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2022 ACDA Southwestern Region Conference

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Interest Sessionsessions
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semble-based instruction? This ses- plementable strategies for building a er in our spiritual community.
sion will dive into researched aspects program culture that will empower
of auditory, vocal, musculoskeletal, your students to accept, encourage, Amanda Quist is the di-
and mental health, catering to en- and love one another. rector of choral activi-
semble directors/conductors. You ties for the Frost School

will leave with practical wellness re- Matthew Coffey is an of Music at the Univer-
sources and understanding of how assistant professor of sity of Miami. She di-
slight changes can make a huge dif- choral music at the rects the graduate program in choral
ference in your overall health. University of Texas conducting and is conductor of the
Rio Grande Valley, award-winning Frost Chorale. Quist
Kristen Sullivan earned where he conducts the University is the recipient of Westminster Choir
her DMA in Voice Choir and teaches coursework in College of Rider University’s 2014
(Early Music Perfor- conducting and choral methods. He Distinguished Teaching Award, and
mance Practice) and is holds degrees from the University of the 2018 Mazzotti Award for Wom-
currently a PhD can- Cincinnati, the University of Hous- en’s Leadership. Quist is the Nation-
didate at the University of North ton, and Sam Houston State Uni- al ACDA R&R Coordinator for Col-
Texas concentrating in Performing versity. He previously taught high legiate Activities.
Arts Health (Vocal Pedagogy). Sul- school choir in Houston, Texas, for
livan is a National Center for Voice 11 years.
and Speech-trained vocologist and a

former intern at the UT Southwest- Butterflies and Jitters and
ern Medical Clinic’s Voice Clinic. Sweaty Palms, Oh My!
Sullivan has previously presented at Building the Choir: Understanding Performance
the Music by Women Festival, Pan Sound, Spirit, Community
American Vocology Association, Anxiety
Performing Arts Medicine Associa-
tion, and Arkansas ACDA. Conductors of every level can Many musicians experience per-

benefit from an increased under- formance anxiety, but few under-
standing of vocal pedagogy for the stand it. This session will examine
singer as applied to group sound. In the details of performance anxiety:

Building Community by this session we will discuss new re- what it is, who it affects, how choir
search using technology that allows directors can help their ensemble
Caring for One Another
the conductor to hear and visualize members, and when they should step
choral tone through images that aside and encourage professional
How would your rehearsals look were previously used only to analyze help. Participants will identify signs
different if your students knew that individual voices. Participants will be of performance anxiety and will

both you and their peers truly cared engaged in singing, listening, and vi- practice preventative techniques like
for them? Such a culture and com- sual representations that will provide deep breathing, mindfulness, discus-
munity can have a profound eff ect tools for choral conductors desiring sions, and experiential learning. Prac-
on your program in many facets, new and effective ways to impact tical take aways will include lessons,

including but not limited to student the sound of their choirs. Topics will activities, and resources for teachers
engagement, recruitment, and re- include formant tuning, resonance, and students who experience perfor-
tention. In this session, Matthew breath support, intonation, expres- mance anxiety or for those who want
Coffey will present several easily im- sivity, and how it all brings us togeth- to take preventative action.

100 CHORAL JOURNAL January 2022 Volume 62 Number 5