TCDA Spring 2016 Newsletter

Spring 2016

!

E M I T IT’S Texas Choral Directors Association

Renew Your Membership Now

to vote online for the 2016-17 Board of Directors and receive the pre-convention issue of Texas Sings!

This special spring issue of Texas Sings! has been redesigned to include complete convention details such as the convention schedule, workshop descriptions, clinician bios, social events, and much more. Texas Sings! will be mailed to you in mid-May, giving you everything you need to get the most out of the summer convention prior to your arrival.

RENEW TODAY: WWW.TCDA.NET

(512) 474-2801

TCDA Convention 2016: July 21-23 (Thursday – Saturday)

Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center in San Antonio Preregister for the convention online by July 1 and save $20.

Make Housing reservations now to receive contract rates.

NOTE: TCDA will have no activities Sunday morning.

DON’T MISS THE SING-IN Thursday, July 21 5:00 pm Excerpts from Handel’s Messiah

Amphion Youth Choir Friday, July 22, 4:00 pm – 5:15 pm Dynamic group of singers ages 15-23 in the Greater Austin area. Choir directed by founder Steve White. Non-traditional repertoire emphasizing innovative new works from today’s brightest composers, powerful world music compositions, and contemporary A Cappella pops.

Rick Bjella, conductor

Elementary Honor Choir Saturday, July 23, 4:00 pm Featuring conductor Sandy Knudson of the Norman Children’s Chorus in Norman, OK, accompanied by Adam Stout. Premiere of commissioned work by composer Sally Albrecht.

Application/Audition fee of $15 due by April 1.

Registration fee $75 due May 15.

Sandy Knudson

(See more convention highlights on page 7)

Sally Albrecht

TCDA presents 3 Candidates for the TCDA Board of Directors - President-Elect Dr. Randall Hooper

Dr. Pam Elrod Huffman

Joel M. Price

Dr. Randall Hooper is the Director of Choirs and Vocal Activities at Texas A&M UniversityCommerce, where he conducts the Men’s Chorus, Chamber Singers and Chorale, while overseeing the masters program in choral conducting and teaching undergraduate courses in conducting. Randy taught high school choral music for eleven years in Texas.

Choirs under his leadership have performed in Carnegie Hall, SWACDA, the Tennessee Music Educators Association Conference, the Georgia Music Educators Association and for the International Anthony Burgess Foundation Symposium in England, along with touring Germany, Austria, England and France. Also a composer and editor of choral music, Randy serves as music director for churches in Texas, Louisiana, Tennessee and Georgia. He is currently the Director of Music of Kavanaugh UMC in Greenville, TX. Randy was the TCDA VP for the College/Community Division for 2012-2014, and is a member of TCDA, TMEA, ACDA and NCCO. He earned a BME degree from Texas State University and a MM degree from Baylor University.

Dr. Pam Elrod Huffman’s conducting career spans elementary and secondary schools to university, symphonic, and church choirs. Since 2007, Pam has been the Director of Choral Activities at SMU’s Meadows School of the Arts, where she oversees the MM choral conducting program and directs its ensembles. An accomplished vocalist, Pam sang with the late Robert Shaw, performing and recording with the Robert Shaw Festival Singers, the Robert Shaw Choral Institutes, the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra Chorus, and the Atlanta Symphony Chamber Chorus. She is a member of the ensemble Conspirare. Pam is an active clinician and adjudicator in Texas and throughout the U.S. and a sought-after clinician in the choral techniques of Robert Shaw. Her TCDA service includes many committees, presenting interest sessions, coaching college student conductors, and serving as VP of the College/Community Division. She is a member of TCDA, TMEA, ACDA, Chorus America, NCCO, and Pi Kappa Lambda. Pam holds BME and MM degrees from The University of Texas at Austin and a DMA from the University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana.

Joel M. Price has directed choral music for 21 years. For the last 16 he has been the head choral director at Westwood JH in Richardson ISD, directing the varsity choirs and serving as head of the music department. Joel’s choirs consistently earn Sweepstakes awards for superior ratings at UIL Concert and Sight-reading Contest, including Grand Champion and Best in Class at the Hurricane Harbor Choral Festival.

