CCDA Cantate (Spring 2019)

CHORAL/ VOCAL PROGRAM

Dr. Robert Istad Director of Choral Studies

Dr. Christopher Peterson Choral Music Education/ Choirs

Recent performances and recordings include: 2018 Performance at ACDA Western Division Conference, 2018 Performances with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Pacific Symphony, and with Segerstrom Center for the Arts, 2017 recording with Yarlung Records, 2016 Recording with John Williams for Sony Classical, 2016 Performance with Kathleen Battle, 2015 ChoralOrchestral Performances in Paris, France.

Recent repertoire highlights: Mahler Eighth Symphony, Lang The Little Match Girl Passion, Mendelssohn Elijah, Bernstein Chichester Psalms, Howells Requiem, Bach St. John Passion, Händel Israel in Egypt, Stravinsky Symphony of Psalms, Lauridsen Lux Aeterna.

Annual performances: the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra, Pacific Symphony Orchestra, Musica Angelica Baroque Orchestra, and Andrea Bocelli at Walt Disney Concert Hall, the Hollywood Bowl, and major arenas.

Annual performance tours: including, Spain, Scandinavia, the Baltics, Russia, New York City, Paris/ Northern France, Austria, Germany, Italy, Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary and Australia.

Annual, fully-staged operatic productions with orchestra.

Distinguished alumni: Deborah Voigt, Rod Gilfry, Charles Castronovo, Rene Tatum, Jubilant Sykes, and Christopher Job. Graduates from our Master of Music in Choral Conducting program are successfully conducting performances with collegiate ensembles, professional choruses and orchestras, and opera companies throughout the world.

M.M. Choral Conducting graduates gain real-world experience leading performances with CSUF’s awardwinning choirs, orchestra, and opera theater program.

100% employment rate for choral music education graduates.

Students perform, rehearse, and record in the superb, astonishing acoustics of Meng Concert Hall.

music.fullerton.edu 2 • Cantate • Vol. 31, No. 3 • Spring 2019

California Choral Directors Association

5 | THE MIKE ISTAD METHOD from the president’s pen · by robert istad 7 | SO LONG FOR JUST A WHILE from the vice president’s pen · by lou de la rosa 8 | KITTENS AND RAINBOWS letter from the editor · by eliza rubenstein 10 | SINGING SENIORS healthy, happy singing for the older adults in your choir · by nicole aldrich 15 | THE NOTES ARE JUST NOTES the composer’s voice · by dale trumbore 19 | SEEN & HEARD 21 | CCDA SUMMER CONFERENCE AT ECCO 22 | 2019 ALL-STATE HONOR CHOIRS by molly peters

24 | VISION FOR THE FUTURE scholarship fund donors

26 | NEWS AND NOTES happenings from around the state

28 | TOP FIVE: COMMUNITY CHOIRS by jenny bent

31 | TOP FIVE: TWO-YEAR COLLEGE CHOIRS by arlie langager

32 | TOP FIVE: CONTEMPORARY COMMERCIAL by william zinn

37 | TOP FIVE: ETHNIC & MULTICULTURAL by angel vázquez-ramos

Summer’s almost here! Molly Peters and members of The West Ranch High School CHoir got a head start on their beach time with a February trip to Honolulu.

34 | TOP FIVE: MUSIC IN WORSHIP by ruben valenzuela

38 | CALIFORNIA ACDA DIRECTORY

Leading the Way

Cantate • Vol. 31, No. 3 • Spring 2019 • 3

CANTATE Volume 31, Number 2

Official publication of the California Choral Directors Association, an Affiliate of the American Choral Directors Association Eliza Rubenstein, editor

cantate.editor@gmail.com

GUIDELINES FOR SUBMISSIONS We welcome and encourage CCDA members to contribute articles, announcements, music and book reviews, job vacancy listings, photographs, and other items of interest to Cantate!

Please send queries and article ideas to You are also welcome to submit completed articles, but please note that not all articles received will be published. cantate.editor@gmail.com.

Deadlines for publication are as follows: August 15 (Fall issue); November 1 (Winter issue); March 1 (Spring issue).

The editor reserves the right to edit all submissions.

ADVERTISING IN CANTATE Please visit our website (www.acdacal.org) or e-mail us at cantate.ads@gmail.com for complete information on advertising in Cantate, including rates, deadlines, and graphics specifications.

Advertisements are subject to editorial approval.

WHEREAS, the human spirit is elevated to a broader understanding of itself through study and performance in the aesthetic arts, and WHEREAS, serious cutbacks in funding and support have steadily eroded state institutions and their programs throughout our country, BE IT RESOLVED that all citizens of the United States actively voice their affirmative and collective support for necessary funding at the local, state, and national levels of education and government, to ensure the survival of arts programs for this and future generations.

California Choral Directors Association empowers choral musicians to create transformative experiences for California’s diverse communities.

CCDA is a 501(c)3 non-profit, tax-exempt corporation and an affiliate of the American Choral Directors Association.

UPCOMING EVENTS CCDA Summer Conference at ECCO July 21-24, 2019 (Oakhurst)

On the cover: Members of the 2019 All-State TTBB choir perform at the CCDA State Conference in San Jose. Photo by Robyn Peters.

4 • Cantate • Vol. 31, No. 3 • Spring 2019

California Choral Directors Association

From The president’s pen:

THE MIKE ISTAD METHOD recently returned from our superb CCDA State Conference in San Jose. Our Iconference planner, Kristina Nakagawa,

Robert Istad is in his second season as the

Artistic Director of Pacific Chorale. Istad is also

Professor of

Music and Director of at

Choral Studies

California State

University, Fullerton, where he was recognized as

CSUF’s

2016 Outstanding Professor of the Year. He is the former Artistic Director of Long Beach Camerata Singers and Long Beach Bach Festival.

He is Dean of Chorus America’s Academy for Conductors, and has prepared choruses for a number of

America’s

finest conductors and orchestras.

Leading the Way

organized an incredible event that perfectly balanced education with inspiration, and performance with edification. Thanks to her astute leadership and her brilliant penchant for programming, I walked away from the experience feeling professionally renewed. I found it an absolute thrill to watch my beloved friends and colleagues shine in performances with their choirs and in brilliant interest sessions. Congratulations to all of you!

Our all-state honor choirs performed with impeccable aplomb, and I found it a joy to witness California’s young peopled emboldened and shining in their performances. We all lift up Molly Peters and her team of caring volunteers for crafting this life-changing experience for our students.

I’d like to extend a special note of thanks to Carolyn Taraoka-Brady for serving (again!) as the performance site coordinator. She embraces this thankless position, and I love watching her serve as “choir Mom,” “conductor-whisperer,” and “patron-services professional” simultaneously.

When a complicated event such as this unfolds with so much grace, we know a team of amazing volunteers has tended to it lovingly. Thank you to our board members, our helpful constituents, and our priceless Executive Administrator, Dr. Kathleen Preston, for your stewardship of CCDA’s members and programs.

I had a personal epiphany while watching my friend and colleague Dr. Chris Peterson teach in San Jose. His session on creating a student-centered learning environment in our classrooms was superb, and the material inspired me to imagine new methods I could use to connect my professional singers to our repertoire. I learn from Chris every day, and I’m grateful to have his leadership in my life.

My experience watching him teach in San Jose caused me to reflect upon the beginning of our eleven-year partnership at Cal State Fullerton. Twelve years ago, I was a newly hired, tenure-track professor at CSUF. Immediately, I was asked to chair a

search committee that would hire a colleague to direct CSUF’s choral music education program. I knew this position was critical to the success of our choral program, and felt completely unprepared for the task and intimidated by the process. What did I know about hiring a colleague? I decided to consult the wisest person I know: my Dad. Mike Istad has had a very successful career as a regional sales manager for the specialized cutting tool industry in the Midwest, and he’s gleaned a lifetime of valuable wisdom from his varied experiences. He understands how to work with people, get people to like him, and maximize the talents of his employees.

When I called him, he quickly exclaimed (in the thick Chicago accent I cherish), “Hiring a great person? That’s easy!”

Before I could contradict him, he offered this fabulous piece of advice: “Listen, Rob, most people are intimidated by talent, and make personnel decisions they believe will make themselves appear the most competent in the company. They consistently make poor hiring moves based on their own insecurities.

In a nutshell, B people hire C people, while A people hire A+ people. You decide who you want to be in your profession, and your decision will be easy.” hat moment was an inspiration that I’ve held on to forever. His advice brought T the brilliant Dr. Christopher Peterson into

my life. The moment I watched Chris teach, heard the way he interacted with students and colleagues, and watched him in rehearsal, I knew he was the A+ person for whom we had been searching. He was a master teacher, and his pedagogy was something I aspired to someday model. I am still so grateful he agreed to join me on our shared journey, and I treasure every day we are granted to guide our students together.

In similar fashion, I recently had the opportunity to invite Mr. Andrew Brown to join me as President and C.E.O. of Pacific Chorale. Andrew served for over two decades as Chief Operating Officer of the Los Angeles Master Chorale, and he knows far more about the professional choral business Cantate • Vol. 31, No. 3 • Spring 2019 • 5

than I do. Andy is an A+ person. I look forward to learning from and collaborating with him to create the model community-centered, professional symphony chorus of the future.

F

inally, I used Mike Istad’s wisdom when I assembled the team that serves on the CCDA Board of Directors under my leadership. Each person I invited to serve possesses unique superpowers that I aspire to embody. Every board member is a self-motivated individual who has expended copious amounts of time, talent, and resources to make our CCDA family stronger, more effective, and more meaningful to all of us. I thank them from the bottom of my heart, and extend to them my most sincere admiration. Under our shared brain-trust, we have finalized a mission statement, vision statement, strategic screen, and strategic plan for the future. We have expanded and strengthened our programs, and reached out to more completely embrace every member of California’s diverse communities.

