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4:45 pm - 5:30 pm Robert Bode, presider riod and other traditional repertoire,
Chair, National Standing Committee as well as music that was inspired
for Composition Initiatives by or based on Latin American folk
Interest Session music. While rehearsing and singing,
participants will get insight into per-
OPEN TO BOTH TRACKS formance practices, rehearsal tech-
4:45 pm - 6:15 pm niques and cultural understanding
Preparing and Performing Extended of the repertoire, and the context in
Choral Works for Social Justice Immersion Choir Experiences which the pieces were created.

A Joint Initiative by the National Daniel Afonso Jr. and Diana V. Sáez,
Diversity Initiatives Standing OPEN TO BOTH TRACKS presenters
Committee and the National Music of the Black Diaspora
Composition Initiatives Standing Pearl Shangkuan, presider
Committee Sheraton Dallas Hotel President-Elect, National ACDA
Austin Boardrooms 1, 2, and 3
National Shrine Cathedral of
Our Lady of Guadalupe Anton Armstrong and Brandon Music of Southeast Asia
Grand Salon Boyd will lead the Black Diaspora Im-
mersion Choir, which will explore the Sheraton Dallas Hotel
While it has become more com- performance practice in the genres Dallas Rooms A1, A2, and A3
mon for choral directors to program of the Black Spiritual and Gospel
repertoire that addresses issues of Music. Drawing on settings by his- Be ready to sing in four languages!
social justice, a deficit remains in toric and contemporary composer/ Explore East and Southeast Asian
our understanding of how choral arrangers, Armstrong and Boyd will choral music through pieces that not
directors and their communities re- explore issues of tempo, use of dialect only convey a message of hope but
sponsively and thoughtfully prepare and appropriate vocal timbre for the also a deep sense of gratitude and
and perform extended choral works interpretation of these genres with pride in cultural heritage. Through
for social justice. In this session, pre- musical integrity. evocative melodies, lush harmonies,
senters will share findings and key and historical context, we reflect on
aspects of a large-scale research study Anton Armstrong and the strength of the human spirit and
involving three different university’s Brandon A. Boyd, presenters celebrate shared cultural threads
preparation and performance of that connect people across borders,
extended choral works, specifically Jeffery Redding, presider creating a rich tapestry of sound
Rollo Dilworth’s Weather, Craig Hella University of Central Florida that reflects the beauty of the Asian
Johnson’s Considering Matthew Shepard, diaspora. Ultimately, this session is a
and Andrea Ramsey’s Suffrage Cantata. celebration of heritage through sing-
Singer and conductor perspectives Music of Latin America ing and a tribute to the folk songs
on rehearsal considerations, context- and cultures that inspires new choral
building discussions, and community- Sheraton Dallas Hotel music.
specific needs will be shared to propel Dallas Rooms D1, D2, and D3
future possibility. John Byun and Tracy Wong,
During this session, participants presenters
Elizabeth Cassidy Parker, Dustin S. will explore different aspects of the
Cates, and G. Preston Wilson, Jr., Latin American choral tradition, Lisa Wong, presider
presenters including works from the colonial pe- The College of Wooster

CHORAL JOURNAL February 2025 / ACDA National Conference Program Book Volume 65 Number 6 73