He served TMEA as Region 3 MS/JH Vocal Chair and was the TCDA 2005-07 MS/JH VP. Most recently he served as a member and chair of the UIL Prescribed Music List Vocal Committee, and he serves as a member of the UIL Vocal Sight-reading Committee. Joel is a clinician and conductor for All-State, AllRegion, and All-City choirs, an adjudicator for UIL Concert and Sight-reading contests, and a judge for solo and ensemble contests in the DFW area. He has served TCDA as a board member, clinician, Honor Choir section leader, nominating committee chair, and hospitality committee member. Joel is a member of TCDA, TMEA, and TMAA, and earned a BME degree from SMU.

If elected…

If elected…

If elected…

I have been attending TCDA conventions for 27 years, and for all of these the value of TCDA has been obvious to me. Its membership is connected through a common passion for creating art and instilling the next generation of musicians. Each year I return home from convention excited about new music, new ideas and teaching strategies, with a renewed motivation and wholeness that comes from being around colleagues both old and new.

We make TCDA what it is and the greater value we place on the relationships fostered through TCDA, the greater value it has for us as individuals and as an organization.

If elected, I will work to insure that future choral conductors are guaranteed the same benefits I have been afforded through TCDA. As a responsible board member, we are called to usher TCDA into the future without losing sight of its greatest purpose: to educate, support and inspire ourselves, the Texas Choral Conductors.

TCDA News • page 2

Relevance, Renewal, and Respect…when I think about TCDA and its impact on my personal and professional life, it is difficult to separate its practical benefits from the more emotional ones—namely, the significant and dear relationships that have evolved because of TCDA. A multitude of wonderful technological advances has brought a virtual world to our fingertips. Yet it is these very advances that could potentially push TCDA, an organization traditionally reliant on physical relationships more than virtual relationships, into irrelevance. We must continue to seek ways to evolve as a community that provide valuable and necessary resources to younger choral conductors and to future choral artists, as we connect them to the TCDA “thread.” If elected, I will continue the great work of Kari Gilbertson and our past presidents and boards as we explore—and ideally, implement—ideas for attracting more new members to TCDA. I will strive to further the establishment of a TCDA presence beyond our annual convention through activities such as workshops and roundtable discussions. It is my hope that all of us can be part of a TCDA that experiences ongoing renewal while still maintaining respect and love for our traditions.

The possibility of serving as President-Elect is a humbling honor. With a servant’s heart, I will gladly give back to the organization that has given me so many opportunities, been a source of information and inspiration, and connected me with colleagues and lifelong friends. I believe that I possess the qualities of a leader: organization, logical thinking, understanding different perspectives, empathy for others, choosing words carefully, listening, acting as a team player, and leading by example. These characteristics will allow me to continue the mission of TCDA, while looking to the future as we strive to remain relevant--not only as an organization but also as a destination summer convention. It is vital that we work together to mentor and nurture new teachers, and we must support our ideals with action. If elected, I will encourage new teachers to join TCDA and attend convention.

We must encourage younger teachers to represent themselves by judging, presenting sessions, and guest directing. It would be a great privilege and a tremendous honor to serve my colleagues in this position.

Spring 2016

TCDA presents 3 Candidates for the TCDA Board of Directors College/Community Vice President Dr. Carolyn Cruse

Dr. Joni Jensen

Dr. Karen Kenaston-French

Dr. Carolyn Cruse is Associate Director of Choral Activities and Associate Professor of Music Education at Texas Tech University, where she conducts the TTU Women’s Chorale and teaches undergraduate courses in choral techniques, choral conducting, vocal/choral pedagogy and music education. Carolyn taught choral music for nine years at the junior high and high school levels in the Richardson and Plano school districts. She frequently serves as a clinician and festival adjudicator, and has been invited to conduct All-State and Regional Honor Choirs and present workshops throughout the U.S. and Canada. Carolyn is a member of TCDA, ACDA, TMEA and SMTE. She holds a BM degree from the University of North Texas, a MM degree from Westminster Choir College of Rider University, and a PhD degree in music education from Michigan State University.

Dr. Joni Jensen is the Director of Choral Activities and Associate Professor of Voice at Texas Woman’s University. She conducts two TWU choirs and teaches voice, conducting, and vocal pedagogy.

