by Jared Anderson, ACDA Michigan President
Summer has finally arrived in all of Michigan, even way up north in the UP! I hope that you are all having a restorative summer season, a time when many conductors and students have time to breathe and prepare for a new year of choral singing. We recently held our June board meeting in Grand Rapids. The state board is fully engaged in a number of endeavors, including an upcoming men’s chorus festival as well as the ACDA-MI Fall Conference on Oct. 28-29 in Kalamazoo. The conference will have something for everyone with headliners Dr. Z. Randall Stroope (Oklahoma State University) and Dr. Carol Beynon (University of Western Ontario and Amabile Choirs of London, Ontario). They will present the following interest sessions:
Music and Memory: Straightening Out the Forgetting Curve
Practical Medicine for Pitch Irregularity
Singing my way back to you: Reflections on the singing and learning journeys of persons with Alzheimer’s Disease, caregivers, high school singers, and choral directors in an intergenerational choir
Breaking Bad – From the First Rehearsal to the Performance
Two other interest sessions will be presented by R&R chairs Thomas Blue (Jr. High/Middle School) and Greg Jasperse (Vocal Jazz). These sessions will include repertoire packets for conference participants.
There will be conducting masterclasses for undergraduate and graduate students. There will be a student interest session on interviewing for jobs. Student chapter members will also have the opportunity to have a Q&A lunch with our conference headliners.
We will have four exciting concert sessions. Our headliner choir will be Primus: Amabile Men’s Choir. I have heard these gentlemen sing and seen them work as mentors for young singers. They are great singers and wonderful role-models. They will also serve as the demonstration choir for the undergraduate conducting masterclass. I encourage you to follow this link to hear a recording of Primus:
The other concerts will feature choir from around the state of Michigan, including:
MSU Young Women’s Chorus, Kyle Zeuch
Lake Orion High School Chamber Choir, Bryce Thompson
Central Michigan University Chamber Singers, Nina Nash-Robertson
Grand Valley State University Arts Chorale, Ellen Pool
Rockford High School Advanced Women’s Ensemble, Mandy Mikita Scott
Berrien Springs Middle School 7th & 8th Grade Choir, Carrie VanDenburgh
Measure for Measure, Steve Lorenz
2-year College Honor Choir, Gabriela Hristova
Registration will open on August 1. We hope you will join us in Kalamazoo this fall!
