ACDA-PA Polyphony, Spring-Summer 2016

7/26/2019 ACDA-PA Polyphony, Spring-Summer 2016

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Presidents WelcomeMatthew P. Fritz

ACDA-PA President

Dear Members,

For those of us on the academic side of our profession, summer has arrived or

will in short order. Of course concerts and other end-of-the-year activities make

life seem like a whirlwind! For our colleagues in the music in worship area of our

profession, there is some closure a-foot and a different type of pre-summerrush. We all look for time to rejuvenate whether it be reconnecting with friends

or spending quality down-time with loved ones, summer is vital to our physical,

emotional, spiritual, and PROFESSIONAL well-being!

So, amidst the planning for your summer rejuvenation, there are some

important dates to plan for:1. Registration for Summer Conference (June 1 deadline for early-bird

registration!!)

2. Summer Conference itself: August 1 & 2

3. Fall Conference Performing Choir Audition Application

June 2, 2016------Postmark deadline for mailing applicationmaterials

June 7, 2016------Executive selection committee convenes for

final screening.

Mid June, 2016------Invitations extended to choirs. All

notification will be sent via email.

4. Fall Conference: November 4 & 5

SUMMER CONFERENCE AUGUST 1 & 2 at Elizabethtown College

The fabulous Susan Medley, President-Elect, has been hard at work organizing

Summer Conference 2016 for us. On the agenda include something for

everyone:o Vance George, headliner

o

Multiple reading sessionso Eleven interest sessions with something for EVERYONE!!!o

Plenty of time to reconnect with ACDA friends

FALL CONFERENCE NOVEMBER 4 & 5 at

Susquehanna University

Held in conjunction with the PA Collegiate Choral

Association, college students can come together tmake music with A. Jan Taylor. Visit

http://pacollegiatechoral.orgfor more informationbringing your collegiate choir members.

In addition to the Collegiate Honor Choir, come seand hear some of the best PA choirs from all age

levels perform in Stretansky Hall!

Want to bring your choir? Complete an auditionapplication online:

http://www.acdapa.org/conferences/FallConf16/PormingChoirs/

We are a busy bunch. This edition of Polyphonycontains several articles written by your colleague

from throughout the state. Others are participatin

innovative programs to keep students singing

beyond high school. Still others work to bring yougreat conferences. Consider becoming more invol

in YOUR professional organization. We have severa

open positions on the Board for ACDA-PA and wo

LOVE to have your input! Let us know how we can

serve you and how you can help serve our profess

through ACDA! Hope to see you in August! And bewishes for a rejuvenating summer.

Inside This IssueSummer Conference Info 2

The For-Profit Choir 4

More Multi-Cultural Music! 5

Jazz Makes Connections 6

Spotlight: Voces Solis 7

The Keep Singing Project 8

News from the Pennsylvania Chapter of the American Choral Directors Association (ACD

Spring/Summer


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About our Headliner: Vance GeorgeVance George is internationally recognized as one of Americas

leading choral conductors. Under his direction the San Francisc

Symphony chorus has been hailed as one of the finest in the wo

On their behalf he has accepted four Grammy awards, for Best

Performance of a Choral Work Orffs Carmina Burana, 1992 and

Brahms Ein Deutsches Requiem, 1995, Best Classical Album of th

year Stravinskys Persphone, 2000 and Mahlers Symphony No.

3, 2004. He also conducted the San Francisco Chorus and Orche

in works ranging from Bachs Mass in B Minor to Carmina buranand film credits include an Emmy for Sweeney Todd, 2002 and

soundtracks forAmadeus, The Unbearable Lightness of Being,

and Godfather III. Vance Georges work embodies the legacy of

great maestros he has known as protg and colleague, especi

Robert Shaw, Julius Herford, Margaret Hillis, Robert Page, Otto

Werner-Mueller, and Mary Oyer. He has received great acclaim

his unique knowledge of musical styles, languages, vocal colors

and his synthesis of the choral-orchestral tradition. He was awa

an honorary doctorate by Kent State University, and a Lifetime

Achievement Award from Chorus America.

chedulesit www.acdapa.organd go to the Conferences link to see specific details about session topics and presenters.