Molly Peters and I have a little inside joke about “transformative experiences” (just ask us!). The CCDA family has given me the most transformational of all experiences. May our shared vision for future in which all people in California experience the life-changing power of choral music become a reality. Thank you. 

Earn your MA in Music Education in Three Summers csu.sjsu.edu/summer-masters

MAKE THE WORLD A BETTER PLACE. WE CAN HELP.

Los Angeles Children's Chorus Young Men's Ensemble on tour in Cuba

6 • Cantate • Vol. 31, No. 3 • Spring 2019

777 Grand Avenue, Suite 206 San Rafael, CA 94901 415 453 6619 | info@acfea.com acfea.com WST 601 273 533 | CST 2063085-40

California Choral Directors Association

From The vice president’s pen:

SO LONG FOR JUST A WHILE fter ten wonderful years, I am stepping A down from the CCDA Board to serve ACDA Western Region as President-Elect.

Lou De La Rosa is the past president of and the

CCDA

Director of

Choral and Vocal Studies at West Valley College in Saratoga.

He has taught music in the

San Jose area for

more than including

30 years,

13 years at

Lincoln High School, a visual and performing arts school.

He has

served his peers through numerous professional organizations.

Lou feels

lucky to be married to

Mary and is proud to be the father of

Christine,

Katherine, and Emily. He enjoys woodworking, loathes plumbing repairs, and is a die-hard fan of the

2010, 2012, and

2014 World Champion San Francisco Giants.

Leading the Way

Two years ago, I wrote that serving as CCDA President was the honor of my lifetime. It was. I joined the Board after six years on the MACCC Board and eight years on the CMEA Bay Section Board, having first organized choral and solo and ensemble festivals and served as choir manager. I have moved a lot of risers, chairs and stands.

Everyone reading this has.

This is what I want to impart as I leave: You have something valuable to offer to your colleagues. Everyone does.

Ours is sometimes a very lonely job. We may be the only music instructor at our school, or the only musician on our worship team.

All of us need the camaraderie of others to whom we don’t have to explain a thing. We need others around us who can empathize and make helpful suggestions in our times of need. Whether it is starting a local choral festival, organizing a TGIF for fellow music teachers to get to know one another, or hosting an ecumenical potluck with local church choir directors, you have the ability to make a difference outside of your rehearsal room.

My service started unintentionally. I was attending a solo and ensemble festival as a young teacher and the organizer looked wiped out. I asked her if there was anything I could do for her, thinking she could use some coffee.

Instead, she asked me to host the following year’s festival. So I did. Little did I know, it was the best thing I could have done for me.

When I joined CCDA, Travis Rogers was president. His meetings were always briskly paced, and we flew through most topics to allow for discussion of important issues facing the organization. I remember thinking what a daunting task it would be to run a meeting, and to allow a room of eager, opinionated choral directors (is there any other kind?) to have their say without belaboring a point.

Over time, through the presidency of Jon Talberg, I began to believe that perhaps I had something to offer, and that I could handle that

job. With the guidance of Lori Marie Rios throughout my presidency and beyond, the CCDA Board did some pretty cool things.

I joined the CCDA Board because I wanted to give back as those who had gone before me. What I didn’t fully realize was the truth St. Francis wrote centuries earlier: It is in giving that we receive.

My service to CCDA has been a labor of love, but I have received so much more than I have given. I have had the good fortune to be able to work alongside and learn from incredible choral directors. As a result, my choirs are better because of the relationships I have forged through CCDA. I am a better conductor, a better organizer, a better listener, and hopefully a better friend because of the relationships I have made through my participation in CCDA activities.

Most of my friends and colleagues are musicians, but my closest and dearest friends are CCDA members.

Allen once said that 80 percent of WWeoody life is showing up. presently have about 1300 members

in CCDA. Perhaps 500 members participate in the two regional conferences, the Summer Conference at ECCO, and the CCDA State Conference and All-State Honor Choirs.

That means about 800 of you, or 60% of the membership, experience CCDA vicariously. You’re not showing up, and you are missing out on so much!

I strongly encourage you to show up at more CCDA activities. Once you do, you may realize that you have something to offer outside of your rehearsal. When you start giving, you too will receive...and so will your singers.

I hope that you will choose to serve.

But most of all, I hope you simply show up, starting with the Summer Conference at ECCO, the Fall Regional Conferences, the 5th Annual CCDA State Conference at CASMEC, and/or the ACDA Western Region Conference. Whichever it is, I’ll be looking for you!

Thank you for the chance to serve. 

Cantate • Vol. 31, No. 3 • Spring 2019 • 7

letter from the editor:

KITTENS AND RAINBOWS y partner of eleven years, Julie, spends a couple of nights each week singing M in local choirs, but by profession she’s a

Eliza Rubenstein is the Director of Choral and

Vocal Activities at

Orange Coast College, and the

Artistic

Director of the Orange County Women’s Chorus and the

Long Beach

Chorale & Chamber Orchestra. She holds degrees from

Oberlin College and UC-Irvine, and she is a former animal shelter supervisor and the co-author of a book about dog adoption.

Eliza’s family

includes her partner,

Julie Fischer; a yellow Labrador named Dayton; and a cat named

Wilbur. She’s

passionate about grammar,

Thai food,

photography, and the

St. Louis Cardinals.

veterinarian—a boarded internal medicine specialist who works in a high-intensity, 24-hour emergency and specialty hospital. It’s a job filled with the waggiest of happy endings and the most crushing of losses, the kindest and most devoted pet owners and the angriest and most difficult ones.

And though most people don’t realize and wouldn’t guess it, it’s also a job with one of the highest suicide rates of any profession.

That statistic makes a sad sort of sense when you consider it. The veterinary field attracts sensitive, compassionate souls, and the day-to-day emotional landscape is rugged and taxing. Pet owners turn to their vets for their own psychological support as well as for their animals’ medical needs. Observers outside the profession don’t always understand its demands, picturing days filled with puppies and kittens rather than anxiety and exhaustion.

The average veterinarian carries a staggering amount of student loan debt through decades of his or her career, and even years of hard work and long hours may not suffice to get out from under it. And easy access to euthanasia supplies can make death seem an appealing alternative to the strain and the stress.

The last of those factors may not apply to musicians, but the others, with a few tweaks of the details, might sound familiar. Our career path, too, is one populated by perceptive people who—in our roles as artists and teachers—are called upon to do a great deal of uncompensated emotional labor for our students and choir members. Most of us have at least one or two friends and family members who don’t understand why we’re ever unhappy when we just get to sing all the time.

We do it all knowing that we’re unlikely to get rich, or even feel entirely financially secure.

here’s a silver lining to the frightening suicide epidemic in the veterinary world: T For the first time, they’re talking about it—really talking about it, with emotional candor and careful data-driven research into the contributing factors that drive depression

8 • Cantate • Vol. 31, No. 3 • Spring 2019

and self-harm, as well as the factors that help prevent and treat them. Vets have formed online groups to provide mutual support for one another’s mental and emotional health.

Veterinary students, interns, and residents learn strategies for preserving their own wellbeing as they’re learning how to treat pets’ illnesses and injuries.

We don’t have to wait for an epidemic in order to take the same measures in our own field, though most of us have probably already lost one or more colleagues, students, or friends to suicide, and we know many others who struggle with depression. Several times a year, whether or not any event has prompted it, I speak with my college students about suicide and the feelings of hopelessness that portend it, because demystification is an important weapon against suicide and suicidality; hopelessness is isolating, and desperation feels unique even when it’s not.

Every time we have the conversation, two or three students confide in me afterward that they’ve been wrestling with thoughts of selfdestruction. We talk, and sometimes we walk together to the campus counseling center, and sometimes my dog provides a little pet therapy to help get through the day.

We discuss the practical realities, both wonderful and challenging, of life as an artist, and of life as a late millennial in America in 2019. We talk about money and debt, jealousy and self-doubt. I’m forthright about the work ethic and perseverance that life as a musician demands, but I also try not to fetishize obsessive dedication at the expense of health or peace.

And I’m honest about the ups and downs of my own emotional life as a musician and a teacher, because I know the psychic toll of scrolling through a Facebook timeline filled with upbeat posts from fellow conductors during a difficult week. I know the feeling that I must not be doing it right if everyone else is happy and grateful all the time, and that’s a trap I can help ward my students away from.

It probably won’t be enough, because suicide prevention, like music, isn’t an exact science. Like music, though, it’s an art grounded in empathy, honesty, and love.  California Choral Directors Association

Have you heard what’s happening at

Orange Coast College?

“It’s rare to be part of such a talented group of musicians who also have limitless acceptance and compassion for each other. I have so much love for the entire OCC Music Department.”

— recent graduate and member of the OCC Chamber Singers “This was a world-class performance.” — newspaper review of the OCC Chamber Singers’ 2018 performance of Brahms’ Ein Deutsches Requiem with the Long Beach Chorale & Chamber Orchestra “You cannot be a member of this choir and not become a better person.” — OCC Chamber Singers member Visit www.orangecoastcollege.edu/music or contact Eliza Rubenstein, Director of Choral & Vocal Activities, at erubenstein@occ.cccd.edu for more information.

OCC is #1 in combined transfers to CSUs and UCs. Whatever your musical dreams, we’ll help you get there!

2701 Fairview Road Costa Mesa, CA 92626

Leading the Way

Cantate • Vol. 31, No. 3 • Spring 2019 • 9

Singing seni Healthy, happy singing for lder adults can bring a wealth of experience, wisdom, and grace to our ensembles. Along with these, they bring their older bodies and voices. And while the older adult voice is not O the same instrument as the one the singer enjoyed in their younger years, it is simply not true

that older adults should accept all voice changes as inevitable. Choral directors can do much to keep their “chronologically gifted” singers performing at a high level for many years.