Joni has conducted numerous festival and community choirs and serves as a clinician and adjudicator throughout the U.S. Under her direction, the TWU Concert Choir (women’s chorus) performed at the 2012 SWACDA conference in Dallas. Joni is the Associate Musical Director of the Dallas Millennial Choirs and Orchestras (MCO), a multi-location community organization and the largest of its kind that promotes the highest quality of sacred music for all ages and faiths. She conducts six choirs, ranging from children to adults, as well as the orchestra.

Joni has research interests in vocal pedagogy in the choral setting, choral conducting technique, women’s chorus literature, choral arranging, and the choral music of Vaughan Williams, Britten, and Bach. She is a member of TMEA, ACDA and NATS. Joni received BM and MM degrees from Brigham Young University, and completed a DMA degree from the University of Arizona.

Dr. Karen KenastonFrench is Associate Professor and Director of Choral Activities at the University of Texas at Arlington, where she conducts the A Cappella Choir, teaches graduate and undergraduate conducting, and heads the Vocal area. Under her direction the UTA A Cappella Choir performed at the TMEA convention, appeared with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, and was a finalist in the 2014 American Prize for Choral Performance for its CD, “The Road Home.” In February 2015 the choir served as Ensemble-in-Residence for the National Student Conducting Competition at the ACDA conference in Salt Lake City, and in March 2016 the choir will give an auditioned performance at the Southwestern Division Conference of ACDA in Kansas City.

A member of ACDA, TMEA, TCDA, NCCO, NATS and CMS, Karen holds a BA degree from West Virginia Wesleyan College, MM and MSM degrees from SMU, and a DMA degree from UNT.

If elected…

TCDA has been an important part of my life and my career, helping to mold and shape not only my conducting and teaching, but also integral in fostering life-long relationships.

The growth and strengthening of TCDA over the last 60 years is one reason for our strong choral music reputation. If elected, it would be an honor to serve, and to work and learn alongside the entire board to continue the vision of TCDA: to further strengthen and expand TCDA’s mission and purpose; explore avenues of choral music beyond the written page and those that cross multiple genres of performance; and inspire fresh ideas and innovative strategies for choral conductorteachers, leaders of community choirs, choral teacher educators, and college students (the future of TCDA). As the VP for College and Community Choirs, I would strive to continue TCDA’s mission of building and nurturing relationships among conductorteachers at all levels of choral music, as we work together “to instill a love of music” in every part of our schools, communities, and churches.

Spring 2016

If elected…

For many of us, TCDA is crucial to keeping our passion for choral music alive, bringing lasting associations and friendships, and keeping us current in the techniques and literature of our trade. I want to express gratitude to those who have served TCDA, and it would be an honor to follow them. If elected, I will work hard to learn from their success and keep the TCDA tradition thriving!

It will be important to seek out the concerns of the membership to ensure that my efforts create the greatest benefit possible. I will consider myself a servant to you, to help you achieve your goals and perhaps even enrich your vision. My efforts will focus on ensuring high quality and relevant clinics, sessions, literature, and conductors. My involvement in both collegiate and community choral settings will be of great benefit in informing me of the needs of conductors, the trends in each arena, and identifying growth opportunities and creativity. Collaboration and communication are central to our success. As I work with the board, volunteers, and members, these will be my primary modes of operation. Together, we can positively impact the choral community in which we live.

If elected…

TCDA has been a constant presence in my professional life – from the 1980s when I attended as a church music director, fresh out of graduate school and desperate to find music that a “real” church choir could do, to my transition into collegiate teaching and conducting. The business meeting at TCDA always makes me emotional. It was so special last summer to see Terry Price receive the Texas Choirmaster Award for his decades of work in church music. I followed Terry as Director of Music Ministries at Plymouth Park UMC, and have known for many years what a talented, dedicated, and deeply humble man he is. And to see Jerry McCoy, one of my treasured mentors, receive the same award the previous year symbolically brought the two sides of my conducting career together.

