Hello all!
Please forgive my tardiness with this month's President's Message - as many of you know, I was in Kansas City the past few days at the ACDA National Convention, so I missed getting this out on the first of the month! Read on for all the latest...
NEWS
Upcoming Election
Thanks to all who submitted nominations! As soon as all materials are collected, we will put out candidate information and run the election online. Keep an eye out for announcements very soon!
National Conference in Kansas City
What a great CT showing at National this year! I was especially pleased to see student representation from each of our three collegiate chapters: CCSU, WCSU, and UConn. As for the events, I wouldn't even know where to begin recounting my experience - The Aeolians from Oakwood University, Seraphic Fire, John Rutter, the Legacy Directors' Choir, Jake Runestad's commissioned piece...there are just too many transformative experiences to list...not to mention the camaraderie of friends both new and old. This year, our CT party was co-hosted by our friends from Vermont ACDA - we had guests from Michigan, New York, New Jersey, and Iowa join the fun as well! Be sure to check out our Facebook page for photos and videos from the convention, and don't forget to tag @CTACDA in your own posts!
Later today I will be adding all the titles from the conference reading packets to our Reading Session Database - just open the Google Sheet and sort by "year" (2019) and "recommended by" (ACDA National) for the newest titles. I have high school, middle school, contemporary/commercial, and community - if anyone has any of the other packets they are willing to share, please contact me!
Kudos to Lynne Gackle and her amazing team for putting together a fantastic event! I hope some of you will be able to join us in Rochester next year for Eastern Division.
COMING UP
All-State Boot Camps
High School directors, make sure your All-State singers sign up for one (or more!) of the preparatory "Boot Camps," sponsored by ACDA to help students learn their music before the festival. They will be held from 2-5pm at:
EO SMITH HIGH SCHOOL - Storrs March 24th
ST. LUKE'S SCHOOL - New Canaan March 31st
HAMDEN HALL COUNTRY DAY SCHOOL - Hamden March 31st
NORTHERN REGION - TBD March 24th
Participation is strongly recommended for all All-State singers. Directors are not required to attend with students - parents may bring them. Students may attend any session, regardless of their region. Share this link with your students so they can sign up today - oh, and also, there will be snacks! :)
ACDA at CMEA
The choirs of ACDA members Ellen Gilbert and Chris Stanley will be featured at the CMEA In-Service Conference as showcase ensembles this year! Mystic Middle School's "Stonington Singers" - who will be premiering a piece by CT's very own 2017 Lifetime Achievement Award winner Rob Hugh - will be followed by Stonington High School's "High Keynotes" on Thursday, April 11th!
Friday will showcase Amanda Hanzlik and the E.O. Smith High School Chamber Singers, who will be premiering a commissioned work by Dr. Jacob Narverud. Their performance will be followed by an ACDA sponsored K-12 reading session, led by UConn's Dr. Cara Bernard and Dr. Narverud himself!
With so many sessions lined up in such a wide variety of content areas, narrowing it down can sometimes be overwhelming. For your convenience, I have put together a curated list of sessions/events targeted specifically at choral music. The schedule may change, so be sure to double check details with CMEA resources before attending. If I missed anything, please let me know!
ALL STATE CONDUCTORS
In case you didn't know...this year at CMEA All-State, the Mixed Choir will be conducted by Michelle Jensen from Azusa Pacific University, and the Treble Choir will be conducted by T.J. Harper from Providence College.
RESOURCES
Choral Calendar
I hope you have been enjoying your weekly concert bulletins! The next one will be arriving later today, and it is a big one!! Remember, to view and navigate the full calendar, visit the member resources section of our website. To submit a concert, create an event in your phone or Google calendar, and add ctchoralcalendar@gmail.com as a guest/invitee in the edit screen. Alternatively, feel free to email event details to the appropriate R&R chairperson for submission.
Website
Do you have a potential interest session in mind? Something you feel passionate about or are particularly knowledgeable in? Something you'd like to bring to the table or shared with your colleagues? Our interest session proposal form is open all year-round for the Summer and/or Fall Conferences - put in your proposal while the idea is fresh!
Member login
A reminder that if you ever have problems logging into the Member Resources section of our website, please let us know!
I hope everyone stayed safe with last night's snow - just think, before you know it we will be releasing SUMMER Conference details!! In the meantime, stay warm, and don't hesitate to contact me personally with questions, concerns, suggestions, or ideas.
Happy March!
Sincerely,
Rachael Allen
President, CT-ACDA