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.

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Origins of the English Choral Tradition and How the English Sing

The English are famous for their choral tradition. Yet, with the sixteenth-century reformations, the musically austere commonwealth in the seventeenth century, and relative lack of “home-grown” talent in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, one technically shouldn’t exist. This session will explore why and how the English sing, the origins of SATB scoring and the countertenor […]

Santa Barbara CA.
David Skinner



Nā Lani ’ Ehā – The Royal Composers with the Hawai’i Youth Opera Chorus

This session gives the opportunity to share the music of Na Lani ’Eha with the intent to be a resource for the melee (song) and subsequent arrangements. Na Lani ’Eha wrote their music for their people, so the session will present melee in a fashion so that it is accessible to all ages and all […]

Santa Barbara CA.
Nola Nāhulu



Forty Warm-ups that Work, and Why

Because many students have no music teacher beside their choral director, their musical and vocal limitations are the choral director’s responsibility. The vocal warm-up, in addition to helping singers meet the immediate demands of the repertoire for their next concert, should systematically build the vocal skill set of our singers over time. This session will […]

Santa Barbara CA.
Frank Eychaner



Feeding of the High School Men’s Choir

This session is a presentation on the recruiting methods, classroom management techniques, repertoire selection, and administration of a high school level men’s choir program.

Santa Barbara CA.
Travis Rogers





Accessible and Exciting Historical Repertoire

This session will be a reading session of dynamic and engaging historical music (from medieval through the Romantic eras) available from the Choral Public Domain Library. The selected works have been edited by Elizabeth Schauerto eliminate errors and will include music in a variety of choral voicing for all ability levels and ages.

Santa Barbara CA.
Elizabeth Schauer