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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Interest Session

Using Vocal Jazz Techniques to Improve Your Choir

This session will serve students and directors by proposing strategies used by vocal jazz ensembles that you can use in the large choir setting to improve your choirs musicianship skills, intonation, and confidence. Practical warm-ups and strategies will be offered to improve articulation, ear training, intonation, greater contrasting dynamics, sectional balance, and improvisation skills that […]

Sioux Falls SD.
Fred Ritter



Putting Humpty Dumpty Back Together Again: Rebuilding Choral Programs

Choir programs are destroyed and resurrected all around the country at every level. This session will look at what can be done to take a program that is on life support and turn it into a successful, thriving, and vibrant program. We will examine best practices from around the profession, what does not work, and […]

Sioux Falls SD.
Joshua Bronfman



Promoting Creativity and Critical Thinking in the Choral Classroom

Large ensemble music instruction may well be more teacher-directed than any other aspect of schooling. Often the process is relegated to merely recreating the conductor’s musical ideas—and doing so as quickly as possible! Students are frequently placed in a role to service the needs of the ensemble, not necessarily with an eye toward individual musical […]

Sioux Falls SD.
Jill Wilson





The Highs and Lows of a Choir: The Service of Treble and Bass Clef Ensembles within a Thriving Choral Organization

Treble and bass clef choruses should not function as the “catchall” for the singers not selected for our upper-level mixed choruses. Their importance in a thriving choral department can be seen through their unique development of vocal production, leadership capabilities, community building, and musicianship growth. This session will discuss the importance of these ensembles and […]

Sioux Falls SD.
Jennaya Robison, Brett Robison