The July 5th announcement of the passing of Brazeal Dennard, esteemed choral conductor and educator, marked a significant event in the choral music history of Michigan. A lifelong resident of Detroit, Mr. Dennard excelled throughout his life as a music…
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Isn’t it strange that princes and kingsand clowns that caper in sawdust rings,and common people like you and me Are builders for eternity? Each is given a bag of tools, a shapelessmass, a book of rules, and each must…
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MARK PUCHALA – 2009-10 Recipient Mark Puchala holds a Bachelor of Music Education degree in Choral Music from Central Michigan University and a Master of Music in Voice from the University of Michigan. He is the chair of the Music…
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ACDA is… a professional organization for professional choral directors. Other organizations serve singers/institutions. Our role is to serve CONDUCTORS! The ACDA-MI Convention is a State Level convention with National Clinicians! The following is adapted from the ACDA National website: How…
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“Why not take choir? It’s an easy A!” As choral educators we cringe when we hear those words, not only because we don’t like the stigma of our ensemble being an “easy A,” but also because we know how much…
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Singing in the brain Neuroscience takes mental note of our affinity for music. “Humans use music, collectively and individually, in ways that we are just now beginning to scientifically understand.” http://legacy.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20071115/news_lz1c15brain.html Note: If this link doesn’t work, please copy the above address…
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One of the best activities I have built into my advanced choir’s schedule is our Fall Retreat. It has proven enormously beneficial to the choir on many levels, most of which are extra-musical. The retreat gives the students a chance…
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Some of us may laud Benjamin Franklin for inventing the “double spectacles” because they allow us to read up close and see far away with one pair of glasses. Some of us may curse bifocals as we strain our necks…
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Today’s technology offers a wide variety of options to incorporate the use of digital recording in our classrooms and also to efficiently distribute these recordings to our students. Whether or not you have a recording setup in your classroom currently…
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At a recent ACDA state meeting, our president, Richard Ingram, had us break into small groups and discuss the future of our state chapter and some visions we have. When it came around to me, I shared with the group…
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