READING SESSION: MUSIC FOR COLLABORATION
Featuring music for many voicings from a diverse array of composers, this session will highlight pieces that are ideal for collaborative performances, whether among different choral groups or with instrumentalists.
READING SESSION: MUSIC FROM WOMEN COMPOSERS
In an effort to amplify some of our underrepresented voices, all of our CT-ACDA Repertoire and Resources chairs have contributed titles to this session, exclusively from women composers.
Conducting for Context with Arreon harley-emerson
In this session, participants delve into the art of conducting, emphasizing its contextual nature and the powerful role of affectionate gestures. Conducting extends beyond technical mastery, requiring a keen understanding of communication and empathy. Attendees will explore body language's subtleties, its translation to musical expression, and the importance of understanding each genre's unique context—from Renaissance's precision to the emotive depths of Gospel and Spirituals. Ideal for conductors from all backgrounds, this session offers insights and techniques to foster a connected, engaged choral community.
A Trauma-Informed Approach to Classroom Management in Music Education
Trauma-affected children often present challenging behaviors, and music educators may struggle to respond to such behaviors. Many classroom management strategies can be counterproductive when working with trauma-affected students, with some being ineffective or even retraumatizing. For this reason, music educators may benefit from an awareness of trauma-informed educational practices, particularly those related to classroom management.
In this session, the presenter will discuss childhood trauma, how trauma affects students’ behavior, and how teachers might interact with trauma-affected students in a way that supports the students’ healing. In particular, classroom management strategies that align with trauma-informed education will be explored.
BETTY BAUMAN-FIELD
Betty Bauman-Field teaches middle school chorus and general music in Stoughton, MA. She is a doctoral candidate in music education at Boston University, having received her BM in voice performance and music education at Ithaca College and her MME in music education at the University of Hartford. She has presented at NAfME conferences, the Research in Music Education conference, and various school districts and preservice teacher programs. She has published in Update: Applications of Research in Music Education and the Bulletin of the Council for Research in Music Education. Additionally, Betty conducted the SEMSBA Jr. Treble Chorus in 2019.
CREATING THE IDEAL CHORAL COMMUNITY
What does an ideal choral community look like? Fostering a healthy, productive, inclusive, and impactful choral environment is at the core of what we do as choral artists, but there are rarely any one-size-fits-all solutions. This session will follow three communal singing communities based in New York City that have evolved over the past several years — a concert choral organization, an Anglo-Catholic church choir, and a non-auditioned chorus of creatives. Participants will be asked to develop a framework for identifying challenges and opportunities for each ensemble and take away practical strategies that they can apply to their own choral settings.
ALEX CANOVAS
Alex Canovas is the General & Artistic Director of the Young New Yorkers' Chorus (YNYC), leading both their Mixed and Treble Ensembles. He has led choirs that have appeared at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, WNYC’s The Green Space, National Sawdust, and The Town Hall. He was previously the Director of Music & Choirmaster at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Brooklyn, Associate Conductor of Choral Chameleon, and Operations Manager & Assistant Conductor of the Empire City Men’s Chorus. He has also worked at OPERA America, and in health care tech at Zocdoc, a NYC-based startup. He lives in Brooklyn, NY.
Before Choir: Vocal Development in Young Children
What should a young child be able to do before they join choir? This lively session will share developmentally appropriate techniques and activities designed to engage the young child on their journey to a lifetime of tuneful singing. We will cover the following important components of Vocal Development for young children.
Pitch Exploration (sensation of the singing voice)
Fragment Singing (independent singing)
Simple Songs (musical syntax)
Arioso (original musical thinking)
Songtales (expressive sensitivity through listening)
Videos and audio of children will be shared as well as a brief overview of brain development and Music Intelligence
Lillie Feierabend
Lillie is known for her work with young children and instilling a love of music within them. She has been an early childhood and general music educator for over thirty years and a conductor for the Connecticut Children’s Chorus for seventeen. She has twice been honored with her district’s Teacher of the Year Award and in 2008 also received the Outstanding Elementary Music Educator Award from the Connecticut Music Educators Association. She conducts regional honors choirs, teaches weeklong workshops around the country, and is a frequent clinician at local, state, national and international conferences presenting on music and movement development.
An Invitation to Musical Bravery: The Potential in Group Vocal Improv
Inspired by the work of Bobby McFerrin (Circlesongs) and Rhiannon (Vocal River), this session explores the wild possibilities for group improvisation via small acts of individual, supported, artistic bravery. Various playful, improvisatory vocal exercises will be demonstrated and explored, which can unlock transformative experiences - musically and developmentally - for singers.
MICHELLE HORSLEY
Michelle Horsley is the Music Director for The Choir School of Hartford, a non-profit organization that offers intensive choral training to ages 8-18. She is also Dean of the Greater Hartford Chapter of the American Guild of Organists and Music Director at Trinity Episcopal Church (Hartford). A lifelong seeker of collaborative musical playfulness, Michelle is experienced in the world of circle-singing. She is the founder of PLAYGROUND, a Hartford-based artist collective for inclusive vocal improv, launching on October 1st, 2023.
