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

SSAA/Women's Meg Stohlmann is the director of choral
and vocal studies at Gonzaga University,
where she conducts the Glee Club, Con-
Stirring Up Treble: cert Choir and Discantus Treble Choir.
The Defiant Power of Song She also serves as the director of the
Spokane Symphony Chorale. Stohlmann serves on the

Throughout history, singing has been a unifying ele- ACDA Northwest Region’s board. She was selected to
ment in society. It is especially so for those moments on participate in the 2023 ACDA International Conduc-
the precipice of change. Our spotlight reading session tor’s Exchange program in Germany. She taught choir
will explore soprano/alto repertoire that stands up to and guitar at the middle and high school level in Lexing-
injustice, defies the status quo, and empowers agents of ton, KY, and conducted the Danville Children’s Choir.
change for all stages of vocal and musical development. Her children’s choir and high school advanced women’s
choirs performed at the Kentucky Music Educators
Sandra Babb is associate professor of State Conferences in 2014 and 2015, respectively.
choral music education at Oregon State
University, where she directs Bella Voce
and the University Chorale. Her choirs Vocal Jazz
have performed for state, regional, and
national conferences of ACDA, and she has presented
and conducted all-state and honor choirs throughout Concepts through Repertoire
the United States. Babb is a contributing author for
Composing in Choirs, and Teaching Music through Performance Along with demonstration group Pacific Northwest
in Choir, Volume IV, and Voices in Concert. She received the Voices, jazz musician and music educator Kirk Roa will
BME, MME, and PhD from The Florida State Uni- engage participants in rehearsal strategies, jazz con-
versity and is a National Center for Voice and Speech cepts, and techniques for improving your ensemble us-
certified vocologist. Babb serves as NW-ACDA R&R ing varied literature from today's top arrangers. Many
Chair for soprano/alto choirs and is the president-elect new and diverse selections will be included.
for Oregon ACDA.
Kirk Roa is a jazz musician and music
educator born and raised in the greater

TTBB/Men's Seattle area. In addition to private vocal
and piano instruction, he also teaches and
directs the choirs at Bishop Blanchet High
Redefining the Tenor/Bass Choir: School as a proud alumnus. Roa is the director of the
Creating a Safe Space for Pacific Northwest Voices, a nationally recognized vocal
jazz group dedicated to honoring and expanding the
All in Voice Specific Choirs vocal jazz idiom. They performed at the 2023 ACDA
Conference in Cincinnati, Ohio. He is currently in pur-
In collaboration with the Gonzaga Glee Club, Dr. suit of a jazz studies master’s degree at the University
Meg Stohlmann will share repertoire, resources, and of Arkansas Monticello.
experiences regarding intentionality about our lan-
guage, uniform choices, and how we create a safe space
for all singers in our voice specific choirs.

CHORAL JOURNAL January 2024 Volume 64 Number 5 31