Page 158 - CJJan24

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

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Interest Sessions
Emil Adler is an Emmy Award-winning composer with Growth Mindset:
October Project. Striving for Improvement in Yourself

Julie Flanders is an ACDA Genesis Prize-winning writ- and Your Ensemble
er (“Holding our Breath”) with October Project.
How can our mindset improve our daily lives and
Marina Belica is a vocalist/producer with October Proj- the ensembles we work with? This session dives into
ect. that question by examining different approaches to our
mindsets, understanding the science and research be-
hind a mindset, presenting strategies and examples for
implementing a growth mindset in an ensemble, and
exploring how the growth mindset can be used to ad-
dress current societal issues like diversity and equity.
In the session, participants will learn about their own
mindset tendencies, gain ideas for creating an environ-
ment of growth, and discover ways to promote equity
and inclusivity in our ensembles and our field.

Trevor Tran is the former head of perform-
Their award-winning virtual choirs, the Worldwide ing arts and director of vocal arts at Fort
Choir of Return to Me (Gold Telly, 2023) and Virtual Myers High School in Southwest Florida.
Choir of Joy (Telly & Anthem Award, 2021), were each He was recognized as a 2023 Yamaha “40
in contention for a Grammy, along with the group’s first under 40” Educator for his work there.
choral work, The Book of Rounds: 21 Songs of Grace. Besides serving as an educator, Tran is an active com-
poser and presenter, with his work appearing at state,
Kirsten Oberoi is the founder and artistic regional, and national music educator conferences. He
director of the South Shore Children’s holds a BM from San José State University, concurrent
Chorus, currently serving over 170 singers master’s degrees in choral conducting and music com-
from the greater South Shore of Massa- position from Temple University, and is currently pur-
chusetts. Oberoi taught public school mu- suing a DMA in choral conducting at the University of
sic and chorus for eight years. Regarded as a unique Maryland.
and creative choral artist and arts entrepreneur, she is
known for her strong philosophies based on inclusion
and equity in the music education classroom. She is fre- The Impact of Communal Singing
quently invited to guest conduct festival choirs. Projects
in 2024 include conducting the New Hampshire MEA on Those Affected by Homelessness
Southeastern Junior Districts Festival, the Connecti-
cut MEA Northern Region Junior Honor Choir, and The Dallas Street Choir has received great attention
adjudicating for the Rhode Island ACDA Elementary for its use of choral music to create a safe and affirm-
School Choral Festival. ing community for those most marginalized by society.
Through engaged performances and educational out-
South Shore Children’s Chorus will be the demonstra- reach, the Dallas Street Choir has become a bridge to
tion choir for this session. the “housed” community, sparking conversations on

156 CHORAL JOURNAL January 2024 Volume 64 Number 5