Alaska ACDA President's Page

Fall 2008
Rebecca Rhodes, AkCDA President

The Alaska chapter of ACDA is growing and supporting choral music in our great state. Despite the geographical challenges, there are musical successes everywhere. ACDA is for choral music organizations of all types and ages including school, community, church, and professional.

I look forward to seeing many of you at the annual ACDA meeting to be held during the All-State music festival in Anchorage. Items for the agenda should be e-mailed to me by Nov. 15 and minutes will be sent to all members after the meeting via e-mail.
Last year we discussed several issues including:

Live auditions for All-State
Repertoire vs. exercises for the All-State audition
Revised octet testing procedures for All-State
Having a rehearsal music fee paid by the students
Having the rehearsal music online for download via ASAA instead of rehearsal CDs
State Solo/Ensemble List
Title IX and gender specific voicings

I am pleased to write that octet testing revisions have been made and are in the latest ASAA Music Handbook. If you have volunteered to help with octet testing – Thank you! – and please familiarize yourself with the testing procedures stated in the handbook.

We are also implementing an additional fee this year, per participating student, to provide a small compensation to the music tech folks who are doing the HUGE job of creating rehearsal tracks of all the All-State choral music.

Thank you Stan Harris, Bruce Hanson, and Grant Cochran!!
We will continue to discuss and make progress on these issues and others at the November meeting. If you replied to my August e-mail regarding these and other issues, I have compiled the responses for discussion. In addition, we will discuss the possibility of having a musical theatre category at Solo/Ensemble. We will also meet our new president-elect Missouri Smyth!
Others notes of interest:

Please e-mail me information about your group and events to post on the website or add them yourself on our calendar link!
Vendors that are members can also have a free posting on the NWACDA site.

At the national level, ACDA is starting a new push for membership. Please let others in the field know about the resources and benefits of being a member of AkCDA. We are especially looking for more educators, community members, and students.

There are many resources available to you through ACDA. The journals cover a variety of choral topics and connect you with choral music in our nation. You will also find several resources online at the ACDA and NWACDA websites. Membership increases your choral profile and also gives you the chance to make an impact in our choral chapter. I encourage you to make membership a priority and consider what you would like to see changed, improved, and continued in our state. Please contact me with ideas, comments, and questions. Thank you for all you do to keep choral music thriving in Alaska!
Alaska is a singing state!

Make a link to your choir's website
If you are part of a community choir, your link can be on the community choir on both the Alaska and the NW webpage. Colleges and universities may also provide a link that will appear on both of these sites.

Music business? Get a link from ACDA to you
If you have a music business serving choral directors, your link can be on the NW ACDA website on the links page. www.nwacda.org

Alaska has its own choral events calendar
Check out the AK calendar. There is a link from the NW ACDA home page. Feel free to put your choral events on the calendar. It's a free service, easy to do, and it's fun to see what's going in choral music in the state. This not just for professional groups. Use it for your school choral events for all ages.

National convention honor choir applications
Applications are now online for your students to be a part of one of the national convention honor choirs. Celebrate our 50th anniversary. Applications are due by October 1, 2008.

Membership...don't let it lapse
Don't let your membership in ACDA run out. Keep updated and check your membership at the national ACDA website.

You'll find lots of resources and helpful links...on top of some great articles...at the NW ACDA site. Bookmark it for future use.