Choir directors typically are most aware of the physical changes that singers undergo as they age, because these changes have effects that we can hear in rehearsal: loss of vocal range, change in vibrato rate or size, loss of breath control, decreased endurance, pitch inaccuracies, breathiness, changes in loudness, and so on.

Some of these physical changes include muscle wasting and related changes in balance, posture, and coordination; reduced vital capacity in the lungs; and stiffening, thinning and deterioration of the vocal folds, which can cause the vocal folds to bow. Bowed vocal folds do not close as strongly, which leads to breathiness, hoarseness, and vocal strain. Hearing loss, side effects from medications, and other health problems are also factors for some older adults.

The good news is that many of these changes can be halted or even reversed with regular physical and vocal exercise. Otolaryngologist Robert T. Sataloff notes, “The bodily changes characteristic of aging are not unique. In many ways, they are identical to those seen in disease and in disuse such as prolonged bed rest or immobilization of a limb. In particular, muscle disuse causes loss of muscle fibers indistinguishable from that seen with advanced age. Exercise avoids or reverses many of these changes in the young, and it appears to have the same effect when the changes are caused by aging.”1 The choir director can help here by encouraging singers to get regular exercise, perhaps helping to set up daytime walking groups for choir members, for example. Inviting a physical therapist or trainer to speak to the group may also be helpful, since many older singers, especially women, are unaware of the benefits of strength training. Such a professional can lead the whole group in simple exercises and direct individuals to other appropriate resources. Over time, singers’ increased physical strength, stamina, and flexibility can result in improved breath

10 • Cantate • Vol. 31, No. 3 • Spring 2019

California Choral Directors Association

ors: the older adults in your choir

By Nicole Aldrich Leading the Way

Cantate • Vol. 31, No. 3 • Spring 2019 • 11

management and vocal endurance, allowing greater control of pitch, loudness, vibrato size and rate, and tone quality.

Directors should also encourage their singers to seek out voice lessons or vocal therapy. Several studies have investigated vocal exercises to improve voice quality in the elderly. Some of these studies focused on improving speech quality and efficiency, but since they address the same age-related physical changes, older singers who try them may find improvement in their singing voices, too.

Authors Juliana Godoy, Kelly Silverio, and Alcione Brasolotto saw vocal improvements in their subjects using the following exercises: • Tongue or lip trills with continuous phonation • Nasal sounds such as /m/ or /n/, either sustained or repeated for short durations • Vocal glides using tongue or lip trills, nasals consonants, or /z/) • Maximum phonation time exercise: the singer sustains a vowel, “louder than normal, maintaining adequate mouth opening, without excessive muscular effort, controlling the vocal quality throughout the phonation” • Semi-occluded vocal tract exercises—voicing bubbles through a tube into one to two centimeters of water • Semi-occluded vocal tract exercises with the tube in 10cm of water2 Participants followed this regimen either two or four times per week, for four weeks. At the end of the four-week period, both groups reported improved vocal quality and quality of life immediately following the therapy and one month later. Those who did the exercises four times per week also experienced reduced vocal fold bowing immediately after the four-week experimental period. Presumably, this improvement would be maintained with consistent exercise. ince people experience different bodily changes S as they age, directors should be attentive to their physical needs in rehearsal. Some prefer to sit most of the time; others feel better if they stand occasionally.

Some are able to participate in typical warmup stretches, but others have limited range of motion.

Older adults tend to need better lighting to read, and those with hearing loss may appreciate reduced background noise where possible.

There are other ways directors can adapt their rehearsal techniques to help singers with hearing loss.

12 • Cantate • Vol. 31, No. 3 • Spring 2019

Waiting for silence in the room before speaking is very important. If the final chord is still ringing in the room, or if someone is coughing, it will be difficult for a singer with hearing loss to hear what the director is saying. Because many people with high-frequency hearing loss may read lips to help them differentiate between consonants, the director should only speak with their head up, never looking down at the piano.

Finally, if hearing loss has disrupted a singer’s sense of intonation, the director can work with them one-on-one to develop a physical sense of the vibrations that come from a well-matched pitch.3 Older adults often assume that changes in their health are an inevitable sign of aging. However, some of these changes could point to a treatable health problem, such as hypothyroidism or gastroesophageal reflux disease (both very common in the elderly).

These can affect the singing voice, as can medication side effects such as dry mouth and tremor. Choir directors should encourage singers to talk to their doctors about these problems. A change of medication or other new treatment regimen could be all that it takes to return the voice to normal.

Depression is another illness that often goes underdiagnosed in older adults and can affect singers’ participation in choir. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention note that the elderly are at greater risk for depression, yet “healthcare providers may mistake an older adult’s symptoms of depression as just a natural reaction to illness or the life changes that may occur as we age, and therefore not see the depression as something to be treated. Older adults themselves often share this belief and do not seek help because they don’t understand that they could feel better with appropriate treatment.”4 Directors should watch for common signs of depression in their singers and urge them to find the help they need.

Even older adults without depression may experience loneliness, increased isolation, and grief. A choir director can help them stay connected to other choir members, perhaps by arranging outings as a group or including time for coffee and chatting before rehearsal. Singers who no longer drive, or only drive during the day, might need the director’s assistance arranging rides to and from rehearsal. Simple gestures such as birthday cards or occasional phone calls can go a long way toward easing loneliness and sadness.

In addition to these challenging emotions, people may also experience increased anxiety and frustration as their physical and mental abilities change with age.

They may make more mistakes, have more trouble remembering musical instructions and details from one rehearsal to the next, and need more time to process

California Choral Directors Association

the director’s comments in rehearsal. The director should make it clear in both word and behavior that it’s perfectly fine to make mistakes and ask questions in rehearsal. Being very precise and taking one’s time when giving instructions about where to go in the score next is also useful to singers of all ages (“page 6… second system…third measure…beat 2”). Directors can also spend some of their own score-study time anticipating problems their singers might have, so that they have solutions at the ready. orking methodically in rehearsals is very helpful to singers who are experiencing age-related W changes in speed of recall or processing. Focusing on

a limited number of details at a time is important. It may be too much to ask these singers to try to improve the cutoffs, the diction, the dynamics, and the balance in the same run-through. After the choir works on these goals separately for some time, though, some of the details may be automated enough that they do not require the singer to dedicate conscious attention to them. By structuring rehearsals in this way, the director can help reduce frustration and anxiety in their older choir members.

Because of memory changes that are a part of even healthy aging, directors may find that their singers need more repetition, both within a single rehearsal and over the entire course of preparing for performance. For the church choir director, this is especially challenging, since those performances come every week! These directors may wish to mix some easier repertoire in with the more difficult pieces, and structure their long-term rehearsal plans to allow weeks or even months to learn the most challenging music.

It may also be helpful to provide aging singers with recordings to practice with at home. Even those who have always been excellent music-readers may find them helpful as their memory retrieval slows down.

Having opportunities to recall the music between rehearsals can keep singers from becoming discouraged or apprehensive.

Repertoire selection is also critical when working with older adults. Women’s voices generally get lower as they age, while men’s voices tend to shift a little higher. Choosing music that takes these changes into consideration will result in a more satisfying experience for all. (Judicious transposing or rescoring can also be helpful in church settings.) Because aging singers tend to lose vocal stamina, as well, directors should structure their rehearsals to allow periods of rest or relatively easy singing. A director might also decide to feature solo voices on the most vocally challenging passages of a piece of music, and have the whole group sing the more

Leading the Way

accessible parts.

Even with all these tools, there may come a time when an older singer puts away their choir folder for good. Some singers will decide this on their own; others will retire only after a difficult conversation with their director. When this happens depends on the goals of your group: a church choir or unauditioned community choir may have more room for a voice in decline than a semi-professional choir, for example.

Some singers are relieved to stop singing, while others experience very real grief, embarrassment, and other complex emotions. It can be helpful for the director to find ways for the retiring singer to stay involved with the group, perhaps serving as librarian, host of pre-rehearsal coffee hour, ticket seller, or organizer of social activities.

Choral conductors are fortunate to have a variety of tools to assist a singer in working through the physical, mental, and emotional changes of aging. With the help of the director, and with a little work, it is possible for older adults to participate in choir, sharing their voices, their experiences, and all the other gifts they bring, for many years.  Robert T. Sataloff et al, “The Aging Adult Voice,” Journal of Voice 11, no. 2 (1997), 157.

1

Juliana Godoy, Kelly Silverio, and Alcione Brasolotto, “Effectiveness of Vocal Therapy for the Elderly When Applying Conventional and Intensive Approaches: A Randomized Clinical Trial,” Journal of Voice (in press).

2

Brenda Smith and Robert T. Sataloff, Choral Pedagogy and the Older Singer (San Diego: Plural Publishing, 2012), 44.

3

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “Depression,” https://www.cdc.gov/aging/mentalhealth/depression.htm, accessed 2/15/2019.

4

Nicole Aldrich is Director of Choral Activities at Washington University in St. Louis. Before her doctoral studies at the University of Maryland, she served as Associate Director of Choral Activities at the University of Delaware. She has prepared choruses for Helmuth Rilling and Paul Goodwin, has conducted honor choirs in six states, and is a frequent guest clinician and lecturer. In addition, her work as a church musician and community choir director spans more than two decades. This article is adapted from an interest session given at the 2019 ACDA national conference.

Cantate • Vol. 31, No. 3 • Spring 2019 • 13

manhattan concert productions Professional collaboration with choirs, bands, and orchestras of all ages for 20 years.

MASTERWORK • OCTAVO • YOUTH CHOIR BROADWAY • JAZZ • SYMPHONIC Contact us today for further information regarding performance opportunities in our 2020 season!

14 • Cantate • Vol. 31, No. 3 • Spring 2019

California Choral Directors Association

the COmposer’s voice:

The Notes are Just Notes artistic project is worth sacrificing your and physical health.

