American Choral Directors Association

The mission of ACDA is to inspire excellence and nurture lifelong involvement in choral music for everyone through education, performance, composition and advocacy.

You are here: Home / Advocacy

Advocacy

Visit our ACDA Advocacy and Collaboration Facebook group and join us in this work!

ACDA Advocacy Statement

The human spirit is elevated to a broader understanding of itself and its place in the world through the study of and participation in choral music. Singing in a choir produces more active and involved citizens. It affects self-worth in youth and adults.  It builds connectivity throughout communities.  Society benefits from the aesthetic beauty and community of singers created by choral programs within schools, houses of worship, and community organizations through involved citizenry, connectivity throughout communities, and feelings of personal self-worth.

The American Choral Directors Association and its membership resolve to ensure the survival of choral programs for this and future generations by

  • actively voicing support for funding at local, state, and national levels of education and government 
  • collaborating with local and national organizations to ensure the distribution of arts funding data and arts-related activism opportunities
  • advocating for full access to choral singing and inclusion of all singers in a choral program
  • ensuring the distribution of advocacy statements and data regarding choral programs

ACDA Statement Sign-ons

Arts Education Is Essential (May 2020)

The Arts Sector and COVID-19 Relief (May 2020)

ACDA’s Advocacy History

  • ACDA’s first national arts advocacy resolution was created in 1993 in a process led by then president William Hatcher. Written by Bruce Becker, with input from Diana Leland, the purpose of the statement was to create awareness about the need for adequately funded arts programs.
  • In 2012, a new ACDA mission statement was crafted that formally included advocacy: “The mission of the American Choral Directors Association is to inspire excellence in choral music through education, performance, composition, and advocacy.”
  • The Advocacy and Collaboration Committee was created in 2015 and launched in 2017. The committee is currently chaired by Emily Burch. Members are Lynn Brinckmeyer, Karen Bruno, Joe Cerutti, Robyn Lana, and Anthony Trecek-King.
  • COVID-19 Response. Advocacy has been an important aspect of ACDA’s response to the global pandemic. An ad hoc committee appointed to provide members guidance during this uncertain time, worked with the Advocacy and Collaboration Committee to include an Advocacy Statement & Strategies During the COVID-19 Pandemic as part of that June 15, 2020, report.