Have you ever programmed a spiritual or gospel piece but were at a loss as to how to give it life beyond the printed page? African American spirituals are well known to have risen out of the hard labor context of American slavery. How did the rhythm of work songs influence the singing of these […]
Oklahoma City OK.Repertoire
All Roads Lead to Repertoire: Creating a Successful Program through Appropriate Literature
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 […]
Oklahoma City OK.Amy Johnston Blosser
Win-Win-Win
Who wins when we look outside the choral community for composers, collaborators, and audiences? We all do! Join us for an immersive experience as several experimental musicians, an arts education non-profit, and a choir director discuss a unique collaborative project model. Since 2015, the Camas High School Choir has been collaborating with indie rockers and […]
Portland OR.Ethan Chessin
“Sing Me a Sorrow… Sing Me a Spiritual”
Violence and systemic racism led to the Black Lives Matter movement as a response to issues of racial profiling and inequality in the United States. How can we as choral artists respond to these issues? This session invites conductors to respond by sharing the rich heritage of African American spirituals. Moving beyond the rousing concert […]
Portland OR.Timothy Westerhaus
Reinvigorating the Chestnuts
The process of discovering new artistry and musicianship through “tried and true” repertoire should be a part of our standard choral curriculum. These “Chestnut” songs become part of the canon because of the music’s ability to stand the test of time. Instead of just performing these pieces through emulation of past performances, the reexamination and […]
Portland OR.Meg Stohlmann
Music Literacy: Using CPDL to Promote Sight- Singing in the Choral Classroom
This session features a sight-singing curriculum that utilizes choral scores from various time periods found exclusively in the Choral Public Domain Library. Available for students to access online at school or at home, this program is designed to support music literacy and promote independent learning in the developing mixed chorus. It includes quality repertoire that […]
Portland OR.Lauren Whitham
