Latest Blog Posts

The newest issue of Choral Journal is available online. Following is a list of the articles you will find in this issue. ACDA members can log in with their username and password to view and download the newest edition. You can also read our electronic version. Below is a preview of the articles you will find in this […]

In this episode we parse our way through a Choral Journal Article from December of 2018 called “What is Written on our Choral Welcome Mats” with the author, Dr. John Perkins of Butler University. In the article, Dr. Perkins seeks to tie the tendency toward valuing a performance standard and competition in choral culture to […]

“Necessity is the mother of taking chances.” Mark Twain August is winding down; September is almost here and summer is over. During most of August, we here at Choral Potpourri Blog have tried to get you thinking of ways to hit the ground running this fall. Today, the last Thursday of the month, we’d like […]

On this broadcast of Going Beyond Words and ACDA Radio, host Stan Schmidt invites you to be part of a very special edition. You will hear the oratorio Women of Valor based on important Jewish women of the Old Testament. The composer is Andrea Clearfield. It is scored for two soprano soloists, narrator, and orchestra. […]

The August 2018 issue of Choral Journal one year ago featured an article from Carol Krueger and Jill Wilson titled “Foundations of Music Literacy: Jerome Bruner’s Contributions to Choral Music Education.” Below is an excerpt of the article, and you can read it in its entirety in the August 2018 issue! Go to acda.org/choraljournal and click “Search Archives.” Choose […]

“Rules” are Rigid “Consequences” are for Criminals What if we ditched the antiquated “Rules” and “Consequences” and adapted a modernized way to establish classroom culture? Choral Clarity Blog presents: Ditch your Choir “Rules” and lose the “Consequences”

In this episode Marques and I discuss importance of the music of black composers that do NOT fit into categories of idiomatically black music like Gospel, Jazz and Spirituals. The conversation ranges from the social aspects at play in spreading the word about this music, all the way to what it’s like to be minority […]

“Nothing so needs reforming as other people’s habits.”  Mark Twain During the last two weeks, Choral Potpourri Blog focused on what you need and what you do. Today we’ll be thinking about our behavior inside of rehearsal. It’s easier to be objective when not actively in the midst of rehearsals or the academic year. While […]

This week on Going Beyond Words and ACDA Radio, host Stan Schmidt echoes a show he created in January 26, 2014. The Composer’s Prodigious Pen will help you recall some marvelous choral works by such composers like Heinrich Schütz, Greg Smith, England’s Cecilia McDowall, Stephen Chatman from Canada, Johann Christoph Bach, Pierre Villette of France […]

ChorTeach is ACDA’s quarterly publication for choral conductors and teachers at all levels. It is published online, and each issue contains four practical articles. If you are not already a member of ACDA, you can join and receive access to ChorTeach online. Below is an excerpt from an article written by Nicole Aldrich appearing in the Summer 2019 issue._____________________________________ Older adults […]