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 / Membership Central / Individual Membership

Individual Membership

Membership in American Choral Directors Association connects you to choral colleagues, provides you with access to tools and resources to help you and your choirs, and supports your professional development as a conductor and educator.

Membership Categories

Select the category that fits your situation, or contact us for assistance. Your category is based on your professional status – active, student, retired, or non-conductor/educator – with one option for people living outside the U.S. and Canada.

  • Active (choral professional in the U.S. or Canada): $125
  • Retired (retired from all paid choral positions): $45
  • Student: $15
  • Associate (online membership for people not in conducting, education, or administration): $45
  • International (live outside the United States and Canada): $45. Click the Join Now button to create your account, then contact to complete the join process.
Join Now

What can ACDA do for you?

Connect

  • State chapters offer a range of activities and communications throughout the year. Meet colleagues! (ACT, RET, STU)
  • ACDA’s online community, ChoralNet, is the professional networking site for the global online choral community. (ACT, RET, STU, ASSOC, INT)
  • National and regional conferences provide a wonderful way to charge your batteries by being among people who care about the choral arts as much as you do. (ACT, RET, STU, INT)
  • Access the International Federation for Choral Music’s publications with news and events around the world. (ACT, RET, STU, ASSOC)
  • Download the ACDA app from the App Store or Google Play and receive daily choral news, as well as the option to post your news and events and message other users.
  • Keep abreast of the latest job openings on the ACDA Career Center.

Learn

  • ACDA’s flagship publication Choral Journal provides you with practical and scholarship information about choral music and its performance. (Print: ACT, RET. Online: ACT, RET, STU, ASSOC, INT)
  • Online specialized journals include ChorTeach for choral educators and the International Journal of Research in Choral Singing, with scientific research in the field. (ACT, RET, STU, ASSOC, INT)
  • National, regional, and state conferences offer interest and poster sessions on a wide range of choral topics. National and regional conferences offer the option of earning graduate credit and professional development hours. (ACT, RET, STU, INT)
  • Use ACDA’s Mentoring Program to facilitate finding and working with a mentor on issues like skills development or support during career transitions (early career, graduate school, etc.) (ACT, RET, STU, INT)
  • Access a variety of repertoire tools to help you in programming, including vetted reading sessions and lists, reviews in Choral Journal, and Musica International, an international virtual choral library. (ACT, RET, STU, ASSOC, INT)

Lead

  • Join our thought leaders in keeping the association innovative and relevant. For example, a variety of standing committees grapple with increasing diversity in our ensembles and repertoire, encouraging composition, integrating advocacy efforts into our work, and more. Become involved in your state with this work! (ACT, RET, STU)
  • There are many association leadership opportunities, beginning at the state level. Talk to your chapter president for details. (ACT, RET, STU)
  • Sponsor an exceptional student to audition for an Honor Choir at a national or regional conference, as well as some state conferences. (ACT, RET)
  • If you see leadership in your high school choir room, encourage a student to attend ACDA’s NextDirection Choral Leadership Conference. for promising choral leaders. (ACT, STU)

Other Categories: Life

If you have been an ACDA member with Active membership for at least 10 years, you have the option to become a Life member by paying $3,000 in dues (lump sum or paid over a maximum of 15 years, at least $200 per year). While you are paying, you are a Paying Life member. Life members and Paying Life members have all the benefits of Active membership. Interested? Please contact the national office ( or (405) 232-8161, ext. 110) to confirm your eligibility and your new member category established.

  • Life: (option for Active members of at least 10 years) $3,000, or $200/year for 15 years

Click here to view a comparative table on member benefits.