Monday, August 145-10:00 Welcome

:00-11:00 Interest Session 1

Being the Middle Child: Bringing Your Middle School Feeder Program to Life

Presenter: Alexis Farrell

Theyre Too Pooped to Phonate, but You Need to Rehearse

Presenter: Judith Nicosia

Creating and Managing a For-Profit Community Choir

Presenter: Patricia (Pat) Guth

Performing Masterworks with your High School Choir

Presenters: James D. Moyer and Lindsey Bruno

:00-11:15 Shop with Musical Source

:15-12:45 Lunch (on your own)

:45-2:00 Vance George Session: Miniature Masterpieces

00-2:15 Break (Shop with Musical Source/Coffee/Tea/Snacks)

5-2:55 Reading Session 1 (3 choices)

College & University Choirs / Self-Published Composers

Male Choirs / Womens Choirs

Vocal Jazz / Show Choir

00-3:40 Reading Session 2 (3 choices)

Community Choirs / Music in Worship

Sr. High Choirs / Multicultural & Ethnic Choirs

Childrens & Community Youth Choirs /

Jr. High & Middle School Choirs

40-4:00 Break (Shop with Musical Source/Coffee/Tea/Snacks)

00-5:15 Vance George Session: The Artist Conductor --- You

5-6:00 R&R Area Roundtables

5-7:30 Dinner --- Bowers Writers House

45-9:00 Directors Chorus with Vance George:

Singing Brahms with piano 4-hands

00 After Hours at TJ Rockwells


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Tuesday, August 230-9:30 Interest Session 2

That First YearPresenter: Jordan M. Shomper

Your Altos will Thank You!Presenter: Grace Muzzo

Teaching High School Male Singers When You Are a Woman: Overcoming Vocal DifferencesPresenter: Jaclyn Johnson

How Do I Gesture That? Developing a Conducting Vocabulary to Capture Your Ideal SoundPresenter: Caron Daley

30-9:45 Break (Shop with Musical Source/Coffee/Tea/Snacks)45-10:45 Interest Session 3

Robert Shaw: His Atlanta DaysPresenter: Julia Brasher Thorn

Building independent musicianship through Audiation, Visualization, and AnticipationPresenter: Christopher G. McGinley

From the outback to the islands: Australian choral music for all choir levelsPresenter: Kym Scott

0:45-11:00 Break (Shop with Musical Source)1:00-12:15 Vance George Session: Sing It Like You Say It --- Choral Colors2:15-1:30 Lunch (on your own)30-2:15 R&R Area Roundtables

15-2:30 Break (Shop with Musical Source/Coffee/Tea/Snacks)30-3:30 Q&A with Vance George30-4:00 Closing sing --- Vance George00 Conference concludes (Board meeting to follow)

RegistrationRegistration OptionsMember Registration $150.00

etired Member $125.00Member's Spouse $100.00

tudent Member $60.00on-Member $160.00

n-Campus Housing $117.00ingle-Day $95.00

xtra Reading Packet $8.00

ease Note:

One-Day Rate$95 for either day, includes picnic for Monday.

Reading packets (choose 2)are guaranteed if requested before July 1.

Non-Member rateincludes $10 fee which can be applied to yourmembership in ACDA for one year if youchoose to join.

To Registerick the Register button at www.acdapa.orgunder

he Summer Conference link. Early bird registration

tes expire onJune 15, so register today!

HousingOn-CampusHousing is available on the campus of Elizabethtown College in HackmanApartments. There are 23 apartments, and each has two bedrooms with

two beds in each room, bathroom with shower, kitchen with refrigeratorand microwave and living room area with sofa, chairs and dining table. Allbeds have a pillow and a blanket. Sheets, pillowcase, towels andwashcloths are not included. The rates for the apartments for the night ofMonday, August 4 are:

4 people in an apartment at $29.25 each = Total of $1173 people in an apartment at $39.00 each = Total of $1172 people in an apartment at $58.50 each = Total of $1171 person in an apartment at $117 = Total of $117

Apartments must be reserved by July 25, and the entire fee of $117 is duewith the reservation request. It is the responsibility of the registrant tomake arrangements with and collect fees from any others who will sharethe room.