I think it is remarkable that TCDA can serve conductors from so many perspectives and do it so well. For me, it comes down to this: TCDA is about people. We need to share our collective wisdom, celebrate this great art that unites us, and teach and learn from young people in the next generation. I would love to serve as your College/Community Vice President.

TCDA News • page 3

TCDA presents 4 Candidates for the TCDA Board of Directors - Church Vice President Dan Baker

Sid Davis

Dan Baker was a public school music educator in Killeen ISD and Garland ISD. He assisted in opening Rowlett High School as its first choral director in 1996. After ten years in public schools, Dan began serving churches in the DFW metroplex. After six years of service at two Baptist churches, he and his family moved to Amarillo to begin their ministry at First Baptist Church. Since coming to Amarillo, Dan has enjoyed the inheritance of a rich choral and orchestral tradition as well as collaboration with West Texas A&M University in performances of Mendelssohn’s Elijah and the Verdi Requiem. He also directs the Panhandle regional choir of the Singing Men of Texas. He has been on music missions to Austria, Czech Republic, Brazil, and most recently the Ukraine, where the choir performed ministry concerts to over 14,000 people. Outside the classroom and the sanctuary, Dan has sung with the Dallas Bach Society, Texas Baroque Ensemble, Mesquite Chamber Music, and now serves Texas and the Amarillo community as a singer, conductor, and clinician. He is a member of TCDA, TMEA, and ACDA as well as the Baptist Church Music Conference and the Metro 2 Music Minister Conference. Dan holds a BME degree from Texas Christian University and is completing a MA degree in worship studies from the B.H. Carroll Theological Institute.

Sid Davis is Director of Music and Fine Arts at St. Luke’s UMC in Houston where he oversees a program for children, youth and adults. His youth choir, Pure Sound, is widely recognized and travels extensively. In 2015 they premiered a work composed for them by Bob Chilcott at the 900th anniversary celebration of his parish church. Sid’s adult choir has worked with Ann Howard Jones, James Jordan, and Brad Ellingboe, among others. A published composer, arranger and author, Sid studies regularly as a Melodious Accord Fellow under Alice Parker, and is a member of TCDA, ACDA and Choristers Guild. He is a former soloist for Fred Waring and travels frequently as a clinician. Sid holds a BA degree in music from the Centenary College of Louisiana and did graduate work at the University of North Texas.

If elected…

I am excited about the possibility of serving TCDA in the capacity of Church Division Vice President. Music education thrives in both the world of school and church, where many of us have served in multiple roles. Having survived professionally in both worlds, I readily relate to both areas and am able to speak to issues and concerns in both arenas. If elected, I would like to explore the possibilities of helping our membership understand how these areas relate and how we can effectively balance both with an eye toward thriving together in community.

If elected…

Choirs serving houses of worship make more music than anyone else.

Our undergirding this segment of choral music is not only vital, it’s imperative, for these ensembles seed future musical groups by rearing singers, instrumentalists, and audience members. Often, a child’s appreciation for music begins here. Synagogue and church choirs must not be thought of as merely compartments of a choral network, but critical to continued health and growth. If elected, I would maintain open communication with faith-based choirs, enabling TCDA to meet their needs and foster their growth. A few concrete goals might include: 1) What if professional choirs offered to “loan” singers for a Saturday workshop designed to hone volunteer skills? 2) Youth choirs are my first love, and how powerful to do the same with middle and high school choristers; and 3) TCDA could identify a handful of choral directors who have enjoyed success with their choirs to provide online mentorship for colleagues with faltering programs. While none of these ideas are new, standing on the shoulders of our colleagues and creatively seeking new ways to support and communicate will strengthen the foundation of choral music throughout Texas.

One of the priviledges of TCDA membership is electing Board members to ensure the organization’s strong future.

Please review the slate of candidates in this newsletter and vote online.

www.tcda.net

Only 2016 TCDA Active Members can vote. be sure to renew your membership online today!

