Two North Central Division high school choirs have the enviable opportunity to spend time with Nathaniel Dett Chorale Founding Artistic Director Brainerd Blyden-Taylor and members of the Dett Chorale in a mini-residency. Conference-goers are invited to observe as Blyden-Taylor, who has worked successfully with choral singers of all ages, gives these singers from Decorah (Iowa) […]
Brainerd Blyden Taylor, Jason F. Rausch, Philip BrownInterest Session
Making it Count: Getting the Most of Your College Education
The collegiate years are an exciting phase of life for musicians. During this time, students develop their musical abilities, prepare for the “real world,” learn time-management skills, and participate in enriching opportunities outside of the classroom. These years are also important for building interpersonal relationships, establishing one’s identity, and recognizing one’s purpose as a musician. […]
Des Moines IA.Wesley G. Smith
Level the Playing Field: Using Barbershop Harmony to Get More Males into Your Choral Program
Choral directors all over the country are in a constant struggle to balance their choirs. Increasing influences from society, along with peer pressure, makes singing in many middle and high schools “uncool” for boys. Even with shows like Glee, The Sing-Off, and The Voice, young male voices tend to resist joining choirs.What if the boys […]
Des Moines IA.Adam Scott
International Conductor Exchange Program Visiting International Conductor from China
The North Central ACDA Division hosts two top Chinese conductors at the Des Moines conference as part of ACDA’s international conductor exchange program, where they will lead a session on Chinese choral repertory accessible to Western choirs and interact with choral conductors from across the division. Following their presentation at the North Central Division Conference, […]
Wu Lingfen, Jin Ye, David PuderbaughiPads in Choral Music Education
The iPad continues to be a driving force in education and is a rare device that can actually fit into the choral rehearsal. The iPad can be used for many things in choir, from sight-reading to replacing printed choral music. This session will focus on integrating the iPad into choral music at various levels of […]
Des Moines IAChristopher J. Russell
Inspiration: Breathing New Life into the Choral Music of the Renaissance
Published and public domain choral editions often give little or no information about the music other than cursory notes and limited editorial markings. Many conductors are often left to teach the music with little information to properly teach historical performance practices, languages, and make necessary editorial changes to the score. The purpose of this session […]
Des Moines IA.Nicholaus B. Cummins
