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

and safety stressors, all of which impact their ability Think, Listen, Sing!
to learn, comprehend, and retain information in our
classrooms. Choral educators nurture student success A Skills-Based Approach to Sight-Singing
with meaningful repertoire and an environment that
helps improve cognitive function, social and life skills, Sight-singing takes more than a great voice—it also
and quality of life. Understanding the effects of and takes solid analysis skills and a knowledgeable ear. In
practicing success strategies for our Title I musicians this clinic, you will discover strategies to help your sing-
are vital to their success. ers decode melodic material and anticipate the sounds
before they sing. By isolating skills embedded in the
Katy Green will be the clinician for this session. Her music and encouraging them to recall the sound of
photo and bio are on page 26. each skill in their ears, singers will build a repertoire
of sight-singing skills that expands as they master each
skill. When they can see it and hear it, they will be
ready to sing it with confidence!
A Tesla Upgrade for Your Choir:
Creating a “Self-Driving” Ensemble Michele Henry is division director and
professor of music education at Baylor
University in Waco, Texas, where she
In this user-friendly session, Gary Seighman will has been the choral music education
demonstrate a variety of techniques that enhance mu- specialist since 2001. Henry specializes
sical autonomy and sense of belonging for our sing- in vocal sight-reading instruction and assessment, and
ers. Emerging brain research has uncovered many has committed her career to understanding the sight-
processes occurring in collaborative settings, both (1) singing process to enable better teaching and learning
between the conductor and the singers and (2) among of sight-singing skills. She is the co-author of the Level
the singers themselves. This information helps us to Up! Sightreading Series, which focuses on a systematic ap-
better understand our role within the ensemble, lead- proach to individualized sight-reading instruction and
ing to greater artistic freedom and improved student assessment.
musicianship. As conductors, we have always felt that
the whole is greater than the sum of its parts when it Keitha Lucas Hamann is associate profes-
comes to choir. Science has finally caught up to us! sor of music education at the University
of Minnesota, where she teaches gradu-
Gary Seighman is professor of music ate and undergraduate courses in music
and director of choral activities at Trin- education, including choral methods,
ity University, where he oversees a com- arts assessment, foundations of music education, and
prehensive choral program and teaches music in adolescence. Her research interests include
courses in conducting and music educa- the development of musical skills by adolescents and
tion. Under his direction, Trinity’s choral ensembles middle-level music education. Since 2009, Hamann
have garnered invited performances at conferences has served as chair of the Community Engagement
including TMEA, the College Music Society, NCCO, Leadership Team for the School of Music. This team
frequent international touring, and third place for the is responsible for developing mechanisms to institution-
2022 American Prize (small college division). Recent alize engagement in the research, teaching, and service
engagements include Nashville, New York City, Taipei, missions of the School of Music.
Vienna, London, and Dublin. Seighman holds degrees
from Westminster Choir College, the University of
Oklahoma, and the University of Maryland.

CHORAL JOURNAL January 2024 Volume 64 Number 5 125