TCDA News • page 4

Spring 2016

TCDA presents 4 Candidates for the TCDA Board of Directors - Church Vice President Kristen Gossett

Dr. Greg Hobbs

Kristen Gossett is in her sixteenth year as director of music ministry at First United Methodist Church in Wichita Falls. Prior to FUMC she was choral director at Wichita Falls HS. Her choirs performed for TMEA, St. Patrick’s Cathedral, Riverside Church in NYC, and Trinity Church in Boston where they were named “Best in Class” at the New England Choral Festival. Kristen was a recipient of the Texas Excellence Award for outstanding high school teachers. She served as secretary-treasurer for Region II Vocal Division, the TMAA Committee of Standards of Adjudication and Performance Practices and was on the board of the Wichita Falls Symphony Orchestra. The FUMC Chancel Choir has performed for Methodist Annual Conferences, the Lutheran Missouri Synod Conference, St. Patrick’s Cathedral, St John the Divine and at Old West, Old South, and Old North Churches in Boston. In Summer 2016 they will perform in Rome, Florence and Venice. Kristen is a member of TMAA, TMEA, TCDA, ACDA and Choristers Guild. She received her BME degree from the University of Houston.

Dr. Greg Hobbs is conductor of the Highland Park Chorale, music director of Highland Park Presbyterian Church, and artistic director of the Highlander Concert Series and the Dallas Choral Festival. He is also Interim Associate Director of Choral Studies at the University of North Texas College of Music. His choral groups have performed throughout the U.S. and Europe in concert halls, historic cathedrals and sanctuaries including Carnegie Hall, the Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis, the Caramoor Center, Wiener Konzerthaus, the Cathedral of Bern, and the National Presbyterian Church. Greg has guest conducted such noted ensembles as the Eric Ericson Chamber Choir, Voices of Ascension, Canticum Novum, and the New York Virtuoso Singers. He conducted at the 2013 ACDA National Conference Music and Worship Festival held at the Cathedral Shrine of the Virgin of Guadalupe. Greg is a member of TCDA, ACDA, NCCO, Chorus America, the League of American Orchestras, Pi Kappa Lambda, Conductors Guild, and College Music Society. He received a BME degree from Florida State University and a DM degree from Northwestern University.

If elected…

TCDA has been an invaluable source of inspiration and provided me with a wealth of knowledge, both through my public school teaching and in my sacred music position. School districts and fine arts organizations are cutting staff, funding and programs. The music ministry changes lives and lifts spirits and can “fill the gap” left by declining fine arts opportunities in the public sector. I believe it is our duty as church musical directors to provide exciting opportunities for those who sing in choirs and play instruments to faithfully plant and nurture seeds, and TCDA helps us do that. It is my hope that TCDA will continue to provide: 1) education and inspiration to those who lead music programs in our churches as well as in our schools; 2) exciting and creative ideas for worship; 3) reading sessions with a wealth of resources for great choral literature for all ages; and 4) professional support from its informed and talented membership.

TCDA’s rich tradition provides us with a wealth of knowledge and support and it will be my goal to assess the needs of our membership and plan creative programs rich with opportunities for musical growth and interaction.

If elected…

Creating artistic choral music for the glory of God has always been my goal. Great choral singing is a hallmark of beautiful worship experiences and the energy necessary to raise choral music standards in worship must continue to be strong. We are fortunate to have an organization that recognizes and supports the efforts churches give to choral singing. It is in our interest to use TCDA to strongly pursue excellence in choral music for worship. By serving TCDA, I will endeavor to bring together church music leaders from various settings so that we can focus our efforts on sharing the best practices in ways that translate to local churches across Texas. We have an opportunity to build an active network that engages all church choral leaders so that all members discover what they can contribute to raising artistry in our churches. We can focus our efforts on identifying pragmatic solutions to common problems, so that church music leaders do not feel isolated. We have a wealth of colleagues across Texas eager to engage one another in our common effort to raise the standard of choral artistry in worship. If elected, I will help us work together toward our common goal.

Worship Service and Festival Chorus Performance Friday, July 22, 5:30 pm – 6:30 pm Featuring conductor Dr. Rosephanye Powell from Auburn University.

Dr. Rosephanye Powell

Spring 2016

Early Bird Registration fee $35 due by May 1.

Regular Registration fee $45 due by May 25.