NI’momental not talking here about an occasional day Dale Trumbore is a Los Angeles-based composer and writer whose music has been performed by organizations including the

Los Angeles

Children’s Chorus, Los Angeles Master Chorale, Modesto Symphony, Pacific Chorale, Pasadena Symphony, The Singers, and

VocalEssence.

How to Go On, Choral Arts Initiative’s album of

Trumbore’s

choral works, was a

#4-bestselling Classical album on iTunes the week of its release.

Hear Dale’s music at daletrumbore.com.

Leading the Way

or even week where you put in long, sleepless hours or order take-out for several meals in a row in order to meet a deadline. I’m talking about how you build mental and physical well-being into your day-to-day creative life.

Your mental health, your sanity, and your life are worth more than any performance, any piece, or any networking opportunity.

You can push through bad days in order to get work done; you may even occasionally use your art to work through emotional pain. But creating your art is hard enough on the days you don’t have to argue with your mind insisting that your art doesn’t matter or that you don’t matter.

On days where my anxiety is at its peak, the act of sitting down to work feels impossible and insurmountable. My daily routine prioritizes my mental health, because without it, I put myself and my art at risk.

An artistic process will inevitably contain some degree of uncertainty and self-doubt.

Given that those factors already complicate the act of making art, shouldn’t we do all we can to make the rest of our process as anxiety-free as possible? Having experienced both the frantic, sleepless, anxious variety of composing and the kind where I prioritize my health above all else, I can report: the second way of living is vastly preferable in every way. I am not happy all the time, but I take so much more pleasure in the life I’m living.

You are more than what you do, and you are more than your career. If you need help for anxiety or depression, seek out that help. If you need to ask a friend for advice or a collaborator for an extension on your deadline, ask them.

Your collaborators—fellow humans—will understand, and if they don’t, they haven’t yet realized the simple truth that it’s hard to make art at all when your health desperately needs your attention.

I think of chaotic events like illness or a family emergency as an ambulance cutting a path through my life. No matter how congested a street is, there is always room for an ambulance; there is always space for everyone on a road to work together, move over, and

create room for an ambulance to pass.

When I’ve reached a mental or physical breaking point but when no emergency is carving out a clear path for me, I remind myself that an ambulance makes its own path. It’s up to me to find or create the space I need in order to rest. It’s my job to prioritize my mental and physical well-being, even—especially—when that means taking a break from my work.

When you’re about to collapse from exhaustion and stress, don’t wait for an external event or illness to force you to take a break.

No matter how crowded your schedule is, if you need a break, there is room for one, even if it’s a small one: a walk around the block, ten minutes of reading to unwind before sleep, or watching half of a mindless TV show to give your overwhelmed mind a break. ometimes, when I’m caught up in the chaos of a looming deadline, I am tempted to stay S up until the early hours of the morning, order

takeout or microwave something frozen for the fourth night in a row, and just keep writing. In these moments, now, I gently remind myself that the notes on the page are just notes. They are ink on a page, dots on a screen, or small scribbles of pencil.

I am not the notes. The notes are not my life; they are part of my life, but they are not my life. They are not my family. They don’t breathe or need to be fed. They can wait until the next morning or even the next week. I am always more important than the notes I am writing, even when it feels like the notes are the most important part in my life.

When I’ve given my mind and my body ample time to rest, my work improves. Every part of my life functions better when I’ve slept well, exercised gently, and spent part of my day away from my work. Whenever your mind or your body desperately needs a break, the work can wait. The notes are just notes. Your work will be waiting for you whenever you’re ready to return. 

Excerpted from Dale’s book Staying Composed: Overcoming Anxiety and Self-Doubt Within A Creative Life, available June 4, 2019.

Cantate • Vol. 31, No. 3 • Spring 2019 • 15

AT THE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA THORNTON SCHOOL OF MUSIC

Take a glance at the world of choral music today, and you will see the influence of the University of Southern California’s superlative education in choral and sacred music.

CHORAL LEADERSHIP WORKSHOP: Saturday, October 26, 8:00 am - 4:00 pm Newman Recital Hall University of Southern California

DEGREES OFFERED

Jerry Blackstone, guest conductor Professor Emeritus, University of Michigan

Choral Music BM, MM, DMA Sacred Music MM, DMA

For more information, contact us at uschoral@usc.edu

APPLICATION DEADLINE DECEMBER 1, 2019 Fall 2020 Admission for freshman, transfer, and graduate students

FACULTY Jo-Michael Scheibe, chair Nick Strimple Cristian Grases Morten Lauridsen Ladd Thomas Tram Sparks

Mary Mattei Lisa Sylvester Lynn Helding Suzi Digby James Vail, professor emeritus David Wilson, professor emeritus

Financial packages available for undergraduate and transfer students Teaching assistantships and scholarships available for graduate students

visit music.usc.edu/choral

16 • Cantate • Vol. 31, No. 3 • Spring 2019

California Choral Directors Association

TO ACHIEVEMENT The NO BARRIERS philosophy thrives at the Bob Cole Conservatory.

The Vocal/Choral/Opera Studies area at California State University, Long Beach can help you achieve your dreams in a supportive atmosphere.

For more information, contact Dr. Joshua Palkki at joshua.palkki@csulb.edu or visit csulb.edu/music

Leading the Way

Cantate • Vol. 31, No. 3 • Spring 2019 • 17

Arrowbear Music Camp

Tammi Alderman

Since 1942!

Eric Graham

Choral Session

June 23-29, 2019 Grades 9th-College Scholarships Available

Campers will enjoy a week of intense vocal instruction in a beautiful, historic, rustic mountain setting.

We offer a one-of-a-kind camp program that ties together music, traditional camp activities, and a social experience that carefully bonds the entire camp into a close-knit circle of friends. arrowbear.com 909-867-2782 info@arrowbear.com

Stacey Kikkawa 18 • Cantate • Vol. 31, No. 3 • Spring 2019

California Choral Directors Association

SEEN & HEARD Top: Members of the Oakland Youth Chorus (La Nell Martin, Artistic Director) are moved by the music in a recent performance (photo by Jim Norrena); center: Modesto High School and Johansen High School Choirs enjoy a day of singing and friendship at the CSU Stanislaus Central Valley Choral Festival; bottom: everyone was welcome at the San Diego Sings! choral festival at Balboa Park in March (photo by Gary Payne Photography).

Send your best photos of your choir’s activites— musical or extra-musical!— to cantate.editor@gmail. com if you’d like them to be considered for publication in a future issue!

Leading the Way

Cantate • Vol. 31, No. 3 • Spring 2019 • 19

Handbell Conference

Summer JiQg

July 21-25, 2019

-•r, J!JIY 25-28, 2019

Each summer the beautiful sound of handbells rings out over Lake Tahoe.

Bring your voice and love for singing up to the shores of Lake Tahoe this summer.

Tuning @ Tahoe is a conference for traditional church choral professionals.

Come join old friends and make new ones while learning new skills. Ensembles are led by our exceptional leadership, a skilled team of handbell directors and composers. Bell ringers at every level of experience are invited.

Come with a group, or by yourself. Bring your gloves and a happy smile and be part of a choir making music fit for the angels!

Summer Sing offers time to grow in your faith as an individual and as a part of our community.

Singers of all abilities are welcome and encouraged to grow within this positive and nurturing environment. Come participate in concentrated rehearsals and worship times led by our gifted guest faculty, leading up to a worship service celebrating the joy of singing with others.

Individuals from all denominations and church sizes are welcome. Through seminars, classes, and workshops we focus on conducting skills, vocal pedagogy, worship design, rehearsal techniques, and 10 reading sessions featuring more than 20 publishers. You will be spiritually and musically rejuvenated while selecting music to cover the entirety of next year!

Guest Faculty:

Guest Faculty:

Guest Faculty:

William Bryan Kyle Dean, Clinician Rob Meyer-Kukan Guest Conductor Sue Coddington-Allen Clinician Tessique Houston Clinician Barbara Walsh Clinician Shosh Meyer Clinician

.

Allan Petker Dean, Conductor Shawna Stewart Featured Conductor Katharin Rundus Returning Conductor Charlene Noland, Lois Nichols Accompanists

Steve Wirth, Alex Wirth, Megan Cochran Pastors

For more information visit zephyrpoint.org/programs or call (775) 588-6759 ext 107

July 28-Aug 2, 2019

Allan Petker Dean Shawna Stewart Featured Conductor Karen Miskell Voice Janet Vrundy Conducting Basics Clayton Cobb Pastor Charlene Noland Accompanist

*PAM members receive a 5% discount on registration fees

20 • Cantate • Vol. 31, No. 3 • Spring 2019

ZEPHYR POINT

California Choral Directors Association

Registration NOW OPEN!

www.calcda.org

Summer Conference At E.C.C.O

July 21-24, 2019

Dr. Charlene Archibeque

Headliner: Professor Emerita, San Jose State University Learn how to keep your choir in tune without really trying…

Explore Dr. A’s tips on teaching rhythmic sight-reading…

Conducting tips Vocal pedagogy Nut ’n’ Bolts Performance Practice Repertoire Vespers Cameraderie Leading the Way

Cantate • Vol. 31, No. 3 • Spring 2019 • 21

22 • Cantate • Vol. 31, No. 3 • Spring 2019

California Choral Directors Association

2019 All-State Honor Choirs

By Molly Peters

I

’m writing this with the contentedness of the post-Honor Choir experience—you know, a week after the event when you’ve caught up on sleep, watched your iPhone videos 1,348 times, returned to work, and finally gotten on top of your to-do list! The 2019 Honor Choirs were a central part of the CCDA State Conference. San Jose State University generously hosted our four performing ensembles for rehearsal (thank you, Jeffrey Benson and Kristina Nakagawa!), and the concerts were held in the gorgeous St. Joseph Basilica in downtown San Jose. It’s always a treat to see the kids’ faces as they enter the basilica for the exchange concert on Friday night—they are truly awestruck to be singing in such a beautiful venue, and all honor groups sounded fantastic in the space!

