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.

You are here: Home / Archives for Ensemble Development

Ensemble Development

Choir is … Meanings of the Choral Experience, grades 7-12.

While music making is essential to the choral experience, 2012 Division Conferences – Interest Sessions the meanings found by choral students in grades 7-12 are far from confined to notes, rhythms, or vocal technique. Through an engaging and empowering session using the responses of over 200 choral students, Andrea will discuss the predominant themes of […]

Winston-Salem, NC
Andrea Ramsey



A New Model for Professional Choirs – featuring Seraphic Fire

Patrick Dupré Quigley and James Bass of the Grammy-nominated ensemble Seraphic Fire discuss the changing trends in American choral singing over the past 50 years that led to the growth of professional ensembles around the country.

Winston-Salem, NC
Patrick Dupré Quigley



The Thinking Rehearsal: Creating Independent Musicians in the Choral Setting

This session will address the advantages of teaching rather than simply rehearsing your choir and model techniques for structuring the rehearsal to engage your singers to think and solve musical problems independently. Octavos of various voicings and difficulty will be used to demonstrate the application of this approach to all age and ability levels.

Providence, RI
Joy Hirokawa



Singing From the Heart: Working With People of “Different Abilities”

Making music with singers who have intellectual and physical disabilities offers great rewards and significant challenges. As the core of the ACDA Eastern Division’s Building Communities Festival Choir, Joyful Noise’s singers will share their passion for music with the singers and music therapists joining them in conference rehearsals and this interest session led by Allison […]

Providence, RI
Allison Fromm,



My Administration Want y Administration Wants a Glee Choir: a Glee Choir: What Do I Do?

The main focus of this session is assisting the current choral educator, at whatever level, with the implementation of a show choir. The session will provide guidance in developing a basic teaching philosophy for inclusion of a show choir utilizing the ACDA Show Choir Standards of Excellence and basic information on how to achieve those […]

Providence, RI
Robert Lawrence



Mentoring in the Ensemble Arts: Helping Others Find Their Voice

This session examines the mentor/protégé dynamic and its critical impact on the lives of ensembles and their conductors. Drawing from research and personal experience, this presentation gives a portrait of a rarely discussed aspect of the conductor’s life. The goal of the session is to help the conductor realize the full potential of the mentor/protégé […]

Providence, RI
Tim Sharp