His Goal: Amplify Love of Singing

Tim Sharp discovered a love of singing at an early age. His participation in a local children's choir sparked a love of choral music that continues to this day. After spending many years as a choral director, Sharp recently was named executive director of the American Choral Directors Association

It comes as no surprise that Sharp is a passionate advocate for singing. For many young people, choral music becomes an entry-level arts experience. Whereas band and orchestra players spend considerable time learning the complexities of their instrument, choral music allows young people to experience an artistic moment without a significant investment of time.

"It's an amateur art form in the best sense of the word,” Sharp said. "When I was in high school, a touring choir came to my hometown. I didn't know how beautiful a choir could sound because I was always in one. It was one of those pivotal moments that led me to consider a career in music.

"The moment I stepped on the platform for the first time, I saw that I could shape the sound. It was my ideas making something happen musically that really motivated me. I loved the idea of shaping sound and quickly found that to be my medium.”

From 1997 to 2000, Sharp was director of choral activities at his alma mater, Belmont University in Nashville, Tenn. In 2000, he accepted a position at Rhodes College in Memphis, Tenn., where he was dean of fine arts, music department chair, director of the Center for Outreach in the Development of the Arts, and conductor of the Rhodes Singers and Rhodes MasterSingers Chorale.

As executive director of the choral directors association, Sharp oversees a national organization with a membership that exceeds 20,000. All 50 states have an association chapter, each of which reports to one of seven regional divisions. The organization's mission is to promote excellence in choral music through performance, composition, publication, research and teaching.

"ACDA allows me to amplify my love for the medium in a much more national platform,” Sharp said. "It's what appeals to me about this and why I took the job. I have love and enthusiasm that I hope will help inspire this whole organization. I see myself as the No. 1 broker of ideas. I ask myself, ‘What can I do to help these choirs?'”

The association also is involved in expanding the choral music repertoire through commissions. It recently asked noted American composer Dominick Argento to write a piece for the association's national convention in March 2009. The convention will be held in Oklahoma City.

"If we're going to keep choral music alive, we need to commission the best choral music composers in the world,” Sharp said. "You're contributing to the best of what's going to be written for the great choirs of the world.”

Although Sharp spends much of his time overseeing the organization, he still accepts a few guest conducting opportunities. In 2009, he'll conduct Handel's "Messiah” in Dublin, the site of its 1742 premiere. Also on the books is a concert of choral highlights from Italian opera in Verona, and concerts in Israel and China.

"I'm very optimistic about the future of choral music,” Sharp said. "The number of choirs has steadily increased, we hear more and more choral music in mainstream movies, we're getting more air time on radio and attendance at choral events is up. I think we're at an all-time high participation level.

"My concern is that the arts don't get left out of the ‘no child left behind' movement. I don't want us to become a culture that dismisses the arts. In choral music, one director may influence as many as 150 people. My goal is that every child could sing in a choir if they want. If we can get them involved at a young age, we can build audiences for years to come.”

By Rick Rogers
The Oklahoman, Sunday, May 25, 2008