The students loved all four of our directors: Dr. Rollo Dilworth (Junior High/9th), Dr. Richard Bjella (TTBB), Dr. Giselle Wyers (SATB), and Dr. Kevin Johnson (SSAA). I have received many e-mails from students and parents who stated that the weekend was not just a great musical experience for their students, but also an amazing life opportunity. What an honor to be part of this community that can provide such transformative experiences for students and parents (and, I would venture to say our guest conductors as well).

Thank you to the teachers who volunteered to help at registration and throughout the weekend, especially those who did part checks. Amanda Isaac did a fantastic job with the junior high honor choir, and I look forward to our partnership in the future.

Neither Amanda nor I could have done anything without our amazing choir managers, who were with our students and directors all weekend long: Kyle Ball, Matthew Netto, and Tina Peterson. I owe a huge debt of gratitude to Karen Garrett, who stepped in with her expertise to manage on Thursday when one of our managers fell ill. Our collaborative pianists were all fantastic, and a special shout-out goes to Heather Bishop, who not only accompanied the SSAA choir, but also prepared her own students for multiple honor choirs. To all of our teachers who sent students to All-State this year: thank you for your hard work in getting your students prepared for the weekend. It was wonderful to see so many of you out and about at the conference, rehearsals, and concerts. (Extra thanks to Jennifer Perier, who was exiting the Marriott as I was entering, on her way to Target to buy black dress shoes for one of her singers who forgot to pack them!)

Leading the Way

Last but certainly not least, CCDA is fortunate to have three sponsoring groups this year who provided over 30 scholarships to deserving All-State students.

Resounding Achord (Kristina Nakagawa), ACFEA Tour Consultants (Hugh Davies), and Perform International (Roland Zuehlke) gave these students the honor choir experience they deserve by taking a financial burden off their families.

If your organization is interested in sponsoring any number of students (even just one!), please e-mail me at mepeters79@gmail.com. Many of our students grow up in homes where finances are tight, and your sponsorship can be life-changing. Thank you for your consideration, and we hope you’ll join the growing list of organizations making our kids’ dreams come true.

Until then….see you at Regional Honor Choirs in November and All-State next March!  Changes to All-State for 2020 Most of you know that the CCDA State Choral Conference will be re-joining CASMEC in February of 2020. For Honor Choir participants and teachers: • The audition process will be the same, and there will be no changes to Regional Honor Choir. We plan to use the online form for the Central and Coastal regions again.

• We are changing the model of how students are housed and fed at All State to match CBDA/CODA. All students—even local students—will be required to stay in our block of hotel rooms (in quads). We will have chaperones with them at all times. We will also provide all meals for students. This means that the price for participation will appear to be higher than the past, but keep in mind that everything is provided for them in the cost: hotel, meals, t-shirts, music, and transportation. Cost TBD; estimate between $500-$600.

• Students will attend an orientation before the first rehearsal.

Behavior will be enforced by chaperones, and any student not adhering to the behavior contract (including absences or tardies for rehearsals) will be sent home by CCDA. • For your advance planning, we will need teacher volunteers to chaperone. Chaperones will have their rooms (doubles), meals, and conference registration covered. If you are interested in being a chaperone, please email me at mepeters79@ gmail.com. All chaperones must be certificated teachers who are fingerprinted/Livescanned.

If you have any questions about CASMEC and Honor Choir in 2020, please e-mail me at honorchoir.ca.allstate@gmail. com. Thank you!

Cantate • Vol. 31, No. 3 • Spring 2019 • 23

Vision for the

Future

Scholarship Fund Donors special care has been given to the preparation of donor acknowledgments. We regret any errors or omissions. please contact us at (657) 217-0767 or exec_admin@acdacal.org with corrections. Thank you for your support!

President’s Circle Platinum ($500 and higher) Daniel Afonso * Tammi Alderman * in honor of the past and present CCDA board President’s Circle Gold ($300 and higher) Lou De La Rosa * in memory of Dr. Daniel Hoggatt Dr. Robert Istad and David Navarro * Duane and Linda Lovaas * Lori Marie Rios and Bryan Walker * Nick Strimple * in honor of James H. Vail Burt and Polly Vasche * President’s Circle Silver ($100-$299) Irene Apanovitch and Alexander Leites Kyle Ball Jeffrey Benson * Glenn Carlos Mike and Julie Dana * Anonymous in memory of Paul Salamunovich Brandon Harris Mark Hulse Joseph Huszti to honor Howard Swan, mentor and colleague Buddy James Beth Klemm * in honor of Norman Paschen

24 • Cantate • Vol. 31, No. 3 • Spring 2019

Bruce Lengacher in honor of George Attarian and Byron McGilvary Anthony Lien * in honor of Buddy James, Michael Najar, and Matthew Potterton Eric Medeiros in memory of Tim Shannon Kristina Nakagawa * in honor of Lois Caran, Joe Huszti, and Charlene Archibeque Kim Nason * in honor of Rob Istad and Chris Peterson Matthew Netto * in support of CSUF contributions to the choral world Dr. Christopher and Tina Peterson * Mary and Wally Purdy * in honor of John Alexander and in memory of Richard Knox Shawn Reifschneider * James & Marilyn Shepard Will Skaff and David Xiques Peggy Spool * Joe and Dana Stanford Dr. Jonathan Talberg * Kathryn Thickstun Janice Hawthorne Timm Betsy Cook Weber Sponsor ($50-$99) Bethany Alvey Scot Hanna-Weir Mary Anne James Stacey Kikkawa John Knutson Monica Maddern Curtis Mannah

Brianna Mowry Laura Natta (Crosspoint Wellness) Joshua Palkki Molly Peters Rachelle Randeen Zanaida Robles Krista Scharf Supporter (up to $50) Kenneth J. Abrams Gemma Arguelles Kimberlee Bratton Bernadette R. Burns Eileen Chang Jessica Cosley Andrew DelMonte Erika Jackson Derek Jamieson Othello Jefferson Susan Zimmer Johnson Joyce Keil Christopher Luthi National Concerts Jessica Nicholson Loretta Pearce in honor of Dr. Douglas Chase Patricia Schultz Rebecca P. N. Seeman Adam Serpa Karyn Silva Shelby Smith in honor of my mother and father, Daniel and Suzie Smith Mary Stocker Dwight Stone Darla Tuning

* Founder’s Circle

California Choral Directors Association

Leading the Way

Cantate • Vol. 31, No. 3 • Spring 2019 • 25

News and notes

from around the state CENTRAL COAST REGION Updates will be printed in our next issue.

If you have news you would like to share, please contact Carolyn Teraoka-Brady at cteraokabrady3@gmail.com!

CENTRAL REGION Abigail Sorber of El Diamonte High School in Visalia is the recipient of the second annual Dr. Randi Carp Choral Music Education Scholarship presented

by CMEA. John M. Sorber, choral director at Sequoia College in Visalia, is her proud father and recipient of the CMEA Pearson/Scott Foresman/Silver Burdett Choral Educator Award at the same ceremony.

Shawn Reifschneider, choir director at San Mateo and Burlingame High Schools, was guest clinician for the annual Real Men Sing event in Modesto, hosted by Jennifer Perier at Johansen High School. Polly Vasché served as guest choral conductor for the 70th annual Stairway of the Stars concert in March, which featured K-12 honor ensembles from Santa Monica and Malibu schools.

The annual Fall Sing for area high school choirs took place at Modesto Junior College and was organized by MJC choral director Cathryn Tortell.

Thirteen choirs sang for and supported one another, including MJC and CSU Stanislaus.

Julie Carter, soprano and conductor of Fresno’s Soli Deo Gloria community ensemble, presented a solo recital as part of the Pacific Artist Series at Fresno Pacific College, where Julie also serves on the faculty.

Ron Kean’s recent and acclaimed work, The Journey of Harriet Tubman, has been performed at prestigious venues nationwide. His composition

Send news of hirings, retirements, awards, commissions, premieres, collaborations, or projects to your regional representative or Cantate.Editor@gmail.com!

Normandy, the text of which was written by a survivor of the 1944 battle, will be sung at the American Cemetery on Normandy Beach (France) on July 4, 2019, to celebrate the 75th anniversary of D-Day. This spring Ron has also begun teaching World Music for the Inmate Scholars Program at Kern Valley State Prison. Kudos to Ron, who has been busy since retiring from Bakersfield College in 2013.

Heidi Webb is the new choral director at Porterville HS, following longtime CCDA member Aaron Snell, who has moved to Idaho with his family.

Jack Bertrand of North High School in Bakersfield reports that an honor vocal jazz ensemble has been initiated in Kern County. Christine Guter served as clinician when the singers participated in the Bakersfield Jazz Festival in April.

SOUTHERN REGION In November, Christopher Peterson was recognized by the Faculty of CSU Fullerton for Scholarly & Creative Activity, and Tina Peterson was awarded Teacher of the Year at Irvine High School for the 2018-2019 school year. Congratulations!

Eric Whitacre and the Riverside City College Chamber Singers (John Byun, director) were featured at The NAMM (National Association for Music Merchants) Foundation Grand Rally for Music Education held in Anaheim, CA in January 2019, performing “Cloudburst” and “Fly to Paradise.”

Also in Janaury, Valencia High School’s Two N Four Vocal Jazz Ensemble (Christine Tavares-Mocha, director), and Los Angeles-based professional pop-jazz vocal group M-pact were invited vocal jazz ensembles featured at this year’s JEN (Jazz Education

26 • Cantate • Vol. 31, No. 3 • Spring 2019

Network) Conference.

