Teachers. Choir director. Singer. Manager. Stage crew. These are just a few of the many hats we all learn to wear as choral educators. The thought of adding another task to our list often seems daunting, and a little intimidating, especially when it includes words like “legislation,” “Capitol Hill,” “lobbyist,” or other congressional lingo. In […]
“Advocacy” = “A story”
“Advocacy.” Sometimes it is an intimidating word. It’s not too fancy, not too hard to spell, but it can feel a bit daunting. We’ve all heard situations where colleagues had to advocate to keep to their programs or where larger communities had to find the data to fight for the arts. Those can be intimidating […]
Together in Music…Collaboration tips and “squashing the why (not)!”
Some of the most common FAQs presented to the ACDA Advocacy and Collaboration Committee include “how do I find someone to collaborate with” and “how do we make it work?” So often, finding that “perfect” partnership is the barrier in and of itself (hint: there is no such thing as “perfect” but we’ll get to […]
Equity Sings…advocacy, collaboration, Maslow and ADEIBR
While the dictionary defines “equity” as a noun, the quality of being fair and impartial, this blog post (and the podcast that accompanies it) morphs “equity” into a verb, with tangible and actionable ideas. How do we define “equity?” What actions can we take and how can we employ from the various DEIB or ADEI […]
Advocacy, Collaboration, and . . . moving from survival to vision
It’s been an interesting start to the semester, yet again, but we are resilient and we keep showing up for choir and our singers. Go us! However, there is always that chance for budget cuts, restrictions, or worse, canceled programs. With decreasing numbers, uncertainty, and pandemic fatigue, how do we move from survival mode to […]
Advocacy, Collaboration, and . . . Talking to Admins!
‘Tis the season of making goals and setting plans for the year ahead. Perhaps you have a big event or dream for your choir. Maybe you want to learn something new or start a new hobby. Whatever your goals may be, learning how to communicate that goal is key! In this month’s Advocacy and Collaboration […]