Holiday Inn ExpressLocated just a few miles from campus,the Holiday Inn Express has roomsavailable at a special rate forconference participants. Just mentionACDA-PA Summer Conference.147 Merts DriveElizabethtown, PA 17022(717) 367-4000

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A New Model for Success?By Patricia Guth

ur years ago, I sat at my kitchen table

ndering the next direction I would takemy long musical career. In the 30 years

ce college, I had taught in private and

blic schools, struggled through more

no lessons than I care to count, and

d already spent some 37 years as the

ector of music at various churches in

colic Bucks County, Pennsylvania. I was

ling stale, bored. So it was time for aw project.

husband, also a lifelong professional

usician, was helping me brainstorm.

hat, he asked, have you always

nted to do in your musical career that

u havent yet done? The answer wasmple as the question was one I had

ndered many times. Thats easy, Id. Id like to form and conduct a

mmunity chorus. But there were

eady a huge number of such chorusesthe Greater Philadelphia area and I

dnt view much hope for success.

ver the type to give up easily, I kepts goal in the back of my mind and, as

ese things tend to happen, in the

ddle of the night the idea of forming a

mens chorus came to me. After a little

earch, I discovered there were just one

two options in our area for women

o wish to sing together --- a Sweet

elines group about 30 miles away andeminist chorus in Center City

ladelphia. I wasnt leaning towardsher of those styles; I was hoping to

mply form a womens community

oup open to all, performing a variety of

ostly-secular repertoire.

e thing bothered me, however. I hadne the community chorus thing

fore, but with children. I loved the kids

but I hated the whole non-profit schtick,

things like attending board meetings,

fundraising, and sometimes bowing tothe musical and administrative wishes of

others, even when I knew best.

On the other hand, my husband and I

have been entrepreneurs for some time.

We opened a teaching studio in 1997 and

also market ourselves as musicians in thefreelance realm. We knew how to run a

business so why not make this new choir

a business?

We thought about this option for a while

and even asked for opinions from our

many friends in the choral world. The

general reaction was Youre Crazy! No

one is going to join a community choir

thats not a non-profit organization! Wethought perhaps they were right, but

anxious to get the group started bySeptember (it was June) and willing to try

and fail, we put together a business plan

and forged ahead.

No one was more surprised than us that it

worked! A press release sent to the localnewspaper was, happily, nabbed by a

reporter who wanted to do a featurearticle on the founding of the group, so

we met with him and outlined all the

specifics of membership, INCLUDING the

fact that members would pay a certainfee each month in exchange for never

having to fundraise. We told them theydbe paying for their uniform and music

but theyd never have to sell a minimum

number of tickets for a concert.or any

at all, if they preferred. That made them

happy!

In short, the phone rang and rang. By the

end of the first week, I had spoken to 115

women and nearly 90 showed up at

pre-season gathering I organized --- a

of meet-and-greet that solidified my

inkling that I had stumbled upon a g

idea. At the first rehearsal two weeks

later, 81 women came, checkbooks inhand, eager to get started. Today, we

delighted to have 92 singers. More th70 percent have been with us since t

beginning. Four years later, wevepresented about 40 concerts, donate

$6500 to arts-related charities, enjoy

concert tour of Northern Italy, and ar

readying ourselves for our second toHungary and Austria.

Yes, I choose the music. I choose the

concert venues. I even chose the unif

All by myself. But when I need help w

an event or activity, my happy choris

stand ready to pitch in. Several pairs

helping hands are always available.

Ask any choir member why theyd wa

to pay a monthly fee to belong to a c

and theyll tell you they spend more

venti latte and a cookie at a certain

popular coffeehouse than they do ea

week for choirand they get a whol

more from their evening of singing. A

them if they mind that I make moneythe director and theyll tell you Of co

not. She works hard for it. Those wh

dont want to pay dont join, but wevcertainly foundenough who recogn

that its well worth the cost.

For me, its been a win-win situation.

been able to supplement my income

course, but Ive also realized my dreacreating and directing a community

chorus without having to deal with t

trappings of the non-profit model. A

have 92 new friends.