Congratulations to the University of Redlands Chapel Singers (Nicholle Andrews, director) for qualifying as semi-finalists for 2018-2019 The American Prize in Choral Performance College/University division!

In February, Disney California Adventure celebrated Black History Month with the 10th Anniversary of “Celebrate Gospel,” where 15 guest gospel choirs from across Southern California performed in Stage 17 throughout the day.

FAR SOUTH REGION In February the San Diego Master Chorale presented its third annual High School Honor Choir featuring more than one-hundred high school singers from the greater San Diego area. The singers, represented twenty different high schools, were given a day-long workshop rehearsal with SDMC music director John Russell. The day culminated in a collaborative performance with the members of SDMC at the First United Methodist Church of San Diego.

Common Ground Voices/La Frontera brings together a diverse group of artists in a community music and peacebuilding project situated at the border of Mexico and the United States. The international ensemble, led by Emilie Amrein and André de Quadros, comprises musicians from across Mexico and the United States, including many from the greater trans-border region.

During their inaugural week-long residency, Common Ground Voices / La Frontera considered forced migration, identity, place, belonging, and shared humanity in this politically charged and historically contested region. Their concert program, entitled “Sueños, Visiones: Another Possible World,” California Choral Directors Association

featured choral works by Mexican and American composers and incorporated improvisation, movement, and narration into an immersive concert experience.

During their week together, CGV La Frontera presented a workshop with Ensamble Redes 2025 at Centro de Artes Musicales in Tijuana, B.C, and participated in the Western Region of Campus Compact Conference, “Beyond Borders” at the University of San Diego.

In July, SACRA/PROFANA will hold their annual Summer Choral Intensive on the campus of Point Loma Nazarene University co-lead by Dr. Keith Pedersen and Juan Carlos Acosta. The camp is open to all rising 6th-12th graders.

The Choral Consortium of San Diego presented “San Diego Sings! Festival 2019” on March 23, 2019 at the Spreckels Organ Pavilion in Balboa Park, featuring 22 diverse choirs from all over San Diego County.

Each choir performed its own set and all 1000 singers gathered for a massed choir sing conducted by Arlie Langager. San Diego Civic Organist Raul Prieto Ramirez accompanied on the Spreckels Organ, the world’s largest pipe organ in a fully outdoor venue.

mastered a demanding program in just three days. The inaugural choir was led by Gaw Vang Williams, the director of vocal jazz from Sacramento State University. (Gaw and her vocal jazz ensembles have also been traveling all over to represent Sac State at events including CASMEC, the National ACDA Convention, and the CCDA State conference!)

BAY AREA In January, JAZZ-ology of Contra Costa College (Dr. Stephanie Austin, director) was selected to perform at the 2019 Jazz Education Network National Conference.

Many choral jazz educators and students gathered to see The Real Group in concert on Feb 25 in San Jose State University’s Hammer Theatre. The ensemble stayed another day to provide master classes for vocal jazz groups from West Valley, SJSU, Skyline College, and Saint Mary’s College of California.  Thanks to our Regional Representatives (Alissa Aune, Julie Ford, Polly Vasché, Carolyn Teraoka-Brady, Stacey Kikkawa, and John Russell) for collecting and sharing news from their areas! Send your news to your regional representative if you’d like to be included in a future issue.

After a 16-year hiatus, San Diego USD brought back its District Honor Choral Concert, coordinated by Laura Williams of the VAPA Department, in March.

Over 120 students in grades 4-12 participated in one of three choirs directed by Sally Husch Dean (North Coast Singers), Juan Carlos Acosta (Sacra/ Profana), and Kathleen Hansen (San Diego Chorus and San Diego Women’s Chorus).

NORTHERN REGION The North State was represented by Gavin Spencer and the Shasta High School Madrigal Choir at the 4th Annual CCDA State Conference in San Jose. Their performance in St. Joseph’s Basilica was part of the event’s opening concert.

The Northern California Band and Choral Directors Association presented their annual honor choir at Sonoma State University in February. The 160-voice choir is a unique representation of Northern California, as each school involved can send one or two quartets to create the choir. This allows for many of our small, rural schools with to participate in an honor choir experience that might be bigger than their entire school! This year’s choir was led by Christopher Peterson.

This year also marked the creation of the first NorCal Honor Jazz Choir at the same event. Students auditioned with the same repertoire as the CAJ All-State Honor Jazz Choir, and a vocal jazz choir of fourteen students Leading the Way

Cantate • Vol. 31, No. 3 • Spring 2019 • 27

Top Five for your Choir:

COMMUNITY CHOIRS C Jenny Bent is Associate Professor and Director of

Choral Activities at

Sonoma State

University, Choral Director of the Santa Rosa Symphony, and manager or

Chanticleer’s summer program, in

Chanticleer

Sonoma. Recipient of the

2019 CMEA Bay

Section Outstanding Choral Educator Award, Dr. Bent enjoys adjudicating and guest conducting.

From

2007-2014, Dr. Bent hosted the radio show

The Choir Loft on KRCB-FM, the Sonoma County NPR affiliate.

oncert programming requires numerous considerations including voicing, budget, time, and performance venue. When a large work is not an option, finding the perfect concert “centerpiece” can be a challenge. The following list of short works provides repertoire possibilities that are musically substantive, yet do not require large-scale performance forces.

Johannes Brahms (1833-1897) Schicksalslied (Song of Destiny) SATB and chamber orchestra EC Schirmer Music Co1643 Simply put, I love Brahms….can’t get enough of him. I was thrilled to discover the chamber orchestration now available for the Schicksalslied. His setting of the first half of Friedrich Hölderlin’s poem, which describes the ethereal world which our dearly departed now inhabit and from which they now lovingly watch over humanity, is Brahms at his best.

The second half, with its jarring and fiery tempo, rootless diminished seventh chord accompaniment, and occasionally elusive downbeats, provides the perfect musical backdrop for the text now describing the unknown and frightening doom of mere mortals subject to the perilous hand of fate.

Approximately seventeen minutes in length, Schicksalslied is a perfect option if you are in the mood for Brahms, yet do not have the means or desire to program his Requiem.

Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872-1958) Five Mystical Songs SATB, string quartet and piano/organ or organ EC Schirmer Music Co. 1.5038 This five-movement composition works well in the concert hall or as a special Easter Sunday treat for the congregation. The powerful opening of the first movement, a burst of rousing, gorgeous melody accompanied by lush instrumentation, perfectly supports the powerful text, “Rise heart, thy Lord is Risen.”

Approximately twenty minutes in length, Five Mystical Songs requires a baritone who

28 • Cantate • Vol. 31, No. 3 • Spring 2019

is vocally trained and a solid musician. The final movement, “Let All the World in Ev’ry Corner Sing,” can easily stand alone (great concert closer!) and does not require a soloist.

W.A. Mozart (1756-1791) Misericordias Domini, KV 222 SATB and string quartet or organ Baerenreiter-Verlag BA04789 or CPDL #35445 Fiery and energetic, Misericordias Domini is an example of one of Mozart’s early gems.

Approximately six minutes in length, this piece provides substantive musical challenge and a perfect opportunity to teach Classical harmonic function and style.

Ola Gjeilo (b. 1978) Dark Night of the Soul SSAATTBB with string quartet and piano Walton Music WW1463 My choir went nuts for this piece! They found deep modern relevance to the text by16thcentury Spanish mystic St. John of the Cross, and Gjeilo’s marriage of vocal melody and orchestration is sheer perfection. Gjeilo is a pianist, and, like many of his works, “Dark Night of the Soul” heavily features that instrument.

Daniel Pinkham (1923-2006) Sinfonia Sacra (Christmas Cantata) SATB, double brass choir or brass choir and organ Alphonse Leduc/Robert King Inc. 48185177 This classic, contemporary work spans three movements and is a choir and audience favorite. Like the Vaughan Williams Five Mystical Songs, it works well in either the concert hall or church setting, and the final movement can easily stand alone. The choir and audience will be humming the catchy third movement melody long after the performance!

Bonus: If you are looking for a non-Christmas themed work of similar length, Pinkham’s Wedding Cantata (scored for chamber orchestra) is also stunning. 

California Choral Directors Association

MMCC-Ad-Cantate-7.5x10-bw-Smr2019-outlined.indd 1

Leading the Way

8/8/18 11:51 AM

Cantate • Vol. 31, No. 3 • Spring 2019 • 29

2019

KODÁLY INSTITUTE California State University, Bakersfield

June 24 -July 12, 2019

8:30AM - 5:00PM CSU Bakersfield, Music Building Instructors

RENÉ FERRELL - Founder & Co-Director JO KIRK - Level 1& Folk Song Research 1 LISA SIMMELINK - Level 2 & Folk Song Research 2 LYNNE ZIMMERMANN - Level 3 & Folk Song Research 3 MATT HANNE - Musicianship 1, 2, & 3 ANGEL VÁZQUEZ-RAMOS - Conducting & Ensemble

To register visit our website kodaly.csub.edu

Registration $900

Class size is limited so please reserve your spot early.

30 • Cantate • Vol. 31, No. 3 • Spring 2019

California Choral Directors Association

Top Five for your Choir:

TWO-YEAR COLLEGES I Dr. Arlie Langager has been the of

Director

Choral Studies at

MiraCosta College since

2008. She holds

undergraduate and graduate degrees from the

University of

Calgary and the University of Texas at Austin. Dr. Langager was the

Artistic

Director of the Calgary Boys’ Choir and the

Mount

Royal Youth Choir, and for nearly a decade she directed the award-winning

University of Calgary Vocal Jazz ensembles.

Leading the Way

n many community college choirs, our roster can change drastically from semester to semester. Maybe we find more than half of our singers are new to the ensemble, or the choir is unexpectedly smaller, or our sections aren’t balanced.