About ACDA Membership Directory Alaska Leadership Links Calendar News/Events Home	President's Page
		Richard Moore assumes Alaska ACDA presidency; challenges members to involve themselves in ACDA, a source for help in meeting the obstacles of the job
	Winter 2010 Greetings and Happy New Year! As we start not only the new year but also a new decade, the job is up to us as educators to face the many challenges that lie before us. All of us could list a dozen known obstacles that we face year after year in our quest to bring choral excellence to those who put their trust in us. Then unseen hurdles pop up at the least opportune moment to wreck our best-laid plans. There are always risers to be moved, parents and administrators to be mollified, money to be raised, and tenors to be tuned….again! The question isn’t IF we’ll face these endless challenges, but rather HOW we face them. ACDA can help! Not so much with moving your risers but with tons of other things, and yes…even tenors! Check out the linked resources on the state and national ACDA websites. Thousands of choral folks out there are encountering the same challenges and yet still flourishing. Avail yourself of the collective wisdom! A wonderful sense of purpose has taken hold of AkCDA in the last month. At our annual meeting in Anchorage during the All-State festivities back in November, four new officers were elected to serve our state’s choral community. We have several ideas that we are working up to advance the literacy of Alaska’s choral musicians. Inspired by discussion with the large group of choral directors at last month’s meeting, the officers have involved themselves with the following: Modifying the All-State choir 1st chair awards by holding live auditions for the top percentage of singers. This process is similar to the current system of chair auditions held by the band and orchestra. Phasing-in a sight-reading element into the All-State choir audition Adding an All-State Men’s Choir to the roster of Mixed and Treble Choirs The new officers are currently working with the ASAA staff on the details to bring these matters before the directors and members for their consideration. Please feel free to contact any of us with your concerns or great ideas! A special word of thanks to Rebecca Nelson for her steadfast leadership and un-sinkable spirit as she led the AkCDA the past 2 years. You are in inspiration to us all and we look forward to working with you as past-president and continuing your visions. Richard Moore Bio Transplanted to Alaska from Texas in 2005, Richard Moore is in his fifth year of teaching at Juneau Douglas High School. Before moving to Juneau he taught 7 years at Reed Middle High in the Duncanville ISD (a suburb of Dallas). Richard is a 1995 graduate of Dallas Baptist University with a B.A. in Church Music and Music Education. He and his wife, Michaela, JDHS Drama Director, have two daughters, Shanae’a (16) and Aria (14). They enjoy combining family time and activities with teaching responsibilities.
	Rebecca Nelson, Vice-President		PMB 454 1120 Huffman Suite 24 Anchorage, AK 99515 907-229-1797c 907-742-6250w
	Fall 2009 Rebecca Nelson, AkCDA President Greetings to our Choral Community! I have been so encouraged by the wider membership base we are reaching. AkCDA is no longer just high school choir directors. We are a diverse group of musicians including music vendors, community choirs, and school choirs of all ages. It is no wonder when you see all the new resources and connections that ACDA is providing. Between our state, NW, and national site you’ll find: Music Business listings Community Choral information Choir Events calendar Worship Music ACDA 2009 National Conference session handouts and concert recordings Choral Journal Repertoire and Standards recommendations and information in fourteen voicing categories ChorTeach online resources and teaching tips for music educators Articles on countless topics including current discussion of arts education advocacy, choosing multi-cultural repertoire, and ideas for the first day of school International Choral Community Resources, connection to other state articles and activities, and much, much more! I look forward to seeing many of you at the annual ACDA meeting to be held during the All-State music festival at Chugiak High School, Nov. 19-21. Last year we discussed several issues including our All-State audition process, repertoire lists, fees, and more. However, we do not have the officers and membership support to effectively address any of those issues. We are currently in need of a president, president-elect, secretary, and R&S chairs. Please see the national site http://acda.org for job descriptions. Please e-mail me your interest in an office or your nomination of a colleague. We will vote at the meeting and via e-mail in November. We need approximately 1/3 of our membership to be directly involved either through an office position, or through committee work and e-mail feedback. Countless e-mails asking for feedback and participation have gone unanswered. Our chapter of AkCDA will be as effective as we make it. Regardless, there are wonderful resources available through membership. But, if we want to see growth and advancement in the Alaska choral scene, we have to be involved. It generally only takes a few e-mails to get something done. Are you interesting and willing to be a part? I look forward to seeing you at the Nov. meeting or hearing from you about agenda items. Please check out the online resources available and consider becoming an officer or involved member of AkCDA. Thank you, Rebecca Nelson Nelson_Rebecca@asdk12.org Alaska is a singing state!
	Greetings and Happy Summer! Posted July 16, 2009 This summer we have more than ever to offer! Here is just a sample of some of the resources available to members. · All past and current issues of the Choral Journal with an index of articles. · Literature reviews in all voicings: o Boychoir, Children’s Choir, College & University, Community Choir, Ethnic Multicultural, Jazz Choir, Jr. High/Middle School, Male Choir, Music in Worship, Professional, Show Choir, Sr. High Choir, Two Year College, Women’s Choir · News links to events such as the Federal Government National Report Card on achievement in the arts, released June 15. · NW ACDA Division Seattle Conference 2010 information and honor choir applications at www.nwacda.org<http://www.nwacda.org/> · ChorTeach online newsletter · Articles and resources such as o You Might Not be the Only One Suffering from a Voice Problem<http://acda.org/publications/chorteach/issue_I_3/article_A> - Music Teachers and Vocal Health by Mary Lynn Morrissey Doherty o Rhythmic Integrity in the Choral Rehearsal<http://acda.org/publications/chorteach/issue_I_3/article_B>: A Bag of Tricks and More by Thomas Wine o Beyond the “Bass-ics” in Junior High/Middle School Music Programs<http://acda.org/publications/chorteach/issue_I_3/article_C> by Sarah Marohl o Warm Ups, Repertoire, and Resources for Male Choirs<http://acda.org/publications/chorteach/issue_I_3/article_D> by Amy Hughley o The Best Things in Life are Free—Especially Choral Music<http://acda.org/publications/chorteach/best_things_in_life> by James A. John · PLUS – Didn’t make it to the 2009 National Conference in Oklahoma? The website has materials from the conference available to members such as: o Reading Session Music Lists o Resources and videos o Conference session HANDOUTS o Concert programs and videos I encourage you to plan now to attend and for your students to audition this fall for the Seattle 2010 convention. Also, we are always in need of more involvement from our members. If you have any desire to help out, or ideas for our chapter, please feel free to contact me. Enjoy music in the Land of the Midnight Sun! -Rebecca Nelson AkCDA pres. Nelson_rebecca@asdk.12org Rebecca Nelson, M.Ed. South Anchorage High School Music nelson_rebecca@asdk12.org<mailto:nelson_rebecca@asdk12.org> 907-742-6250