5/8

The Dire Need for More Multi-CulturalMusic in the Choral Classroom

By Matthew Erpelding

the slim chance you were unaware of it, this is a presidentialection year in the United States. As is typical, cultural issues,

ke those centered on race, religion, and gender, are at the very

orefront of this years political conversation. What isnt typical

hough is the timbre of this conversation. The rhetoric of this

ears presidential candidates is at times alarmingly uninformed

nd ignorant, even destructive and dangerous. Such vitriolicalogue begs this question: when and where is the most

ffective place to learn how to interact respectfully with people

fferent from ourselves?

o begin, we all must acknowledge that we are only able to

ew the struggles of others through the lens of our ownxperiences. We, with our own uniquely personal cultural

erspectives, may struggle to find true common ground with

eople from different backgrounds. This holds true no matterow strong our desire to understand others may be. However,

here are places where other cultures can not only be studied,

hey can also be experienced and valued; places where respect

nd empathy for people different from us is not only learned,

ut is also requisite for success. These places are classrooms

here students study and sing multicultural choral music------andseems that this kind of learning may be needed more than

ver.

her book Music Education and Multiculturalism,Terese M.

olk states that the diversification of the U.S. population, a new-

ound sensitivity to global intercultural relationships, and annderstanding of the synergy between people and the world

hey occupy are reasons enough to incorporate multiculturalismto the modern classroom (5). Music education is an ideal

means by which to instill these kinds of multiculturalonnections and intercultural competencies. First, music is

early ubiquitous, yet vastly different from culture to culture------

essence, we all have some kind of music that is our music.

econd, multicultural music education is about the relationship

etween different people and their own music. Understandinghe role and function of music in the lives of people vastly

fferent from ourselves helps us to better understand and

mpathize with others. In many ways, the study of multicultural

music opens our ears, eyes, minds, and hearts to not just the

music of other people, but to the people themselves.

egarding multicultural music education, we choral directors

may be in positions of greater power and responsibility thanther music teachers. Consider some of the potential social

utcomes of singing in a choral ensemble, as documented in a

2009 study conducted by Chorus America. Members of ch

all ages within the study were more likely to volunteer and

participate in civic activities such as elections (9). Additionboth choral music educators and parents noted perceived

improvements in their students levels of self-confidence,creativity, and problem solving abilities (14). Even more st

were the ways parents of children in choirs described how

young choristers work as part of a community. For examp

87% of parents with children in choirs believed that their

singing children were helpful around the house, compare

64% of those parents whose children did not sing in choirOf parents with kids in choir, 84% stated that their children

contributed significantly to group activities, compared wit

of parents with non-singing kids (16). A full 77% of parent

surveyed asserted that choir helped their child become m

social; and 60% claimed that joining a choir helped their

children better to understand the emotions of others and

simultaneously better manage their own, with only 8% in

disagreement (17).

And so, the choral classroom appears to be an ideal place

students to not only learn about multicultural music, but t

embrace social skills and intercultural competencies that adesperately needed in todays society. Imagine an enviro

that exposes our students to the music and lives of other

peoples, while simultaneously fostering their minds and hto be better citizens. Consider a community enriched wit

experiences which sensitizes its members to the joys andhardships of people different from themselves, in a setting

where improved self-confidence and empathy are measur

outcomes. Picture a place where people are taught to va

and respect the artistic creations of others, and at the sam

are taught to help others and create their own collective a

This is why multicultural music is so important in ourclassrooms. There may be no better way to teach a studen

to value other people and cultures than to rehearse a

multicultural work to perfection, the same as we would an

our music. That demonstration of cultural respect, sensi

and empathy is quite possibly one of the greatest gifts we

impart on our students for the future of our world.

Now, if only some of this years presidential candidates wojoin a choir

WORKS CITED

Volk, Terese M. Music, Education, and Multiculturalism. NewOxford University Press, 1998.

Chorus America. The Chorus Impact Study: How Children, Ad

and Communities Benefit from Choruses. Washington, D.C.:

Chorus America, 2009.

Matthew Erpelding serves ACDA-PA as Multi-Cultural and Ethnic Music

Repertoire and Resources Chair. He is Director of Choral Activities and

Assistant Professor of Music at Lebanon Valley College.