In those semesters, programming divisi repertoire can seem like a risky strategy, even with voices that are capable of university transfer-level repertoire. Here are five suggestions for some challenging yet accomplishable pieces for SATB divisi.

Luca Marenzio (1553-1599), ed. Dennis Shrock Leggiadre ninfe SSATTB a cappella GIA Publications G-8359 We sometimes overlook options from the canon of early music for appropriate repertoire for divisi mixed choir. Dennis Shrock has published editions of a few period pieces that include context for performance practice.

“Leggiadre ninfe” comes from Il trionfo di Dori, a collection of 29 Italian madrigals by composers including Palestrina and Gabrieli.

The texture is lighter than something like Rheinberger’s “Abendlied” and is not over-edited with imposed dynamics and articulations. The King’s Singers album Il Trionfo di Dori provides a great listening example.

Zuzanna Koziej Ostende mihi SATB divisi with soprano solo Self-published; https://zuzannakoziej. musicaneo.com/sheetmusic/ Some of the newest choral pieces by emerging Polish composer, Zuzanna Koziej, are a breath of fresh air with her innovative settings of Latin texts. (Check out her “Trahe me post te” and “Deus meus.”) However, the familiar harmonic language in her setting of “Ostendi mihi” may be most popular with your singers and audiences. The text is drawn from part of Song of Songs 2:14 (“Show me your face, let me hear your voice; for your voice is sweet, and your face is fair”). A smaller choral ensemble can still perform the piece well, and the solo is a lovely feature for college-aged sopranos.

Elaine Hagenberg A Farewell SATB with divisi, unaccompanied Oxford University Press X693 Expressive melodic lines with lush, tonal harmonies give this a cappella work rich textures that even new singers will enjoy.

Hagenberg does a beautiful job of adapting Frances Anne Kemble’s poem, “An Entreaty,” to capture a sense of wistfulness: “....once more into the sunny fields/ Oh, let me stray!/And drink the joy that young existence yields/On a bright, cloudless day.” Kemble’s backstory and discussion of her memoir, Journal of a Residence on a Georgian Plantation, can provide a good discussion point, too.

Eric William Barnum Stars Stand Up in the Air SATB divisi with piano WJMS1116 This piece has lots of unison or doubled passages, offering singers more moments where singers can power-up their confidence with robust vocalization. The piano accompaniment frequently duplicates singers’ pitches and helps shape phrases. Barnum’s part writing is straightforward, and his use of added tones for the divisi means harmonic language is still largely intuitive. This piece is a hit with singers and audiences alike.

Hildegard von Bingen (1098-1179); arr. Felicia Sandler Laus Trinitati SSATBB a cappella Alliance Music Publications AMP-1005 Felicia Sandler spins one of Hildegard von Bingen’s antiphons into swirling, overlapping lines for this ethereal choral arrangement.

It may be easier for new singers to learn the linear chant melodies by rote practice than by vertical harmonization, but Sandler uses a drone in some parts, which can be a good way to train new ears to stay on a single pitch while melodies move around. Sandler’s writing works as well with lighter individual voices as with voice majors, and her six-part texture offers an opportunity to redistribute middle-range voices for better balance. 

Cantate • Vol. 31, No. 3 • Spring 2019 • 31

Top Five for your Choir:

CONTEMPORARY COMMERCIAL Since 1980, Bill Zinn has dedicated his professional life to the

Sacramento area’s

musical community.

He has performed as a member and

Assistant

Chorus Master of the Sacramento Opera Chorus, and he sings with the

Sacramento

Master Singers. Bill taught in the

Davis

Joint Unified School District beginning in 2003, and in 2002 he was awarded

Music

Teacher of the Year by the

Capitol Section of

CMEA.

H

ere are some suggestions for your consideration....but don’t stop here!

Explore what’s available in contemporary musical theater, pop, barbershop, and contemporary a cappella on your own. Look for music arrangements by high school, collegiate, and community a cappella groups! There’s so much out there— five is not enough!

Arranged by Bryan Sharpe One Call Away (Charlie Puth) Alfred Music Publishing SATB (46741) 3-Part Mixed (45689) 

Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez, arr. Roger Emerson Remember Me (from “Coco”) Hal Leonard Corporation SATB (HL 00265786) 3-part Mixed (HL 00265787) 2-part (HL00265788) Show Trax CD (HL 00265789) Arranged by Mac Huff Say Something (Christina Aguilera) Hal Leonard Corporation SATB (HL 00275239) SAB (HL 00275240) 2-part (HL 00275241) Rhythm section parts (HL 00275242) Show Trax CD (HL 00275243) Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, arr.

Mark Brymer Come Alive (from “The Greatest Showman”) Hal Leonard Corporation SATB (HL 00285098) 3-Part Mixed (HL 00285099) SSA (HL 00285100) Combo Parts (HL 00285101) Show Trax CD (HL 0285102) Morten Vinther Lucky Luke (The Real Group) Walton Music SATBB (WRG1031)

32 • Cantate • Vol. 31, No. 3 • Spring 2019

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California Choral Directors Association

Follow your passion! performance opportunities Concert Choir Choraliers Vocal Jazz Ensemble Treble Choir Spartan Glee Club Opera Theatre

degrees offered Bachelor of Arts Bachelor of Music in Performance Bachelor of Music Education Master of Music in Choral Conducting Summer Masters Degree in Music Education

contact us Dr. Jeffrey Benson, director of choral activities jeffrey.benson@sjsu.edu SJSU Choirs SJSU Choirs @SJSU Choirs sjsu.edu/music

summer choral workshops July 8–12, 2019 sjsu.edu/music/ choralworkshop

Leading the Way

Cantate • Vol. 31, No. 3 • Spring 2019 • 33

FRESNO STATE CHORAL DEPARTMENT

MUSIC MAJOR/MINOR AUDITION DATE

34 • Cantate • Vol. 31, No. 3 • Spring 2019

California Choral Directors Association

Top Five for your Choir:

ETHNIC & MULTICULTURAL L Angel M. VázquezRamos, a native of Carolina, Puerto Rico, Assistant Professor

is

and

Director of

Choral and Vocal Studies at California State University, Bakersfield. He teaches undergraduate courses in music education and choral conducting, and conducts the

University Singers and

Chamber Singers.

Before his appointment to

CSUB, he served as

Director of Choral Music Education at Chapman University from

2010 to 2015.

Dr. Vázquez-Ramos also taught secondary choral music for seven years in

Pinellas

County Schools in the Tampa Bay Area.

Leading the Way

ike many of us, I have always looked for musical selections that will allow me to teach implicitly and/or explicitly about the things that I care about the most, my musical and non-musical values. These five selections are very different in terms of musical attributes and text, but each alludes to universal ideas like faith, love, and unity. I hope you will try at least one of them!

Stephen Hatfield En el Principio SATB, solo baritone or mezzo soprano, percussion and optional string bass Boosey & Hawkes 48022671 Christopher Borges, former choir director at Bakersfield High School, commissioned several works for his choirs during his tenure at BHS; this is one of them. One of the elements that makes this work appealing to me is its text, which was written as a collaboration between BHS pianist Alicia Ellsworth, who utilized input from the students and Hatfield. Sung in English and Spanish, the text is about becoming one through music, regardless of our differences. Hatfield writes, “‘En el Principio’ mixes choral counterpoint with a percussive dance groove I’ve called Middle-East Latin.”

The constant meter changes and interesting rhythmic patterns make this piece fun to sing.

José Rincón Bullerengue SATB Third Planet Music In his article on music from Colombia, George List says that the bullerengue is one of the two traditional dances in the Atlantic coastal region of Colombia. The bullerengue usually includes a solo singer, chorus, and drums. In this composition by José Rincón, traditional elements of this dance are implicitly included.

For example, the tenor part often sings against the soprano and alto parts, keeping with the element of solo against chorus. The bass part maintains a percussiveness similar to what you might hear from the actual drums. If you know this piece and have not programmed it in a while, consider performing it again!

Arr. Daniel Jackson Akekho Ofana No Jesu SATB, divisi, solo, and djembe Walton Music WW1683 This is a widely known traditional African song, sung in many different languages. The text for this arrangement is in Zulu (there’s not a lot of text, and it is easy to learn).

Akekho Ofana No Jesu is a dynamic praise song that could work well as a concert closer.

Daniel Jackson did a wonderful job preserving the joyful spirit of the original tune. There is a section that calls for two choirs, but it is optional, meaning that smaller choirs can still enjoy performing this arrangement.

Arr. Neil Ginsberg Hine Ma Tov SATB Santa Barbara Music Press 286 Neil Ginsberg’s setting of this traditional Hebrew song is very musical and accessible. It features well-written vocal lines accompanied by beautiful piano and flute parts. I recently programmed this piece for our seasonal concert, and the students really enjoyed performing it.

Robert S. Cohen Spirit of the Winding Water SATB, flute and percussion Leapfrog Productions MSRCO1-7 Sung in Navajo and influenced by Native American chants, this original work will allow your choir and audience to experience sounds characteristic of Native American Music. Furthermore, the text has great meaning and will serve as a springboard for insightful discussions during rehearsal. In Cohen’s performance notes regarding the text, he says, “The Native American wisdom and philosophy provided me with the rich awareness of finding the sacred in all things.

Thus, the text for ‘Spirit of the Winding Water’ captures the spirituality found in all things, from purple sunsets to trees and rocks.” This is a composition that could be programmed at any time of the year. 

Cantate • Vol. 31, No. 3 • Spring 2019 • 35

Top Five for your Choir:

MUSIC IN WORSHIP O Ruben Valenzuela is the founder and director of the

Bach

Collegium San Diego and the

Director of

Music and Organist at

All Souls’ Episcopal Church, San Diego.

He has led the BCSD in numerous

Southern

California premieres of Historically Informed Performances of music from the

Renaissance,

Baroque, and early Classical period.

