(An excerpt from the interest session “Unaccompanied Choral Music from Latin America,” presented by Cristian Grases during the 2014 Western Division Conference) One of the most interesting aspects of Latin American a cappella choral music has to do with the different approaches in which composers write for the vocal ensemble. When setting religious […]
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Conference Morsel: Singing the Great Composers
(An excerpt from the interest session “Masters in Miniature: Singing the Great Composers with a Small Choir,” presented by David Rayl and Zebulon M. Highben during the 2014 ACDA Central Division Conference) The vast treasure trove of Renaissance music provides a wonderful resource for choirs of all types. Consider a piece like Dowland’s […]
Conference Morsel: TOO Concerned with Tuning?
(An excerpt from the interest session “Starting a Group,” presented by Deke Sharon during the 2014 Western Division Conference) People in “a cappella” [the form of pop ensemble singing] have become too concerned with tuning. Perhaps it’s the prevalence of pitch correction in recordings and pop music, but groups seem ever-concerned with […]
Conference Morsel: Socially Engaged Musicianship
(An excerpt from the interest session “Socially Engaged Musicianship in Choral Music Connecting to the World Around Us,” presented by Doreen Rao during the 2014 ACDA Central Division Conference) The idea of “Socially Engaged Musicianship” can be framed by Leonard Bernstein’s response to the assassination of John F. Kennedy: “This will be our […]
Conference Morsel: Top Five Tips for Grant Application Writing
(An excerpt from the interest session “ I Want Free Money! Grants for Choirs,” presented by Chris Clark during the 2014 ACDA Eastern Division Conference) Grant writing by choral directors is often a necessary evil, deriving from the desire to see ensembles progress farther than ticket sales and dues allow. Ideally, directors should […]
Not Too Bad for a “Young Conductor”
Amazing!