TCDA News • page 5

TCDA presents 3 Candidates for the TCDA Board of Directors - Elementary Vice President Jo Lynn Cookus

Debra Johnson

Lauren Summa

Jo Lynn Cookus is in her 33rd year of a teaching career that spans high school/ middle school band, elementary music, children’s choirs and chimes, adult choirs and handbells. This is her second year at Mary Jo Sheppard Elementary in Mansfield ISD. Jo Lynn taught in Aldine ISD for 14 years and at Klein ISD for 17 years. She has been directing Christian musical performances for 28 years. Her choirs, orchestras, drama groups and bell choirs have brought the gospel to people in the U.S., Belize, Central America and Germany. Jo Lynn, a Texas All-State Flutist, has written music curriculum and a recorder book, Sing and Play, based on the Kodály concept. Her Greenwood Forest Chimes performed at TMEA in 2006 and her Frank Elementary Choir performed at TMEA in 2014. Jo Lynn has presented workshops around Texas, taught at the Southeast Texas Kodály Certification Program and presented clinics at the 2013 & 2014 TCDA Conventions. She is a member of TCDA and TMEA. Jo Lynn holds a BME degree and has an additional certification in secondary math from UNT.

Debra Johnson has been the elementary Music Specialist at Leon Heights Elementary in Belton since 1998.

She is the founder and director of the school’s Honor Choir, invited to perform at TMEA in 2012. As TMEA Region VIII Elementary Chair since 2000, Debra has experience securing clinicians and organizing workshops.

Her students regularly perform in TCDA Elementary Honor choirs and OAKE National Honor Choirs. Debra is active as Organist/ Choir Director at St. Francis Episcopal Church in Temple. She is a member of TCDA, OAKE, KET, and TMEA. An organist, Debra received her BM degree from the University of North Texas. Upon completion, she received a Rotary International Award to study organ with Harald Vogel at the Norddeutsche Orgelakademie in northern Germany.

Lauren Summa has been an educator for 17 years, the last 12 at Melba Passmore Elementary in Alvin ISD. In 2008 she was chosen Teacher of the Year and honored as Alvin ISD’s Elementary Teacher of the Year. Lauren has served as AISD’s Lead Music Teacher for seven years and brought collaborative opportunities to elementary music teachers with programs like the AISD District Musical, Holiday Music Special, Fine Arts Showcase, and Elementary Music Festival.

In 2015, Lauren served as a co-chair for the first-ever Music and Technology Conference of Houston (MATCH). This conference features diverse technology presentations specifically for elementary music educators.

Lauren is TMEA Region 17 Elementary Chair and has presented sessions for AISD, Region 17, TETA, TCDA, and TI:ME/TMEA. Lauren is a member of TCDA, TMEA, TETA, OAKE, and AOSA.She earned a BME degree from Texas Christian University, and a MA degree in teaching with internet technologies from Marlboro College.

If elected…

Growing up as a Texas band director’s daughter, I went to the TBA convention every summer! Being a music teacher for 33 years, I can still say that there is something magical about the conventions! We are immersed in music that we love, surrounded by people sharing the same passion for children and the art of making music, and energized to begin the school year with renewed vigor. If elected, I will continue to bring in excellent music and clinics to provide elementary teachers with the tools to deliver the wonder of music making and music literacy to our students.

I will strive to grow the membership of the Elementary Division and encourage elementary teachers to participate in TCDA. I am extremely honored to be a candidate for Elementary Vice President. Thank you to the board for the excellent leadership in making Texas the best state for music education in our nation!

TCDA News • page 6

If elected…

How exciting and what an honor to be nominated for Elementary Vice President of TCDA! As an elementary music specialist with an after-school choir, I’m passionate about encouraging kids to love singing. In the words of one of my Kodály certification teachers, “Every class is a choir.” If elected, I promise to continue the strong tradition of providing the highest possible quality of TCDA sessions for our elementary members.

I hold kids to high standards, and they always rise to the challenge. Because I find high quality music that is just the right combination of challenge and fun, they learn not only to enjoy the challenge itself, but also to seek challenges outside of music. I teach them the pleasure that is good music, and boys and girls alike enjoy the music we sing.

I believe this has prepared me to collaborate closely with other board members to ensure that the best quality of new choral literature finds its way into our reading sessions. As TMEA Region VIII Elementary Chair, I have 15 years experience securing clinicians for yearly workshops. It would be my pleasure and honor to serve TCDA as the Elementary Division Vice President.

