Secular music from Eastern Europe has been steadily growing in popularity among high school and college-level choral groups. Its intrinsic characteristics like asymmetrical meter, modal melodies, rich textures,and specific vocal production give the music from the Balkan Peninsula a unique quality and character that breathes spirit and vigor. In this presentation, the clinician will examine […]
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Dialogue and Participation in the Choral Performance of Sacred Harp Music
Mounting interest in folk and world music has led to increased choral performance of Sacred Harp—or shape note—repertoire.Sacred Harp is a communal musical practice that originated in the singing schools of colonial New England and is still active today. Lack of awareness in the choral community regarding Sacred Harp and its wide-spread accessibility for participatory […]
Dare to Be Powerful
Girls and women deserve all the opportunities and respect afforded to boys and men, yet the face of gender bias and misogyny persists in all areas of life: in the workplace,at school, in arts, culture, politics,and most virulently, in social media. This session explores how the women’s choir rehearsal room, so often a nurturing oasis, […]
Body Mapping in the Choral Rehearsal
Good posture is crucial to good singing and good conducting. While posture has generally been taught by demonstration (which appeals to visual learners), recent work in Body Mapping by Barbara Conable gives alternate methods for all of us to have better access to a comprehensive understanding of our bodies and kinesthetic awareness of ourselves in […]
All Roads Lead to Repertoire: Creating a Successful Program through Appropriate Literature Selection
The responsibilities of choral directors in the classroom are numerous and can often seem overwhelming. The focus of this session will be how the selection of literature is the crux of the choral program and the basis for all other decisions that are made throughout the academic year. ACDA’s National Chair for Repertoire and Resources […]
The Use of Movement to Enhance Choral Rehearsal and Performance
Many believe world music is a cross-curricular discipline that can expand worldview through exposure to the music and performance practices of different cultures. Recent surveys indicate some directors maybe reluctant to program world mu-sic due to the challenges of teaching language, concerns over tone production, and limited time available to teach the music. This session […]
