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2024 ACDA Northwestern Region Conference January 24-27, 2024 Spokane, Washington

In t er est S essions
Interest Sessions

of singing together. America sings in schools, in com- emotional well-being. Dr. Tim Westerhaus will share
munities, in concert halls, on the streets, in churches practical applications in rehearsal and performance,
and synagogues, in prisons, in hospice centers, and using choral music as a vehicle to foster self-awareness
wherever hearts are moved to join in song. and cultivate compassion. The session closes by experi-
encing a model of public, guided contemplation by in-
tegrating elements of live choral music, resilience skills,
and question-focused reflections to foster resilience and
Clinical Mental Health compassion among audiences.
and the Choral Rehearsal
Timothy Westerhaus will be the clinician for this ses-
sion. His photo and bio are on page 9.
The Covid-19 pandemic exacerbated mental health
issues for many people. With an emphasis on making Gloria (I-Ling) Chien is an associate pro-
mental health and wellness a priority and a shortage fessor in the religious studies department
of mental health professionals, it is not unusual to wait at Gonzaga University, specializing in
months to receive counseling in a clinical setting, es- Asian religions and Buddhist meditation.
pecially for underserved populations and those in ru- Inspired by her research on the Tibetan
ral areas. The purpose of this session is to introduce, Buddhist lojong (mind training) tradition, she became
demonstrate, and discuss evidence-based techniques a certified instructor in the Cognitively-Based Com-
through which conductor-teachers can optimize op- passion Training® contemplation program developed
portunities to augment the mental health and wellness at Emory University.
of all people in rehearsal settings. Participants will
leave the session with techniques they can use upon
returning to their choral rehearsals.
Flexible Fach:
Sarah Graham has been conducting
choirs for over thirty years. She is an as- Gender-Affirming Singing Pedagogy
sociate professor of music at Lewis-Clark through Science-Informed Practices
State College in Lewiston, Idaho, and is
working toward a master’s degree in clin- In this interactive session, attendees will be invited
ical mental health counseling. to sing and discuss vocal exercises from a new proto-
col developed by the presenter that focuses on help-
ing transgender and gender-expansive (TGE) singers
produce an aural aesthetic that better aligns with their
Contemplation and Choral Music gender identity. Created through an understanding of
for Self-Resilience the gendered associations and vocal characteristics of
common Fach categories and voice classifications, this
protocol synthesizes practices from gender-affirming
Explore compassionate meditation resources and speech-language pathology (SLP) with source-filter
practices to build self-resilience as a choral conductor theory and science-informed vocal pedagogy to pres-
and to promote well-being in rehearsal and perfor- ent a healthy gender-affirming practice routine for
mance settings. During this hands-on contemplation TGE singers who are seeking to masculinize or femi-
session, Dr. Gloria Chien will teach practical and easy- nize their voices.
to-implement mind and body skills that can improve

22 CHORAL JOURNAL January 2024 Volume 64 Number 5