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.
Conducting and singing are both highly athletic, a balancing act of tension and relaxation. Singers absorb incredible amounts of information from conductors, conscious and subconscious. Given that, what are we showing our singers through our use of our body? Is our gesture as fluid, organic, graceful, and clear as we would like? Are we able […]
Minneapolis MN.The number of college students and conductors with less than five years of experience is on the rise. It is essential for young conductors to establish a relationship with a seasoned conductor who acts as their mentor. Mentors wear many hats—motivator, resource, support, and coach. In order for mentoring to be successful, there must be […]
Minneapolis MN.Do I stop for that? What are the most effective techniques to “fix”things? Are first rehearsals different from second rehearsals? What are the roles of the conductor’s energy, high expectations, humor, and improvisation in creating efficient and productive rehearsals? Using an ensemble composed of volunteer singers from the audience, the clinician will demonstrate and reflect […]
Minneapolis MN.Conducting is communication, often through physical gesture. Frequently, young conductors can verbally articulate the desired musical idea but have trouble communicating that clearly through physical motion. Incorporating immediate video-feedback in the conducting classroom can assist students with critical observations, self-reflection, and implicit understanding of their own gestures. Instead of recording a conducting example only to […]
Kansas City MO.The science of mirror neurons continues to have strong applications in the choral community. Drawing from this science, research in music education has begun to understand how meaning, empathy, intent, and feeling are communicated through gesture. From this research, a gestural language is created, upon which efficient and meaningful rehearsal pedagogy may be developed. The […]
Kansas City MO.Utilizing concepts from piano and dance, this session will help beginning and advanced conductors develop a consistent gestural vocabulary in-formed by the musical ideas within a phrase, including articulation, harmony, vocal considerations, and text. Gestural ideas that will be explored include the ictus, weight, lift, acceleration, arm motion, wrist motion, and left hand. Through this […]
Kansas City MO.
PO Box 1705
Oklahoma City, OK 73101-1705
(405)232-8161
