The presenters of this session were born in the same year, prior to the first moon landing, when ACDA was in its infancy. Each was mentored by conductors who became formative in their lives, not only musically, but in a holistic sense. Upon reflection, the presenters identified three traits that characterized these mentors: artist, teacher, […]
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The Brain that Came to Rehearsal
Those who do the work, do the learning! This session will utilize brain-behavior research to optimize the rehearsal process for all learning styles and interaction methods. Singers fully engaged in the process will work harder and learn more because they become more active participants in singer-focused rehearsals. By focusing on how singers of all ages […]
A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood: Building Our Choral Communities in the Image of Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood
The gentle yet powerful, soft-spoken yet courageous voice of Mister Fred Rogers continues to inspire our world’s neighborhoods today. This session will explore how the simple yet profound lessons explored for more than three decades of “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood” can become a model for our choral classrooms, church music ministries, and choir communities
Singing with Big Ears: Using Vocal Jazz Exercises to Improve Ear Training Across the Entire Choral Program
Do you wish every singer in your choir was a monster sight-reader, had flawless intonation, and could learn advanced music quickly? Vocal jazz warmups develop high-level ear training for singing complex jazz harmony, and these same techniques can be used with any other kind of choir. This session will show conductors how to use simple […]
Rediscovering Early Music with Members of Seraphic Fire and Early Music America
You don’t need to understand the complexity or history of early music for it to be available to people on all emotional, intellectual, and musical levels. Early music has many of the ingredients for teaching—not just musicianship, but also musicality. Join members of Seraphic Fire and Early Music America for this reading session and discussion […]
It’s About All of Us: The Collaborative Future of Choral Music in Empathy, Servant Leadership, and Selflessness
Transformational choral experiences are a much desired yet elusive result of our work. These moments that touch lives and create lifelong singers can occur all too rarely. In this session, four leaders will share their vision, research, expertise, and experience in the search for a truly communal art. Discussion will explore inspiring models for empathetic […]
