The Choral Music of the Americas was held on May 3–5, 2013, on the campus of North Dakota State University. Choral luminaries from throughout North, Central, and South America—including Maria Guinand, Tim Sharp, William Belan, Cristian Grases, Brainerd Blyden-Taylor, Imant Raminsh, and Hilary Apfelstadt—presented, conducted, and collaborated with other choral directors,the NDSU choirs, and regional […]
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And May God Give Us Faith to Sing Always— Purpose beyond Performance
In this session we will explore our vocation as conductors, teachers, performers, and pastoral musicians. While most trade workshops deal with the how to, this one will deal with the more philosophical realm: why do…. Tom Trenney will share his personal journey from conservatory to concert hall to congregation—from performer to servant musician—inviting us all […]
American Indian Choral Music: The Works of Brent Michael Davids
Most Americans probably know more stereotypes about Native Amer-can music than actual American Indian music. Brent Michael Davids is a highly successful composer of film and concert music and one of today’s leading choral composers, with multiple commissions by Chanticleer, the Dale Warland Singers,and many other ensembles. An enrolled citizen of the Mohican Nation, Davids […]
Vocal Jazz 101: An Instructor’s Kit with 10 Easy Steps for Starting Your Vocal Jazz Ensemble
Participants will be led by discussion and hands-on involvement through the following topics: audition process, music selection, programming suggestions, rehearsals, festivals, and the rhythm section, with specific tools helpful when developing the individual rhythm section instrumentalists. Every participant will receive a bound booklet that includes specific information on the following areas: 1. Auditions – Selecting […]
Tone Deafness and Other Myths
Singing is one of the earliest developing and most fundamental musical skills, but we don’t know as much as we should about how accurate singing develops and why it never develops for some children. Recently, a number of researchers from music education, psychology, and neuroscience have begun to explore systematically the prevalence of accurate singing […]
Taking the Mystery Out of Commissioning New Choral Works
This session will answer common questions about how to commission new choral works, including, “How do I approach a composer to initiate a commission?” and “How do we justify spending money on a commission?” Topics will include engaging and collaborating with composers, commissioning costs, funding models and sources, contracts, non-commission collaboration options, and composer residencies. […]