Your place in the choir: acoustics, standing positions, and belonging
The location of a singer within the choral ensemble can positively impact a choir’s capability to achieve a “blended” sound by aligning acoustic energy, which preserves the individual’s authentic timbral quality, healthy vocal production, and sense of belonging. Through an inclusive and hands-on approach, this interest session will explore the pedagogic applications of vocal acoustics in the arrangement of singers in a choral ensemble to unify sound while valuing every voice in the choir. Strategies for inclusive choral formations will be demystified, demonstrated, and practiced by during the session.
SARAH KAUFOLD
Sarah Kaufold is a conductor, soprano, and music educator who advocates for inclusion on the podium, within the choral ensemble, and in the choir folder. As Founding Artistic Director of Consonare Choral Community, she conducts Voices of Concinnity, Choir Matrix, and Consonare Community Choir, while managing the nonprofit organization. Sarah has a MM in Choral Conducting from UConn with extensive graduate study in choral conducting from Cal State L.A. She has directed choirs for singers of all ages, range of abilities, and in several settings. For fun, Sarah conducts operas, sings professionally, writes grants, and travels with her family.
We Sing: Repertoire, Community, and Power in the Secondary Treble Chorus
We are here as teachers: our goal is for each ensemble to have its own identity and community—to feel valued and special. This session will discuss ways to empower the treble chorus, elevate them with other ensembles in your program, and include everyone who wishes to sing. Strategies for leadership opportunities will be shared, as will choral gems for treble chorus that enable your singers to be in a position of strength and see themselves in the repertoire you program. Teachers will leave with new octavos, strategies for their curriculum and community, and a plethora of programming ideas.
Dr. Amy Kotsonis
Amy Kotsonis is the Director of Choral Activities at the University of New Hampshire, where she conducts Chamber Singers, Concert Choir, and teaches choral methods. Previously, Dr. Kotsonis was Associate Professor of Choral Ensembles and Music Education at the University of Northern Iowa, and served as the Artistic Director for the Metropolitan Chorale and UNI Children’s Choir. Prior to that, she was Assistant Conductor, Director of Workshops, and Satellite School Teacher for the Young People's Chorus of New York City, and taught in public schools in New York City and Boston.
A Change of Part: Toolkit for Developing TBB Singers
Choral teachers are often unsure about how to manage the changing TBB voice. It is our responsibility as music educators to help the low-voice singer (both cis- and transgender) through the process, so that they can overcome self-consciousness and find a sense of belonging within our ensembles. The presentation will include, not only video of students in classroom settings, but the participants will also be led through selected vocal exercises. Armed with this toolkit and strategies to develop camaraderie in our classrooms, we can help our students transition into confident young singers willing to take creative risks in our ensembles.
STEVEN OLIVERI
Steven Oliveri has been teaching voice for over twenty years. He received degrees from SUNY Purchase, the University of California, Irvine, and Brooklyn College. He has twice attended the CCM Vocal Pedagogy Institute at Shenandoah University (including the vocal anatomy seminar with Dr. David Meyer) and recently participated in the mentorship program of the National Association of Teachers of Singing under the guidance of Dr. Jeanne Goffi-Fynn. Currently, he teaches choral music and music theory at Norwalk High School and maintains a small private studio. He lives in Connecticut with his husband and too many animals.
The Filipino Choral Tradition: Your Starter Pack
The Philippines enjoys a robust culture of fantastic choral music. However, our music is rarely performed beyond the boundaries of our archipelago. Join me as we unpack and overcome the barriers restricting this music. Learn about new repertoire and how to authentically approach this music as you share it with your singers. Attendees of this session will be able to raise the voices of this underrepresented community in a powerful and meaningful manner. Participants will learn of the rich Philippine choral history, authentic rehearsal strategies, and be introduced to composers/resources.
Prof. Reagan Paras
Reagan G. Paras, serves as a Full-Time Associate Professor for Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts. He is completing his Ph.D. in Philosophy in Music Education at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst.
A passionate conductor, singer, and educator, he has directed performance tours across the United States and abroad. He is the Artistic Director for Many Voices: Mechanics Hall's Youth Singers, performing repertoire that authentically honors the mosaic of cultures represented in the ensemble. He serves as Music Director for The Nashua Choral Society, one of the premier choral ensembles in the state. Throughout the summer, he conducts the Kodály Music Institute Choir, which is comprised of music educators from across the globe. He co-founded two professional chamber choirs: Diamonds From The Dust and Vellichor, where he continues to serve as a board member and singing artist. An emerging researcher, Reagan regularly presents at research symposiums across the United States. He is a guest conductor, clinician, and adjudicator for various music festivals across the country.
He is an advocate for music education, serving on various executive boards for music associations across the northeast. He is a proud husband to his amazing wife Lindsey, and father of three children ages 9, 7, and 4.
