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

Performing Choirs
P er f orming C hoirs

Fort Settlement Middle School Grand Prarie Fine Arts Academy
Varsity Treble Choir Treble Singers

Fort Settlement Varsity Treble Choir is a select en- GPFAA Treble Singers consists of advanced vocal-
semble of thirty-eight singers in grades 7-8. Singers ists in grades 9-12. Joel Duarte, high school director,
consistently receive 1st Division Superior ratings at and Alexis Galindo, middle school director, join to
UIL Solo/Ensemble, place in the TMEA Region 13 lead the Grand Prarie Fine Arts Academy Vocal Music
MS Choir, and earn straight 1st Division Superior rat- strand. The program not only nurtures the students’
ings during UIL Concert and Sightreading contest. In lives but has consistently ranked among the top choirs
2022, Varsity Treble won their first national award for across the nation. This ensemble has won numerous
the Mark of Excellence 2022 as a Commended Winner. best-in-class, overall outstanding, and grand champion
Many choir members are NJHS members, enrolled in awards nationwide. The program has been recognized
Pre-AP and GT curriculum, and uphold traditions of as Mark of Excellence National Winners (2019, 2020,
music excellence existing at Fort Settlement. 2022, 2023), American Choral Prize Winners (2020,
2021, 2022), and Grammy Museum Signature School
Kirsten Jordon received her BA in vocal Award Recipient (2021).
performance and music education from
Virginia Tech in 1993, moved to Hous-
ton, and began over thirty years of teach- Joel Duarte has taught public school
ing music, directing choirs, and singing. for thirteen years and has been named
After coordinating Fort Bend ISD’s district honor choir teacher of the year twice, most recently
program in 2014 and 2015, Jordon had the honor of by The National Art-School Network
conducting the 2016 FBISD Elementary Honor Choir as one of the 2023-2024 Teachers of
at the TMEA annual convention. Jordon spent seven the Year. He obtained degrees from Wayland Baptist
years directing the Fort Bend Boy Choir of Texas’s University (BME) and Southern Methodist University
Town Choir; created Cantate, a Sugar Land commu- (MM). Duarte loves performing with the Dallas Sym-
nity children’s choir; and started a Chamber Choir in- phony Chorus, as he feels it keeps him in the mindset
cluding singers in local high schools as well as adults and appreciation of his singers. Duarte has traveled the
from the area. world through the opportunities provided by perform-
ing, teaching, and empowering his fellow educators.

106 CHORAL JOURNAL January 2024 Volume 64 Number 5