January 2010

Washington ACDA Winter Training Choir Workshop draws in new members

by Marc A. Hafso, President, WA ACDA

WA ACDA is taking the directive to grow its membership seriously by finding ways to make the organization more indispensible to choral directors throughout the state.

Our first Winter Workshop held January 30th in Tacoma was a resounding success, thanks to the organizational and creative skills of Sue Green, the Western Liaison for WA ACDA.  She modeled the workshop after those offered in the past through OR ACDA, and credited Pam Nordquist with many of the ideas that she incorporated.

The workshop was free for ACDA members, and $35 for non-members.  Several attendees joined ACDA upon registering, knowing that the additional $50 fee for non-members at the Summer Institute would completely cover the $85 ACDA membership fee.  Participants were unanimous in both their praise of the workshop and agreed that if this were offered annually, they would ‘get their money’s worth’ and become renewing members.   

Hosting an annual “Winter Workshop” in January targeting choir directors of grades 5-10 singers was strongly recommended by all in attendance.  Washington State may offer one for the eastern members and one for the western based on the success of this pilot.

Other states may be interested in how the workshop was organized.  Three facilitators, WA ACDA members Dan Davison, Sue Green and Leora Schwitters, ran mostly concurrent sessions on such topics as “The Boy’s Changing Voice,”  “Vocal Pedagogy Basics for Beginning Singers and their Teachers,” rehearsal strategies and sight-singing methods.  Four reading sessions were held throughout the day for varying levels from unison/2 part for beginning choirs through SATB/SAB offerings for mixed training choirs.  Participants were asked to bring 25 copies of several of their favorite octavos to share.  Upon registering, a single copy was turned in so that the publishing and purchasing information of each octavo read throughout the day could be recorded and emailed to participants by the end of the day, or soon thereafter.  The brochure shows how the schedule was laid out. 

In case there was not enough music in any particular reading session, Sue planned ahead with discussion topics regarding typical rehearsal or technical issues on index cards.  This activity was a big hit in the one session that used them. 

The roundtables for lunch were organized by grade level taught, with suggested discussion points on each table.

Clock hours were offered, free for WMEA members, and many took advantage.  The fact that these hours were offered was listed as one of the main reasons non-ACDA members attended.

In order to keep expenses down, Sue’s church supplied the facilities for a small donation and participants brought their own sack lunches and beverages for the day. 

Event insurance was free upon request from the National ACDA office. 

A PDF brochure made at home using a Word template was emailed to WMEA regional presidents with a request to forward it on to their members, saving printing and mailing expenses. 

A fine accompanist who could sight-read well was hired (Penny Cramer) and there were photocopy expenses, but the non-member fees collected covered all expenses with a bit left over.

Congratulations to Sue, Dan and Leora for taking this project on so successfully!

Rekindle the spark and share our passion for what we do
by Marc A. Hafso, President, WA ACDA

September 25, 2009

Summer is behind us, the work resumes. 

Are we having fun, yet?  Am I having fun, yet? I must confess, not always. 

For me, the prospect of another year (the beginning of year 31) comes complete with a jumbled-up mixture of hopes and dreams and challenges.  I wonder, how will I ever attend to all of my “to dos,” let alone, my “should dos?”  Will I find time and energy necessary for work, family, service, play, and myself (the order seems askew, doesn’t it?)? 

On the downbeat of the new academic year, the Whitworth Faculty President called upon his colleagues to reflect on that which first attracted them to their jobs.  That spark.  That curiosity.  That passion.  He called us to rekindle the spark and share our passion for teaching and learning with others in the new year. 

For us, it might be That breath.  Maybe, ‘way back as a singer or member of an audience you had your breath both taken away and restored by the truth and beauty inherent in choral music. 

In the days and weeks to come, reflect on That breath, that thing which first called you to choral music.  We come together to celebrate the gifts of the human voice and ensemble membership and to explore myriad stories that have shaped and will continue to shape the human experience.  How wonderful is that? 

As most of life happens in ensemble, you will come together with others in the weeks and months ahead to chip away at “to dos” and “should dos.”  Think back to what first attracted you to choral music.  In the answer lies the breath and energy for another year. 

July 20, 2009

In a reflective mood at the conclusion of a hard-fought U.S. presidential campaign, a prominent political advisor observed, "after one's love, the next best thing a person can give to a another, is one's labor." 

Leora Schwitters has given both her love AND her labor to WA-ACDA for the past four years in such roles as President, President-Elect, and Summer Institute Program Chair.  She continues to serve the organization as Past-President and Treasurer. 

As "president in training" and '08 and '09 Summer Institute Program Chair, I learned much from Leora and realized we all are beneficiaries of her quiet and effective leadership.  Among myriad contributions to our state association and programs, Leora has worked behind the scenes to improve and align financial accounting and reporting systems with those of the National Office. 

Earlier this month, Mark Smith, ACDA Division Accountant, told me that Leora is "the cream of the crop when it comes to timeliness and clarity of reports and attention to details." 

With some trepidation, I now take the reins from this gifted leader.   (And much to my relief, I will continue to receive her steady support and assistance--her number is in my cell phone on speed dial.)  To Leora, I say "Tusen takk"-Norwegian: a thousand thanks-for your dedicated service.

To Lori Wiest, our new President-Elect and 2010 Summer Institute Program Chair, I say "Welkommen!"  Lori is an experienced choral artist, educator, and administrator.  The members of the board and I look forward to working with Lori as, together, we give our love and labor in support of the life and activities of WA-ACDA.

I look forward to communicating with you in the months to come.  In the meantime, I hope to see you at this year's Summer Institute. 

Blessings on your summer activities.

Marc A. Hafso