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6

Using Jazz to MakeInterdisciplinary Connections

By Lindsey Bruno

ery year, educators are professionally charged with new initiatives to incorporate into daily lessons making it

rder to allow time for creativity in the classroom. These initiatives (common core, flipped classrooms, bringur own device and SLOs to name a few) make it increasingly more important for music educators to justify

e necessity of the music curriculum within their building. One reoccurring initiative that we as music

ucators can embrace is Interdisciplinary Learning.

eating an interdisciplinary unit or lesson can easily be applied to music because our art is so often derived

m culture and history. Jazz, in particular, is a direct reflection of Americas twentieth century history.

aching vocal jazz concurrently with American history can aid students in learning about the evolution of our

untry in the last one hundred years by observing the reflective effect Jazz has on art and culture and vice-

rsa

e Jazz Age (the period of time from the end of World War One to the beginning of the Great Depression)

s the birth of the popularization of jazz and holds a plethora of musical treasures. During the Roaring Twenties, America wa

up-swing. Politically and economically, our country was improving and expanding. The Great Gatsby (1925) by F. Scottzgerald brings to life the decadent life of Jay Gatsby. We can help our students connect parallels between Gatsbys life and ja

usic of the 1920s through several popular tunes from this era.

25 Sweet George Brown arr. Greg Jasperse --- Alfred Music Publishing

26 Someone to Watch Over Me George and Ira Gershwin/arr. Althouse --- Alfred Music Publishing

27 Blue Skies Irving Berlin/arr. Steve Zegree --- Hal Leonard Corporation

28 Basin Street Blues arr. Tom Anderson --- Hal Leonard Corporation

28 Mack the Knife arr. Russell Robinson --- Alfred Publishing Co., Inc.

29 Aint Misbehavin Fats Waller/arr. Mark Hayes --- Shawnee Press

e Great Depression followed the Roaring Twenties and era of Prohibition. Swing became the prominent style of jazz during t

me. Big Bands rose to popularity and helped lift the morale of young Americans throughout World War II. Students may recog

mes of big band leaders like Benny Goodman, Cab Calloway, Duke Ellington and Glen Miller. Students spend a fair amount of

rning about the Great Depression and the events that led up to World War II. Of Mice and Men (1937) by John Steinbeck,

other novel popular among English teachers, paints a portrait of American life during the Great Depression. Tunes from this t

riod are a great way to team up with your schools jazz band to create a combined project.

32 It Dont Mean a Thing Duke Ellington/arr. Roger Emerson --- Hal Leonard Corporation

33 Its Only a Paper Moon Harold Arlen/ arr. Kirby Shaw --- Hal Leonard Corporation

35 Summertime George Gershwin/arr. Mark Hayes --- Alfred Music Publishing

39 Over the Rainbow E.Y. Harburg and Harold Arlen/arr. Andy Beck --- Alfred Music Publishing

41 Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy arr. Alan Glasswock --- Lush Life Music (Vocal and Jazz Band parts)

ite a History teacher into your class to discuss the Roaring Twenties and Great Depression. Invite an English teacher to talk ab

y Gatsby and the music that was the soundtrack to his life. Collaborate with your band director on a big band piece. Reachingyond our American history, invite a Spanish teacher into talk about bossa nova and samba. The possibilities for interdisciplin

laboration through jazz music are endless!

dsey Bruno serves as Vocal Jazz Repertoire & Reading Chair for ACDA-PA. She is on the staff at Pennsbury High School.


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By Maura Underwood

oces Solis is committed to educating,spiring, and challenging its members and

udience through exceptional performances

f the highest quality choral chamber music.

ased out of the South Hills of Pittsburgh,

oces Solis brings music teachers,

rofessional musicians, choristers and

ommunity performers together to learn

nd perform a vast array of high-level choral

epertoire.

nd perform, they do! In this past year alone,

oces Solis hosted four of their own

oncerts, collaborated with the Chamberrchestra of Pittsburgh and performed with

he Chieftans and Pittsburgh Symphony

rchestra.

s one of the founding members of the

rganization, it has been my pleasure to see

his group evolve over the last five years. In

ct, I had no idea that the group would

ecome so successful, but with the talented

usicians of Pittsburgh, it doesnt surprise

e.

How do you start a choir? you might ask.Well, according to my experience, you invite

our best friends over for a movie night,

ake up the next morning to French toast,

show YouTube clips of your favorite choirsongs you wish you could sing again, and

start a choir. Yes, thats how it happened. We

were sitting around my kitchen table,

reminiscing about our favorite choral

experiences, and then it struck us that we

knew enough professional singers and

educators in our circles to jumpstart what

would be then be known as the Summer

Singers.

