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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 as an Associate for $45 per year and receive access to ChorTeach and the Choral Journal online. The Winter […]

A version of this post first appeared on the OUPblog on April 21, 2017, and is reprinted with permission of Oxford University Press. Choral singing has been, for some 150 years, one of the mainstays of local music-making and entertainment in the rural regions of Britain. As Director of Music at the University of Plymouth and […]

“The fox has many tricks. The hedgehog has but one. But that is the best of all.” Ralph Waldo Emerson I have a bag of tricks—I am not ashamed to admit it—to get my choirs to do what they need to do. Some are appropriate for young singers, some are appropriate for older singers and […]

This week on Going Beyond Words and ACDA Radio, Host Stan Schmidt Presents a more relaxed atmosphere as his broadcast features Songs Sung in Groups.   You will enjoy some very familiar folk melodies, and some selections on texts of William Shakespeare composed by George Shearing and Jaakko Mäntyjärvi, with choirs from Canada, The United States […]

The latest issue of Choral Journal is available online! 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 issue. If you are not already a member of ACDA, […]

There is a lot of great music out there for women’s choirs, but sometimes you have to dig hard to find pieces that are perfectly suited to the musical needs and to the voices of your individual choir.  My high school women’s choir is a decent size, but because of school scheduling, I can only […]

“Now I will believe that there are unicorns…,” William Shakespeare, The Tempest Last year around this time, I wrote a blog about unicorns. In it, I explained I feel like an exotic creature most of the time, outside of rehearsals or performances. I also spoke of enjoying being able to work with other like-minded folks […]

This week on Going Beyond Words and ACDA Radio, Host Stan Schmidt Presents a SPECIAL EDITION featuring a Jazz Requiem by Swedish Composer Nils Lindberg.   When listening to the Compositions and arrangements of Nils Lindberg, it soon becomes evident that his musical roots are from his native Dalarna, the traditional home of Swedish Folk Music.  […]

ChorTeach is ACDA’s quarterly online magazine for choral directors and music educators. The articles in each issue are gleaned from ACDA state and division newsletters and from submissions. ChorTeach is specifically designed for those who work with amateur singers and are looking for practical material to apply to classrooms and rehearsals. Below is a preview of the articles […]

Every voice matters. I teach over 300 middle school choral music students each and every day. I’ve always struggled with the fact that it was difficult to find time to listen to them individually in order to assess them in my classes of up to 84 students, and I’ve also worked hard to seek ways […]