These choirs provide a unique opportunity to explore a rich variety of choral literature, musical styles, and rehearsal techniques while deepening participants’ understanding of the cultural contexts and traditions from which the music emerges. Through these experiences, participants are encouraged to step beyond their familiar traditions, broaden their perspectives, and grow as musicians and educators.
The 2027 ACDA National Conference, March 7–10 in Minneapolis, Minnesota, will feature six Immersion Choir Experiences, open to attendees in both conference tracks.
MONDAY
Spirituals
Sing with Me: Insight into the Performance Practice of Spirituals
Presenter: Dr. Felicia Barber
Monday, March 8 | 4:45–5:35 p.m.
Minneapolis Convention Center, Meeting Room 205 ABCD
Explore the history, musical characteristics, and performance practices of African American spirituals with Dr. Felicia Barber. Participants will examine the use of dialect in historical and contemporary repertoire and engage with accessible selections for school, collegiate, church, and community ensembles.
Barber is an associate professor, adjunct, of choral conducting and conductor of the Yale Camerata at Yale University. Her research includes the linguistic performance practices of African American spirituals.
Choral Music of the Jewish Diaspora
Presenter: Dr. Coreen Duffy
Monday, March 8 | 4:45–5:35 p.m.
Minneapolis Convention Center, Meeting Room 208 ABCD
Explore Jewish choral traditions from the Middle East, Europe, and the United States through Mizrahi, Sephardic, and Ashkenazic music. Participants will engage with these traditions and receive a repertoire list of ethically sourced sacred and secular choral works representing a range of languages, voicings, and difficulty levels.
Duffy is director of choral activities and associate professor of conducting at the University of Colorado Boulder, where she conducts the Chamber Singers and leads graduate choral conducting programs.
Musical Traditions of New Zealand
Confluence and Collaboration in the Current New Zealand Choral Context
Presenter: Dr. Karen Grylls, CNZM
Monday, March 8 | 4:45–5:35 p.m.
Minneapolis Convention Center, Meeting Room 211 ABCD
Discover the musical traditions of Aotearoa New Zealand through a participatory experience exploring Te Ao Māori and Pasifika influences on contemporary choral music. Attendees will gain a deeper understanding of the cultural relationships and collaborations shaping New Zealand’s choral landscape.
The session honors the late composer and music educator Robert Wiremu.
Grylls is an honorary associate professor at the University of Auckland and conductor emerita of the Auckland Chamber Choir. She is also artistic director emerita of Choirs Aotearoa New Zealand.
TUESDAY
Concert Gospel Music
The Soul of America: Interpreting Concert Gospel Music for the Choral Ensemble
Presenter: Dr. Jeffery L. Ames
Tuesday, March 9 | 4:45–5:35 p.m.
Minneapolis Convention Center, Meeting Room 205 ABCD
Experience three distinct styles of concert gospel music through an interactive session led by Dr. Jeffery L. Ames. Designed for trained singers, the session explores performance practices for the stately anthem, gospel funk, and traditional church-style gospel.
Ames is an Emmy-winning composer and director of choral activities at Belmont University. His work includes concert gospel music and choral compositions by contemporary Black composers.
Palestinian and Arab Choral Traditions
Voices of the Levant: Palestinian and Arab Choral Traditions
Presenter: Shireen Abu-Khader
Tuesday, March 9 | 4:45–5:35 p.m.
Minneapolis Convention Center, Meeting Room 208 ABCD
Experience Palestinian and Arab choral traditions through shared singing, folk melodies, drones, and dabke-inspired rhythms. Led by composer and educator Shireen Abu-Khader, this participatory session explores how music carries memory, cultural identity, and communal belonging.
Abu-Khader is a Palestinian Jordanian Canadian composer and music educator based in Toronto. Through her organization, Dozan World, she introduces Levantine music to audiences and ensembles internationally.
Music of the Hawaiian Islands
KAONA
Presenter: Nola A. Nahulu
Tuesday, March 9 | 4:45–5:35 p.m.
Minneapolis Convention Center, Meeting Room 211 ABCD
Explore Hawaiian mele (songs) and the poetic meanings that connect music to the land, people, and cultural traditions of Hawaiʻi. This session emphasizes the responsibility of choral educators to understand and share the histories and stories embedded in the music they teach.
Nahulu is a conductor, educator, and clinician whose work has contributed to Hawaiian choral music and music education. Her leadership includes service with the Hawaiʻi Youth Opera Chorus, Honolulu Symphony Chorus, and Hawaiʻi Opera Theatre Chorus.
All six Immersion Choir Experiences are open to attendees in both conference tracks.
Explore the conference schedule and registration information HERE.
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