We rehearsed and performed in the

summers of 2011 and 2012, and by 2013,

there were enough members yearning tosing year-round that the group would

evolve; from then on, we were known as

Voces Solis.

Ryan Keeling joined the group in 2014, first

as a singer, then conductor, and now as

conductor and Artistic Director. Ryans

contributions have been numerous, through

repertoire and connection to community

performance groups, most recently, the

Chamber Orchestra of Pittsburgh. I chatted

with him about his thoughts on the group.

Q: As Artistic Director of Voces Solis, what

would you say are the strengths of the

organization?

A: Our first and biggest strength lies inexcellent singers in the organization. A

group of strong musicians, with great v

who are stylistically flexible, makes for

really exciting choir. Furthermore, they

happen to be really good people who

incredibly fun to be around which real

helps!

The second biggest strength is our eng

and active board of directors. Having a

group of leaders backing your group w

are willing to shoulder a lot of the

organizational responsibility is incredibimportant, and really a prerequisite to

sustained growth.

Q: What are the challenges of being th

Artistic Director of a fairly new choir?

A: The challenges of being the Artistic

Director of a fairly new choir are in a lo

ways the same as any organization.

Retaining top talent, programming ins

challenging concert experiences, and

bringing in enough funding to grow th

organization. I think maybe the biggeschallenge facing a new choir though, i

of funding and audience building. Perh

unfortunately, this means a heavy relia

on your members to bring an audience

your concerts, which will hopefully ins

them to return, bring others, and supp

the organization through donations as

Q: Whats new in the future of Voces So

A: What I'm most excited for in the futu

Voces Solis is in our programming. Goi

forward we are hoping to center eachconcert around a semi-extended or ma

work which allows us to explore some

thrilling repertoire that isn't typically h

in the standard chamber choir concert

Voces Solis has quite a line-up prepare

2016, including concerts in April, July,

August and October. You can find deta

information, as well as live recordings

www.vocessolis.org.

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ACDA-PAPolyphonyShaun Cloonan, Editor

North Hills High School

53 Rochester Road

Pittsburgh, PA 15229

Dear Pennsylvania Choral Director Friends,

I am happy to announce a second year of the KeepSinging Project! One common goal among chorusteachers is to inspire their students to be life-long

singers. We all work hard to keep students singing as

they transition from middle school to high school, and

now there is an easy way for you to help bridge the gap

from high school to college so they KEEP SINGING into

adulthood! Last year Pennsylvania had the second

highest response rate in the country! Thank you for

helping make that happen; let's build on last year's momentum!

The Keep Singing Project mission is simple: to help graduating chorus seniors keep singing when they go to college. We acco

this in two steps: 1) Invite high school chorus seniors to participate by completing an online form; and 2) provide their shared

information to the choir director(s) at their chosen college, university, or community choir who can then reach out to them absinging at the next level. Taking part in a choir is so often initiated by a simple invitation to join!

This project began in 2014 as an initiative of the Michigan School Vocal Music Association (MSVMA). Students from all over th

expressed their desire to Keep Singing in college, and collegiate choral faculty enthusiastically welcomed the chance to reachinterested freshmen they might otherwise not have known. As we build on the success of year one, we are inviting other state

join Michigan in 2015 to help young people continue to sing into adulthood.

You are busy, so we made this easy. This is all you have to do help your students to KEEP SINGING:

Plan A (for HS Choral Directors):

1. Go to this website on the computer in your classroom or office: http://www.keepsinging.info/?page_id=26

2. Have seniors go over one at a time to enter their info.

Plan B (for anyone):

1. Share this link on Facebook/ Twitter: http://www.keepsinging.info

2. Forward this email to the HS Chorus Seniors you know, and ask them to follow the link and enter their info.

3. Be sure to include a note from you about how much you would love for them to continue singing after high school.

Deadline June 1, 2016

What happens next?

The senior's contact info will be sent to the choral director(s) at the college or university they plan to attend. The choral directthen be able to inform them about the choral programs at their schools and invite them to participate.

Spread the word: Let's Keep EVERYONE Singing!

Thank you for your support of this project and for all you do every day to inspire your students to be life-long singers!

Ryan Beeken

Director of Choral Studies, Indiana University of Pennsylvania

Documents

ACDA-PA Polyphony, Spring-Summer 2016