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The commonly recognised image of a choral conductor is of a person who stands in front of a group of singers and uses a set of gestures to direct them in performance. In order to arrive at this moment of shared musical experience, however, there is a long journey of preparation that must take place, from devising an artistic concept, to formulating a coherent and stimulating programme of repertoire, to realising such a programme by engaging in an extended period of rehearsal that encompasses vocal, musical, expressive, linguistic, and emotional facets and gathers diverse individual singers into a unified choral instrument with a common expressive purpose. In this article, two experienced choral conductors present structured reflective exegeses on artistic projects undertaken with their respective chamber choirs. Drawing on reflective approaches aligned with practice-based/artistic research, and on leading voices in repertoire programming and choral studies more broadly, the authors articulate and analyse their creative processes, highlighting considerations and goals for choral conductors both in designing programmes as a basis for impactful collective musical experiences and in enacting these experiences in a spirit of co-creation with choir members and other artistic contributors.

iRooted in the experience of a professional choral conductor, this book provides a guide to practical issues facing conductors of choral ensembles at all levels, from youth choruses to university ensembles, church and community choirs, and professional vocal groups. Paired with the discussion of practical challenges is a discussion of over fifty key works from the choral literature, with performance suggestions to aid the choral conductor in directing each piece. Dealing with often-overlooked yet vital considerations such as how to work with composers, recording, concert halls, and choral tours, A Practical Guide to Choral Conducting offers a valuable resource for both emerging choral conductors and students of choral conducting at the undergraduate and graduate levels.ii iii

If you want answers to similar questions or get excited when discussion centers around repertoire and resources, then the R&R area of ACDA is for you! ACDA has R&R leaders in national, regional, and state positions throughout a variety of age groups and ensemble types from children's choirs to 4-year college & university singers and everything in between. The chairperson supports ACDA constituents though one specific area, while the coordinator supports the chairs. With that, here is a short list of some newer-tome search locations for interesting, off-the-beaten-path choral music: * MUZIKSEA - The first fully digital choral music publisher and distributor from Southeast Asia. https://www.muziksea.com/ * Dozan World - Sheet music library from the Middle East. https:/ /dozanworld.com/ collections/ human-voices * African Composers Edition - African Sheet Music https:/ / african-composers-edition.co.za/ * The Institute for Composer Diversity - Works of composers from historically excluded groups https://www.composerdiversity.com/ choral-database * Rowan University - Music Sources for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion https:/ / libguides.rowan.edu/ musicde1/ repertoire * African Diaspora Music Project https:/ / africandiasporamusicproject.org/ search-pieces * Song Helix - A Database for Art Song Research and Discovery https://www.songhelix.com/ I am so honored to work with one of the most creative, talented, diligent and passionate choral experts on the national R&R team.

Chorus America (CA) is represented by Kim Sidey, Director of Grants, who manages CA's grantmaking activities, including the notable Music Education Partnership program, which funds collaborations between community singing organizations and schools. What role do collaborative efforts play in the art of choral singing? Sidey (CA): Many successful collaborations are community-led, where the needs and ideas of their stakeholders (e.g., participants, personnel, family members) shape programs and solutions that suit their local needs. Whether that means using grant funds to compensate teaching artists at fair market rates, supplementing teacher pay for additional assumed work, or financially honoring individuals for advisory roles, the act of recognizing the fair value of an individual's labor is an important part of a successful collaboration.

There are many people who never had the opportunity to experience or understand the art form that is so important to us as choral conductors and music educators. There are lots of ways to share the impact of music education, and many organizations have spent a good deal of time and energy compiling statistics, sharing research, and distributing creative tools for large- and small-scale advocacy. In their 2007 book, Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die, Chip and Dan Heath analyze Malcolm Gladwell's concept of \"stickiness\"2 to determine the principles that make an idea memorable. Diving into the emotional power of choral music is a way to help an audience member or decision maker care about your \"why.\"

[...]undergraduate students rarely receive instruction in ancillary areas such as managing a budget, dealing with disgruntled parents, or applying for grant funding. Active participation in athletic activities, both competitive and intramural, offer experiences in mentorship, leadership, and teamwork that prove helpful in the collaborative group setting of a choral ensemble.2 In their book Prescriptions for Choral Excellence, Shirlee Emmons and Constance Chase suggest that the \"team leader\" approach to leadership is the most \"consistently successful. [...]many pre-service choral educators may believe there is no time to pursue extracurricular interests.

Among the documents were examples of teaching materials such as syllabi for conducting and choral literature courses, marked scores used for personal analysis and teaching purposes, copies of concert programs, and performing editions. Dr. Harold Decker, national president of ACDA from 1966 to 1968, founded the country's first doctoral program in choral conducting there in 1958.1 It seemed the most appropriate site to house the ACDA archives; so, with the help of Dr. Andrea Solya, now director of choral activities at UIUC, I began discussions with Scott Schwartz, director and archivist for music and fine arts. Because of the level of organization already existent in the archives (thanks to Dr. Prucha), the proposal received a positive review, and by January 2022, the materials were on their way. Series 1) Eva Youngberg Papers, Series 2) John Haberlen Robert Shaw Collection, Series 3) John Haberlen Research Files on William L. Dawson, Series 4) Ronald Page Collection, and Series 5) Glen Maze Collection of Choral Method Books. Harold Decker's materials include copies of dissertations by his advisees, as well as one from the University of Miami (Coral Gables) by James Ewing about Elaine Brown: \"Elaine Brown and the Singing City: The Choral Art as a Communicative Social Force\" (1976).

[...]members of the community who are removed from the performing arts, except as consumers, may need to know how they will be served by supporting music learning. Include contact information for local legislators in programs to make it easy for parents to engage in advocacy. * Engage Decision Makers: Invite school board members, administrators, and community leaders to performances and events, fostering a deeper understanding of the value of music education. Examples: The mayor, local or state legislators, school board president, university leadership, ACDA and state Music Education Association (MEA) leadership. * State and National Standards: Print your state music standards and the National Standards for Music Education in written and/or digital programs. Guide the singers to track the music notation with their finger while singing to help the parent follow along and demonstrate that singing music notation is similar to learning a foreign language. * School Boards: Bring an ensemble to perform one to two songs for a school board meeting or other important boards or council meetings.