Virginia enjoyed a successful career teaching vocal music with the Big Rapids Public Schools. She was named MSVMA Teacher of the Year in 1998 and received the Outstanding Administrator Award from the Michigan Music Educators Association in 2006. While teaching, her choirs and students consistently received superior ratings at festivals, performing at state, regional, and national conventions. An active adjudicator and clinician, she conducted two 6-7-8-9 honors choirs for MSVMA, served on the staff of the University of Michigan All-State Camp at Interlochen, conducted the Michigan Ambassadors of Music European Tour Choirs for three years, conducted the SSAA choir at Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp for 4 summers, served on the music faculty of Central Michigan University, and is currently an adjunct faculty member of Grand Valley State University. In August of 2010 Virginia was a member of a People to People delegation that traveled to South Africa to study music education instructional delivery. An active ACDA-Michigan member, she serves as the Women’s Choirs R&S chair.
In the Big Rapids community she is the founding director of Voca Lyrica, an adult women’s choir. Voca Lyrica has sung under the guest conductorship of Hilary Apfelstadt, Sandra Snow, Charlotte Adams, and Nancy Menk at Carnegie Hall. They have performed collaborations with the Tyner Chorale, the Ohio State University Women’s Glee Club, the Michigan State University Women’s Chamber Ensemble, the Lakewood Chorale Society, the Mountaintown Singers, the Oakland Singers, Carrillon, Trillium, and United Voices of Detroit. In the summer of 2007 Voca Lyrica toured Australia and New Zealand with a performance at the Sydney Opera House. This past summer Voca Lyrica toured Europe with performances in Prague, Vienna, Salzburg, and Dachau. Members will join women’s choirs from Canada and the United States in the performance of Music for Women’s Chorus in Avery Fisher Hall, New York City in March of 2012 under the baton of Hilary Apfelstadt.
Virginia enjoys traveling, reading, playing bridge, and spending time with her husband Bill and 9 grandchildren.
The mission and purpose of the Women's Choirs section is to provide a vehicle of communication from the board of directors to the membership. Repertoire and Standards committee chairs are required to contribute one article per year, due in September, as part of their responsibilities. We encourage out membership to submit news and articles of interest to the Women's Choirs Chairman - See R&S Board Directory »
Virginia Kerwin is the Executive Director of the Michigan School Vocal Music Association. In addition to fulfilling her administrative duties in this position, she has been a strong advocate for comprehensive vocal music education. She has represented MSVMA on the ArtServe Michigan Education Committee, MYAA, and MMC Boards. She has also participated in numerous Michigan Department of Education arts education projects, most recently the committee to establish the Michigan Merit Curriculum Visual, Performing, and Applied Arts Requirement. 