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2024 ACDA Eastern Region Conference February 28 - March 2, 2024 Providence, Rhode Island

Roxbury High School Rutgers University
Melodies Rutgers Voorhees Choir

Melodies is a select treble ensemble under the di-
rection of Krista Sweer from Roxbury High School in
Succasunna, New Jersey. The ensemble is composed of The Rutgers Voorhees Choir is an auditioned so-
approximately forty voices from all grade levels and re- prano-alto ensemble that champions text and music
hearses once a week from January through May. Many composed by women and historically excluded poets
students are members of the New Jersey All-State and composers. The choir continues a long tradition of
Choir, and the school regularly places students in the representing Rutgers University—from its beginnings
ACDA All-Eastern and National Honors Choirs. Last as the choir for the New Jersey College for Women in
year Melodies was awarded first place in their category 1924 to its years as the official choir for Douglass Resi-
and a Gold rating at the WorldStrides Heritage Festival dential College. The Rutgers Voorhees Choir made its
in Williamsburg, VA. Melodies focuses on showcasing Carnegie Hall debut in April 2019 as part of the in-
the strength and diversity of treble voices. augural National Concerts performance series. They
were also selected to perform at the 2020 ACDA East-
Krista Sweer is in her sixth year as the ern Region Conference in Rochester, NY.
associate choir director at Roxbury High
School, where she directs Melodies, the Brandon Williams is an associate profes-
Roxbury Chorale, and Vocal Jazz. She sor and interim director of choral activi-
received her BME from Messiah Univer- ties at Rutgers, The State University of
sity, where she earned the Presser Foundation Under- New Jersey, where he was the recipient
graduate Scholar Award. She earned her MM in col- of the 2021-22 Rutgers Presidential Fel-
laborative piano at the Florida State University. While lowship for Teaching Excellence Award. Williams has
studying at the American Institute of Musical Studies published articles in the Choral Journal and the Music
in Graz, Austria, she was awarded the Harold Heiberg Educators Journal, and he is editor of the book Choral
Award for Excellence in Collaborative Piano. Reflections: Insights from American Choral Conductor-Teachers.
He earned degrees from Western Illinois University,
the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Michi-
gan State University, and he holds an artist teacher di-
ploma from the Choral Music Experience–Institute for
Choral Teacher Education.

CHORAL JOURNAL January 2024 Volume 64 Number 5 143