	Singing in the Snow! Be a part of AkCDA Winter 2008 Rebecca Rhodes, AkCDA President The Alaska chapter of ACDA is growing and supporting choral music in our great state. Despite the geographical challenges, there are musical successes everywhere. ACDA is for choral music organizations of all types and ages including school, community, church, and professional. The annual meeting at the ASAA All-State Music Festival was very productive. We discussed several elements of our choral community that are working and that we would like to see changed. Specifically, we are hoping to work with the AMEA festival committee and ASAA to implement memorization regulations for the State Solo/Ensemble Festivals. We are also hoping to move the All-State audition process from CDs to online. There was a great deal of discussion about the audition requirements as well which you can find in the meeting synopsis. We are working hard to do our part in the national membership drive. Each meeting attendee received two AkCDA pens, one for themselves and one to give to someone who might benefit from membership. It is essential that we let others know about the benefits of membership. We are also using our website and e-mail reminders to encourage membership and membership renewal. As an organization, we would still like to work with ASAA to provide a PML for the state Solo/Ensemble festival. If you have ideas or input in that area, please let me know. We are in need of a secretary and several more R&S chairs. Others notes of interest: Please e-mail me information about your group and events to post on the website or add them yourself on our calendar link! Vendors that are members can also have a free posting on the NWACDA site. There are many resources available to you through ACDA. The journals cover a variety of choral topics and connect you with choral music in our nation. You will also find several resources online at the ACDA and NWACDA websites. Membership increases your choral profile and also gives you the chance to make an impact in our choral chapter. I encourage you to make membership a priority and consider what you would like to see changed, improved, and continued in our state. Please contact me with ideas, comments, and questions. Thank you for all you do to keep choral music thriving in Alaska! This is a busy time of year for choir folks – Make sure to have fun singing in the midst of everything! Best wishes to you for the holiday season. Rebecca
	Choral music is thriving in Alaska! Be a part of AkCDA Fall 2008 Rebecca Rhodes, AkCDA President The Alaska chapter of ACDA is growing and supporting choral music in our great state. Despite the geographical challenges, there are musical successes everywhere. ACDA is for choral music organizations of all types and ages including school, community, church, and professional. I look forward to seeing many of you at the annual ACDA meeting to be held during the All-State music festival in Anchorage. Items for the agenda should be e-mailed to me by Nov. 15 and minutes will be sent to all members after the meeting via e-mail. Last year we discussed several issues including: Live auditions for All-State Repertoire vs. exercises for the All-State audition Revised octet testing procedures for All-State Having a rehearsal music fee paid by the students Having the rehearsal music online for download via ASAA instead of rehearsal CDs State Solo/Ensemble List Title IX and gender specific voicings I am pleased to write that octet testing revisions have been made and are in the latest ASAA Music Handbook. If you have volunteered to help with octet testing – Thank you! – and please familiarize yourself with the testing procedures stated in the handbook. We are also implementing an additional fee this year, per participating student, to provide a small compensation to the music tech folks who are doing the HUGE job of creating rehearsal tracks of all the All-State choral music. Thank you Stan Harris, Bruce Hanson, and Grant Cochran!! We will continue to discuss and make progress on these issues and others at the November meeting. If you replied to my August e-mail regarding these and other issues, I have compiled the responses for discussion. In addition, we will discuss the possibility of having a musical theatre category at Solo/Ensemble. We will also meet our new president-elect Missouri Smyth! Others notes of interest: Please e-mail me information about your group and events to post on the website or add them yourself on our calendar link! Vendors that are members can also have a free posting on the NWACDA site. At the national level, ACDA is starting a new push for membership. Please let others in the field know about the resources and benefits of being a member of AkCDA. We are especially looking for more educators, community members, and students. There are many resources available to you through ACDA. The journals cover a variety of choral topics and connect you with choral music in our nation. You will also find several resources online at the ACDA and NWACDA websites. Membership increases your choral profile and also gives you the chance to make an impact in our choral chapter. I encourage you to make membership a priority and consider what you would like to see changed, improved, and continued in our state. Please contact me with ideas, comments, and questions. Thank you for all you do to keep choral music thriving in Alaska! Alaska is a singing state! For your consideration... Make a link to your choir's website If you are part of a community choir, your link can be on the community choir on both the Alaska and the NW webpage. Colleges and universities may also provide a link that will appear on both of these sites. Music business? Get a link from ACDA to you If you have a music business serving choral directors, your link can be on the NW ACDA website on the links page. www.nwacda.org Alaska has its own choral events calendar Check out the AK calendar. There is a link from the NW ACDA home page. Feel free to put your choral events on the calendar. It's a free service, easy to do, and it's fun to see what's going in choral music in the state. This not just for professional groups. Use it for your school choral events for all ages. National convention honor choir applications Applications are now online for your students to be a part of one of the national convention honor choirs. Celebrate our 50th anniversary. Applications are due by October 1, 2008. Membership...don't let it lapse Don't let your membership in ACDA run out. Keep updated and check your membership at the national ACDA website. You'll find lots of resources and helpful links...on top of some great articles...at the NW ACDA site. Bookmark it for future use.