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2024 ACDA Midwestern Region Conference February 7-10, 2024 Omaha, Nebraska

essions
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prehensive choral program. Prior to her appointment Breaking the Ice:
at UW-Madison, Farah served as the associate director Building Respectful Culture
of choral activities at the University of Kansas. Choirs
under her leadership have successfully performed at the in the Choral Program
Missouri, Kansas, and Wisconsin MEA conventions and
at the 2008 and 2018 Southwestern ACDA Conferences. Since ensemble music making is inherently project-
In addition to her work at UW-Madison, Farah is often based, it is essential for students to operate healthily as
sought out for her expertise in Brazilian choral music. a team as they reach their common goals. Team build-
She has presented papers at NAfME and ACDA conven- ing in retreats as well as in class time will ensure that
tions and has served as the president-elect for SWACDA. students work together respectfully. These enjoyable
activities are pivotal to instructional needs because of
Liz Olson is in the second year of doctoral their correlation to the National Core Arts Standards
studies in choral conducting from the Uni- and National Institute for Excellence in Teaching
versity of Wisconsin-Madison, where she Rubric. In this presentation, attendees will engage in
was awarded the University Fellowship various team-building activities designed to build com-
and serves as a choral teaching assistant. munity, create a healthy environment and respectful
At UW-Madison, Olson is the director of the Advanced culture, and pave the way for student ownership in the
Treble Choir, co-directs the University Chorus, and is choral ensemble.
Dr. Mariana Farah’s research assistant. She presented
her research on gender bias in choral music on a panel Matthew Myers will be a clinician for this session. His
during the 2023 ACDA National Conference. She has photo and bio are on page 20.
earned degrees from the University of South Carolina
and the University of Colorado Boulder. Sara Bray is in her seventh year as the
choral director at St. Amant High School
Sam Speer is a second-year DMA student in Ascension Parish, Louisiana. She re-
in choral conducting at the University of ceived her bachelor’s from the University
Wisconsin–Madison, where he is the con- of South Dakota and her master’s in cho-
ductor of the University Chorus and is ral conducting from the University of North Dakota.
also the TA for Chorale. A native of the Bray serves as the high school coordinator for the Dis-
Rockies, Speer earned his MM and BM at Brigham trict IV Choral Directors Association, where she orga-
Young University, where he conducted the University nizes the Louisiana MEA round one auditions and the
Chorale and taught conducting and sight-singing. He District IV Honor Choir. She is an active performer,
also sang baritone with the Madeleine Cathedral Choir singing soprano with the Baton Rouge Artists of Cho-
in Salt Lake and was company manager for the Santa Fe ral Excellence and performing on stage with Ascension
Desert Chorale. Community Theatre. She has also music directed stage
productions with ACT and the St. Amant High School
Theatre.

48 CHORAL JOURNAL January 2024 Volume 64 Number 5