Latest Blog Posts
Choral Art in the Worship Community of Tomorrow
(An excerpt from the interest session, “Promoting Choral Art in the Worship Community of Tomorrow: Providing Opportunities for High School Singers to Sing Quality Sacred Literature” by Eddie Quaid. Presented during the 2013 ACDA National Conference.) In Houston, Texas at historic St. Paul’s Methodist Church there exists a unique choir. From the beginnings […]
Choral Cross Training
(An excerpt from the interest session, "Choral Cross Training: Exploring the Music of Non-Western Cultures with Bel Canto Singers," by Ethan Sperry. Presented during the 2013 ACDA National Conference.) Should we sing THEIR songs THEIR Way? Isn’t it: > Unhealthy? > Impossible? > Unrefined? > Ugly? (THEY don’t sing that […]
Strategies for Small Church Choirs
(An excerpt from the interest session, “Where Ten or Twelve are Gathered: Strategies for Small Church Choirs,” by Matthew Caine. Presented during the 2013 ACDA National Conference.) I have one final resource to mention in regard to repertoire, one that is readily available, free to use, but, I imagine is seldom accessed in […]
Yoga for Conductors and Singers
(An excerpt from the interest session, "Yoga for Conductors and Singers," by Steven A. Russell. Presented during the 2013 ACDA National Conference.) It’s 6:45 AM. Two people get out of the elevator on the 38th floor of the Sheraton in Downtown Dallas. One has a yoga mat rolled up under her arm. The other […]
Conducting Women’s Choirs
(An excerpt from the panel session, “Conducting Women’s Choirs: Strategies for Success,” by Lynne Gackle. Presented during the 2013 ACDA National Conference.) The following concepts are of particular importance for teachers and conductors to understand and employ when working with young female singers: It is generally accepted that voice change is not complete […]
Finding the Shoe that Fits
(An excerpt from the interest session, “The Cambiata Voice, Finding the Shoe that Fits,” by Alan McClung. Presented during the 2013 ACDA National Conference.) When working with early adolescent male voices, choral music teachers are confronted with two primary musical challenges: The first challenge is identifying the vocal range of each student. The […]
Recruitment, Retention, and Repertoire
(An excerpt from the interest session, “Recruitment, Retention, and Repertoire for Two-Year College Choirs,” by Alice Cavanaugh. Presented during the 2013 ACDA National Conference.) A great way to encourage camaraderie and to simultaneously support students who cant read music is to create a seating chart that promotes collaborative learning. This is not the seating […]
Performing Polyphony
(An excerpt from the interest session, “Where Have All the Flowers Gone? A New Education- Performing Polyphony: Developing Independence, Style, and Musicianship,” by Jameson Marvin; assisted by the Texas Tech University Concert Choir, Richard Bjella, conductor. Presented during the 2013 ACDA National Conference.) When choral singers are offered the chance to sing lines […]
Challenging the Children’s Choir Movement
(An excerpt from the interest session, "Challenging the Children’s Choir Movement to Inclusionary Excellence" by Sarah Morrison and Carol Woodward Ratzlaff. Presented during the 2013 National Conference) Among the special needs community we find many complex and musically gifted young people who wish to sing, and who are willing to rehearse and persevere […]
The Art of Successful Programming
(An excerpt from the interest session, “The Art of Successful Programming: Study, Selection, and Synthesis,” by Richard Bjella. Presented during the 2013 ACDA National Conference.) All of us struggle with putting together an effective, efficient, and affective program. Almost always we are left only partially satisfied with the result, the response, the overall […]