If elected…

Elementary music teachers have the most wonderful job in the world! What keeps people coming back to a job that requires them to be counselor, nurse, and HAZMAT on top of their regular directing duties?

The love of music and the way it changes children’s lives, of course! TCDA exists to help elementary teachers thrive in their musical endeavors and gives educators opportunities to connect and collaborate while learning new methods of teaching from the best in our field.

Encouraging good singing from a young age is the duty of every elementary music teacher.

TCDA is the convention for networking and growing vocal pedagogical skills! If elected, I will work diligently to find the most experienced educators and invite them to share their insights with our members. I would continue the amazing work of past elementary officers coordinating the Elementary Honor Choir and work hard to make it a rewarding experience for all. In addition to traditional vocal pedagogy methods and performance opportunities, I am extremely interested in expanding session offerings in educational technology. As I have experienced at MATCH, there are ways to combine technology and childhood vocal education. Being on this ballot with such esteemed company is a privilege.

I would be honored to serve you as a TCDA board member.

Spring 2016

...and more Convention Highlights High School Student Day Saturday, July 23, 8:30 am - 4:00 pm • Featuring Jeremy Spicer, Owner & Director of Student Leadership for SASi, a student leadership consulting firm • Zumba Masterclass with Francis Vu and Amy Lanford!

Francis Vu

Bob Horton

Deborah Williamson

Rollo Dilworth

• Preparing for Your College Audition with Deborah Williamson • All-State Audition Process with Bob Horton, TMEA Vocal Division VP • Composer Spotlight with Rollo Dilworth, Chair of the Music Education and Therapy at Temple University’s Boyer College of Music & Dance in Philadelphia

Jeremy Spicer

Registration Deadline: July 1. $15 per student.

TCDA will offer two High School Student Days in 2016: Saturday, July 23 during the convention and Wednesday, August 3 at Colleyville Heritage HS (DFW Location).

Check www.tcda.net for more information.

Voci d’ Amici (or Voices of Friends) Saturday, July 23, 5:30 pm – 6:30 pm Chamber choir of members from Texas, Kansas, Missouri, Washington and Washington, D.C., under the leadership of Dr. Loyd Hawthorne, head of the choral department at Hardin-Simmons University for 33 years.

New Teacher Academy Thursday, July 21, 8:30 am This valuable curriculum is designed for directors beginning their teaching careers, teachers wanting to brush up on skills, or those new to Texas.

Information includes classroom management, student motivation, communication with administrators, social media, and much more.

Spring 2016

Headliner for College/ Community Choir Division featuring

Dr. Jo-Michael Scheibe, Thornton School of Music at the University of Southern California, has collaborated with Luciano Pavarotti, Andrea Bocelli, Kenny Loggins, and the Rolling Stones. He will present sessions on Rehearsal Techniques for Collegiate and Community Choirs and A New Perspective on Diction.

Eric Whitacre Featured composer for TBA Mr. Whitacre will hold an opening session on Friday morning at 8:00 am open to band, choir and orchestra. His music will be featured in the Air Force Band of the West concert Friday evening at 7:30 pm in the Lila Cockrell Theatre.

One of Whitacre’s choral pieces will be included in the repertoire, with Whitacre conducting and accompanied by band.

Concert is free and open to the public.

TCDA News • page 7

TCDA Important Reminders and Dates: Convention Dates 2016: July 21-23 (Thursday – Saturday) at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center in San Antonio.

NOTE: TCDA will have no activities Sunday morning.

Renew Membership now to vote online and to receive the pre-convention issue of Texas Sings!

Make Housing reservations now to receive contract rates.

Register for Convention by July 1st to receive $20 discount.

Vote online now for TCDA board officers.

NEW!

Award nominations may be submitted online.

Deadline April 15.

!

NEW Scholarship applications may be submitted online.

Deadline April 29.

Go to www.tcda.net for more information or call TCDA at (512) 474-2801.

7900 Centre Park Drive, Suite A Austin, Texas 78754 Address Service Requested.

Nonprofit Org. U.S. Postage Paid Austin, Texas Permit No. 789