He is a member of the

Association of

Anglican Musicians, the

American

Musicological Society, the

American Bach

Society, the Herbert Howells Society, and the

American Guild of

Organists, and he holds a

PhD in Musicology from

Claremont

Graduate University.

ne of the biggest challenges of leading a church choir is that a new Sunday is always just around the corner, ready or not.

Selecting a mix of repertoire that not only fits the theme of a given Sunday or tradition, but also plays to the strengths of the choir, can be challenging. As music directors, all we can do is offer our very best efforts at any given rehearsal or church service.

As I mentioned in a previous Top 5, I highly recommend that choirs spend time with polyphony, even if it isn’t a significant portion of your choir’s output, or even musical tradition.

Polyphonic singing in its purest form teaches invaluable lessons about autonomous singing, organizing a hierarchy between dissonance and consonance, and shaping a musical line—democratic music making at it best! Each of the pieces below displays a clear sense of contrapuntal writing, offering singers many of the same pedagogical tools. The repertoire listed below can easily work in diverse contexts and traditions, and within the musical resources of an established church choral program.

Philip W.J. Stopford (b. 1977) O Thou who camest from above SATB and organ Morning Star Music Publishers 50-5209 English composer Philip Stopford presents a beautiful melody, followed by a clear development and restatement, all set to his unmistakable contemporary style. The Charles Wesley text is timeless, and the sparse yet beautifully crafted organ part lends its own voice in the introduction and in support of the choir.

This piece is accessible, highly effective, and especially suitable on or during the season of Pentecost.

Eleanor Joanne Daley (b. 1955) Here, O my Lord SATB and organ Alliance Music AMP0305 Canadian composer Eleanor Daley’s music is generally well known, but this particular piece often goes under the radar. Daley sets Horatius Bonar’s beautiful Eucharistic text to a

36 • Cantate • Vol. 31, No. 3 • Spring 2019

soaring melody, first offered in unison and then harmonized, with subtle support from the organ.

This piece is highly accessible and satisfying to perform.

Felix Mendelssohn (1809-1847), ed. John Rutter Verleih uns Frieden WoO5 SATB and keyboard or orchestra Oxford University Press 9780193418158 Verleih uns Frieden is a chestnut of the choral repertoire and offers many opportunities for the choir and keyboardist to shine. Originally scored for chorus and orchestra, it is equally successful in its chorus-and-keyboard version.

This magical piece is three verses of the same text, culminating in a four-part setting that elegantly dissipates into the final cadence.

William Cutter Little Lamb SATB a cappella Galaxy Music Corporation: EC.1.3144 Among his many duties, Cutter is Director of Choral Program at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology where he is conductor of the M.I.T Concert Choir and Chamber Chorus.

Cutter’s setting of William Blake’s text is rhythmically engaging, playful, and buoyant from beginning to end. Although this piece is challenging, the difficulties are worth the effort.

Sarah MacDonald (b. 1968) Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis in A-flat 2-part treble voices and organ St. James Music Press (www.sjmp.com) Canadian composer Sarah MacDonald is fast becoming an established name for those who work in the English choral tradition.

MacDonald is Director of Music at Selwyn College, Cambridge, and Director of the Ely Cathedral Girls’ Choir. This treble setting of the Evening Canticles is accessible and full of contrast with subtle attention to the text, and it utilizes the organ as an equal partner to the vocal writing. Highly recommended for those with an established treble choir looking for a moderate challenge. 

California Choral Directors Association

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Bachelor of Arts • Bachelor of Music Master of Music • Artist Diploma Music Scholarships & Graduate Assistantships Available Dr. Nicholle Andrews Director of Choral Studies Dr. Joseph Modica Associate Professor of Choral Music Information and applications music@redlands.edu 909-748-8014 www.redlands.edu/music

Leading the Way

Cantate • Vol. 31, No. 3 • Spring 2019 • 37

CCDA BOARD Directory EXECUTIVE BOARD President Robert Istad (562) 822-5952 robert.istad@gmail.com President-Elect Jeffrey Benson (408) 924-4645 jeffrey.s.benson@ gmail.com Vice President Lou De La Rosa (408) 206-7192 l.delarosa.wvc@ gmail.com Membership & Development Lori Marie Rios (818) 679-7463 lmrdiva1@gmail.com Treasurer Chris Peterson (657) 278-3537 cpeterson@fullerton.edu Executive Administrator/ CCDA Office Kathleen Preston 921 N. Harbor Blvd., #412 La Habra, CA 90631-3103 (657) 217-0767 exec_admin@acdacal.org

REPERTOIRE & RESOURCES

REGIONAL REPRESENTATIVES Bay Area Julie Ford (925) 631-4670 julie@julieford.org

Children’s & Community Youth Kimberly Nason (949) 472-6492 dknason@mac.com

Central Polly Vasché (209) 526-9692 pollyvasche@pacbell.net

Junior High & Middle School Susie Martone susie.martone@gmail.com

Central Coast Carolyn Teraoka-­Brady (805) ­689-­1780 cteraoka-­brady@ sbusd.org

Senior High School Tammi Alderman (626) 299-7020 x3615 tammialderman@gmail.com

Far South John Russell (917) 686-­0110 johnkrussell@gmail.com Northern Alissa Aune (530) 277-6691 aaune@suhsd.net Southern Stacey Kikkawa (310) 551-5100 skikkawa@bhusd.org

CLA Coordinator Willow Manspeaker wmanspeaker@stevensonschool.org All-State Honor Choirs Molly Peters (213) 880-7597 mepeters79@gmail.com

COLLEGIATE College & University Buddy James (510) 885-3128 buddy.james@ csueastbay.edu Two-Year College Arlie Langager (858) ­774-­0412 alangager@miracosta.edu Student Activities Josh Palkki (202) 679-3350 josh.palkki@csulb.edu LIFELONG

EVENT CHAIRS Summer Conference at ECCO Jeffe Huls jhuls@smmusd.org

YOUTH

CCDA State Conference at CASMEC Kristina Nakagawa (408) 205-6050 artistic@ resoundingachord.org

Choral Composition David Montoya (626) 419-8031 davypavy@aol.com

Community Choirs Jenny Bent (707) 664-3925 bentje@sonoma.edu Music in Worship Ruben Valenzuela (760) 715-7956 rv.hypodorian@gmail.com REPERTOIRE-SPECIFIC Contemporary Commercial Choirs William Zinn (916) 601-4175 wzinn6023@gmail.com Ethnic & Multicultural Perspectives Angel Vázquez-Ramos (714) 305-1087 vazquezramosa@gmail.com Men’s Choirs Gavin Spencer (530) 241-4161 gspencer@suhsd.net Vocal Jazz Michelle Hawkins (650) 738-7134 hawkinsm@smccd.edu Professional Choruses Molly Buzick Pontin (714) 662-2345 molly@pacificchorale.org Women’s Choirs Tina Peterson (562) 453-9681 tgpeterson@me.com

COMMUNICATIONS Cantate Editor Eliza Rubenstein erubenstein@occ.cccd.edu cantate.editor@ gmail.com

38 • Cantate • Vol. 31, No. 3 • Spring 2019

Webmaster & Graphic Design Anthony M. Lien (530) 758-5896 amlien@lienhome.net

Social Media Coordinator Jason Pano (408) 768-0733 jasonpano@yahoo.com

California Choral Directors Association

Building bridges and transforming lives through the power of music perform-international.com // info@perform-international.com perform-america.com // phone. 770.220.2242

Performance Opportunities in 2020 BEETHOVEN ANNIVERSARY 2020

A CHORAL & SPIRITUAL RETREAT IN SCOTLAND

Dr. Jeffery Redding Vienna, Austria June 6 - June 11, 2020

Mr. Tom Trenney Iona, Scotland June 7 - June 15, 2020

festival for women’s & treble voices

MAdrid choral festival

Dr. Andrea Ramsey Ms. Eva Ugalde Mr. Javier Busto San Sebastian, Spain June 17 - June 22, 2020

Dr. Derrick Fox Madrid, Spain June 28 - July 3, 2020

THE INTERNATIONAL a cappella festival: italy Dr. J. D. Frizzell Milan, Italy July 6 - July 11, 2020

Leading the Way

Many voices, one song

Dr. Joshua Habermann Mr. Deke Sharon Dublin, Ireland June 13 - June 18, 2020

great basilicas of italy

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CUSTOM tour

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Cantate • Vol. 31, No. 3 • Spring 2019 • 39

California Choral Directors Association 921 N. Harbor Blvd., #412 La Habra, CA 90631-3103

CSULB’s four full-time tenure-track Vocal/Choral/Opera faculty work tirelessly to provide the highest quality educational and performing experiences for our students in eight ensembles, opera workshops, and musical theatre productions.

Full-Time Faculty Dr. Jonathan Talberg, Director of Choral, Vocal, & Opera Studies Dr. David Anglin, Director of Opera Studies Prof. Christine Guter, Director of Vocal Jazz Dr. Joshua Palkki, Choral Music Education Degrees Offered Performance (including voice, opera, or jazz), choral music education, choral conducting (M.M.) and composition.

CSULB alumni sing with L.A. Opera, L.A. Master Chorale, Santa Fe Desert Chorale, and opera houses from San Francisco to the Met. Choral Music Education graduates lead programs of distinction at all levels, elementary to collegiate.

Selected High-Profile Choral Performances ACDA, NCCO, and CCDA invited appearances in 2019, 2017, 2016, 2014, 2013, and 2012.

2017: Chamber Choir: Winner, International Competition of Choral Singing, Spittal, Austria 2016: Chamber Choir: Winner, “Choir of the World,” Llangollen, Wales

For more information, please contact: Joshua Palkki, PhD Coordinator, Choral Music Education joshua.palkki@csulb.edu