The American Choral Directors Association (ACDA) Student Chapter at the University of Southern California (USC) has been awarded ACDA’s 2021 Outstanding Student Chapter Award. The chapter’s faculty advisor is Dr. Cristian Grases, and the chapter president is Rachel Tan.
ACDA Student Activities Chair Dr. David Edmonds noted that “The USC chapter stood out in many ways, including how they have championed diversity and social justice by supporting and raising money for many local movements, in the valuable presentations and collaborations they hosted to enrich their student members, and in the wonderful opportunities — including their Choral Collective Choir — which they have provided to their campus community in order to prepare future teachers for their careers ahead.”
Izzy Woods, the USC chapter’s vice-president, responded “This means so much to us all here at USC!” She added, “Our executive board has been working hard this fall to increase diversity and inclusivity in the choral community while offering a range of informative presentations for our members. We are so appreciative of ACDA’s continued support of student chapters around the country, and are extremely excited to see what is in store for the future of choral music!”
Two other chapters were given honorable mention, those at Ithaca College and Indiana University. Edmonds reflected, “In spite of the myriad challenges this year placed on ACDA student chapters around the country, this year’s applicants for the Outstanding Student Chapter Award continued to do great work. Congratulations to all.”
There are currently over 150 active ACDA student chapters throughout the United States, located in 45 states nationwide. Based primarily on college and university campuses, they carry out activities such as promoting choral music on campus and in their communities, organizing workshops to build the skills of students, and developing leadership among chapter members.
The Outstanding Student Chapter Award is made biennially at the national ACDA conference. The USC Student Chapter will have a representative at the virtual ACDA national conference (March 18-20, 2021), where the award will be officially made. Previous award winners include student chapters at Ithaca College, Northern Arizona University, and Michigan State. More information about the award is at https://acda.org/resources-for-student-members/outstanding-acda-student-chapter-award/.
About ACDA: American Choral Directors Association (ACDA) is made up of approximately 15,000 members who represent more than 1 million singers across the country. ACDA members conduct and teach a range of choirs, including school and university-based choirs, community choral groups, professional ensembles, and music in worship. ACDA’s mission is to inspire excellence in choral music through education, performance, composition, and advocacy.
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