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2024 ACDA Southwestern Region Conference February 27 - March 2, 2024 Denver, Colorado

Immersion Da ys
Immersion Days

conversations on choral music education, including organizations like ArkCDA and ACDA, serving as the
curriculum development, strategic repertoire selection, Jr. High R&R Chair for Arkansas and the SWACDA
and the art of cultivating a vibrant sense of community Middle School/Jr. High Repertoire & Resource Chair.
within college choirs.
Larry Dunn, coordinator, is a seasoned
Yoojin Muhn, Joshua Oppenheim, and Catherine music educator with over seventeen years
Sailer will be the presenters for this session. of experience in the Magnolia Public
School District. He leads the Magnolia
High School Chamber Choir, Bel Can-
to, and V (GENTS), while also serving as the director
Nurturing Growth through Mentorship of performing arts and chair of the district's strategic
planning committee. Dunn holds a BME, a Master of
Experience our enriching mentorship program de- Education, and has completed additional coursework
signed to provide additional support during the immer- for certification in Educational Administration & Su-
sion day. Connect with experienced choral directors pervision from Southern Arkansas University—Mag-
who will guide those newer to the profession (under nolia. His choral ensembles have performed at pres-
five years) through individualized interactions in small tigious venues like Carnegie Hall. Dunn serves as the
groups of three to five. Gain invaluable advice and president of the Arkansas ACDA.
personalized professional development, fostering both
individual growth and a choral director’s community.
Led by Yoojin Muhn, Joshua Oppenheim, and Cath- Recruiting and Retaining 101
erine Sailer.
Whether building a new choral program or main-
Yoojin Muhn, Joshua Oppenheim, and Catherine taining enrollment, this session will give you new ideas

Sailer will be the presenters for this session. for recruitment and competing to keep singers in your
program. Led by Larry Dunn and Gretchen Watt.

Larry Dunn and Gretchen Watt will be the presenters
Middle School and Early High School for this session.

Gretchen Watt and Larry Dunn, Coordinators
The Boy’s Changing Voice
Gretchen Watt is a dedicated music edu-
cator with twenty-six years of experience This session will demonstrate essential strategies
at Central Jr. High School in Springdale, and resources for teaching the developing boys voice,
Arkansas. Her students excel in all-region including warm-ups, customizing vocal lines, and
choir, choral performance assessments, tried-and-true literature that works! Led by Larry
and national and regional honor choirs, having been Dunn and Gretchen Watt.
featured three times at the Arkansas all-state music
conference. She collaborates with the University of Larry Dunn and Gretchen Watt will be the presenters
Arkansas Choral Music Department and maintains a for this session.
private piano and voice studio. With a BME from the
University of Arkansas, Watt is active in professional

102 CHORAL JOURNAL January 2024 Volume 64 Number 5