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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Ensemble Development



Where 10 or 12 are Gathered: Strategies for Smaller Church Choirs

This session will focus on the unwritten job description of the part-time church music director and strategies, resources, and repertoire for fulfilling these musical and non-musical responsibilities with limited time, limited funding, and a limited number of singers. While this session will focus specifically on smaller church choirs, much of the content will be applicable […]

Jacksonville FL.
Matt Caine



A Choral Nest-Building Blueprint: Raising Singers and Lifelong Musicians

Do you wonder why your singers leave your choir? Do you want to strengthen your current and future membership? Do you want to help your current singers persist in singing in choirs throughout their lifetime? This session will explore the psychological and sociological constructs involved in why singers continue to sing. We will delve into […]

Minneapolis MN.
Doreen Fryling



This is Us: Creating, Changing, and Inspiring Choir Culture

The students that make up our choral ensembles may hold their own cultural ideals, but their unique paths cross each time they enter our classroom, tasking us with the responsibility of creating, changing, and inspiring a culture of choral music. This session will take the audience through four seasons of comedy and drama over thirty […]

Oklahoma City OK.
Ashley Dame, Nathan Dame



Developing Community in the Choral Rehearsal

Singers are looking for a place to belong and be accepted, and we are responsible for creating this hospitable environment. This session will examine strategies for fostering a communal environment in any setting involving choral music. Vulnerability, trust, nurture, honesty, story telling, collaboration, playing, building traditions, and fostering group commitment will be explored.

Kansas MO.
Randall Bradley, Melissa Ebert



Striking the Right Chord: Building a Sense of Harmony and Identity within the Non-Auditioned Choir

Choir directors face a myriad of challenges in building their choral programs, from recruiting and retaining singers to finding repertoire, to developing the desired choral sound in their choir. Directors of non-auditioned choirs, however, face a unique challenge: establishing a unified identify for their ensemble that makes students want to sign up for their choir. […]

Oklahoma City OK.
Sheri Cook-Cunningham