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.
This interactive session is designed to transform the musically mundane to the musically miraculous through the use of technology integration! It will demonstrate the use of free online resources designed to captivate students’ attention and rejuvenate the educational aspect of rehearsal. Discover how to use technology to your advantage and to cultivate student engagement/autonomy. Students […]
Seattle WA.Improvisation is the foundation of jazz! Many educators have come up through the educational system having never experienced first hand improvising in a jazz setting. Thus, many jazz choir directors avoid including any kind of improvisation with their own groups. This session will explore strategies and techniques to successfully integrate vocal improvisation into your rehearsals/performances.
Seattle WA.Grades. What do they mean? How do we arrive at a grade for students?What is the difference between assessment and grading? What is fair grading practice? What about standards-based grading? Grading and assessment are not always addressed in pre-service music education but are part of the job of every music educator. This session is participatory […]
Seattle WA.Circle singing, a form of vocal improvisation devised by Bobby McFerrin, has the potential to transform choral music education and school choral performances. Living somewhere between notated choral music and purely improvised sounds, this process can lead students toward improvisation using elements of a more “traditional” choral experience. Circle singing presents a new possibility for […]
Chicago IL.Since communication and expression of the text is at the heart of choral music making, beautiful and clear diction is essential. In addition, singing a choral composition in its original language is both faithful to the composer’s vision and educational for our students. So don’t let the challenge of teaching foreign-language diction get in our […]
Chicago IL.The number of college students who will soon be new conductors as well as conductors with less than five years experience is on the rise. The first few years in any position can be simply overwhelming, and one can often feel unprepared. Even with strong undergraduate programs preparing students through ensemble and studio work as […]
Chicago IL.
