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STANDING COMMITTEES
From the
Executive Director
ADVOCACY & COLLABORATION
EMILY WILLIAMS BURCH, CHAIR
EmilyWilliamsBurch@gmail.com

COMPOSITION INITIATIVES Embracing Liminal Spaces

DAN FORREST, CHAIR
dan@danforrest.com

A liminal space is an architectural term used to
DIVERSITY INITIATIVES describe the physical spaces between one destina-
ARREON HARLEY-EMERSON, CHAIR tion and another. Liminality is a threshold…the
aharley@choirschoolofdelaware.org space that is neither here nor there, but is some-

Robyn Hilger where in between. Liminal spaces are fraught
EDUCATION & COMMUNICATION with discomfort and unknowing. Am I going the

JAMILA MCWHIRTER, CHAIR right way? Will I get there on time? When will I finally be there? While

jamila.mcwhirter@mtsu.edu liminal spaces can be disorienting, they can also offer us a chance to
see new possibilities. It is very easy to want to rush through liminal
INTERNATIONAL ACTIVITIES spaces, missing what these thresholds have to off er us.
JOSHUA HABERMANN, CHAIR Airports are a representation of liminality. They ARE the space
joshhabermann@gmail.com between where you are and where you want to go. Often crowded,
dirty, lacking in any kind of comfort at all. Get in and get out, with the
REPERTOIRE & RESOURCES
fewest layovers possible. Most of us are eager to move on to our next
GRETCHEN HARRISON, CHAIR destination and avoid any extra time at the airport. However, some
nationalrr@acda.org
airports have transformed their liminal status into destination status.

RESEARCH & PUBLICATIONS Denver International is a foodie haven for local fare. Vancouver In-
ternational hosts the largest collection of Northwest Coast Native art
JOHN SILANTIEN, CO-CHAIR
jsilan@satx.rr.com in the world. Singapore’s Changi Airport showcases an indoor wa-
terfall, butterfly garden and 10 stories of shopping and dining. The

JESSICA NAPOLES, CO-CHAIR
Jessica.Napoles@unt.edu new Terminal Five at JFK was designed to be a singular destination
with the revival of the TWA hotel in the original TWA terminal. Yes,
these spaces are still created for transition, but their liminality has
been elevated into something more than a threshold, reminding us
ADVOCACY STATEMENT that sometimes the journey can be very enjoyable on the way to our
destination.
The human spirit is elevated to a broader understanding Liminality can also be experienced as a personal season in life.
of itself and its place in the world through the study of and Psychologists have spent significant time and research on the top life

participation in choral music. Singing in a choir produces

more active and involved citizens. It affects self-worth stressors. It should not be a surprise that all of them are tied to liminal
in youth and adults. It builds connectivity throughout seasons. The death of a loved one, going through a divorce, moving,

communities. Society benefits from the aesthetic beauty illness, and job transitions rank as the top five life stressors. All of

and community of singers created by choral programs them require us to move from the known to the unknown. All of them
within schools, houses of worship, and community require us to spend time in a transition between the past and the fu-
organizations through involved citizenry, connectivity ture. All of them require a loss of control and start with experiencing
throughout communities, and feelings of personal self-
worth. The American Choral Directors Association and an ending of what once was. This sense of loss is one of the most dif-

its membership resolve to ensure the survival of choral ficult parts of liminal seasons. We know what we no longer have, and
programs for this and future generations by: yet, we do not know what we may have gained. In the last 18 months,
Actively voicing support for funding at local, state, we may have felt liminality more than any other time in our lives. I
and national levels of education and government; am not alone in feeling uncertain, sad, and fearful; but I also have a
collaborating with local and national organizations to keener awareness of our fragility and a greater sense of gratitude for
ensure the distribution of arts funding data and arts- the small things. Mostly, however, I have an enduring sense of hope
related activism opportunities; advocating for full access
to choral singing and inclusion of all singers in a choral
program; and ensuring the distribution of advocacy
statements and data regarding choral programs.
2 CHORAL JOURNAL January 2022 Volume 62 Number 5