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

choral music, connecting to what the average listener Adam Zrust is director of choral studies
already knows, and creating an interactive experience and assistant professor of choral music
that hooks listeners before they hear the concert in its education at Northwest Missouri State
entirety. Attendees will act as a sample audience and University. He maintains an active sched-
will leave this session with a collection of interactive ule conducting honor choirs and is fre-
concert activities, games, and unique concert formats quently invited to present at various conferences across
for different types of choral pieces. the United States and abroad. Zrust’s scholarly exper-
tise is grounded in rehearsal efficiency. Zrust earned a
Lindsey Bruner Woodcock is director of PhD and MME in choral conducting and music edu-
choral activities and coordinator of mu- cation from the Florida State University and holds de-
sic education at Meredith College in Ra- grees in music business and music education from the
leigh, North Carolina. She directs three University of Nebraska-Kearney.
choral ensembles and teaches conduct-
ing, secondary choral methods, and elementary music Will Alderman serves as the professor of
methods. Bruner Woodcock holds degrees from the percussion and music theory at North-
University of Georgia, University of Iowa, and Iowa west Missouri State University. An avid
State University. As a singer and double bassist, she has performer and composer, Alderman has
immersed herself in community music making and has toured and premiered works in a variety
held leadership roles in numerous civic music organi- of mediums worldwide. Currently, he performs with
zations. Her doctoral research is focused on audience his quartet, Without Borders, which has recorded and
engagement and the ways in which interactive perfor- released its own marimba quartet transcription of Béla
mances can enhance the concert experience. Bartok’s String Quartet No. 5. The ensemble has per-
formed the work in Taiwan, Japan, and throughout the
United States.

Joy in the Groove:
Percussion Techniques
for the Choral Conductor Mind, Body, Voice:
Boosting Choristers’ Potential

Adding percussion instruments into a choral re- through Body-Mind Warm-Ups
hearsal can quickly rejuvenate our repertoire and spark
great joy in our singers. While many contemporary Choir singing requires energy, engagement, and
choral composers write music with percussion accom- readiness. To achieve the full potential of expression,
paniment, often “ad lib” is the only instruction. Wheth- vocal technique, and musicality, singers and conductors
er you are playing the part yourself or helping students must train their bodies and minds as they train their
find success, playing technique can drastically augment voices and music. This interactive and practical session
or diminish a performance. This hands-on session will will provide conductors and teachers of any choir level
provide playing techniques for all levels of experience, with a systematic approach to body and mind engage-
sample repertoire from across the globe, survey a wide ment in warm-ups and rehearsals, rooted in the Alexan-
variety of Western and non-Western percussion instru- der Technique, Yoga, Tai Chi, and workout sequences.
ments, and explore substitutions when instruments are Each activity will accompany a science-based expla-
not readily available. Participants will leave inspired nation of how physical exercises can impact students’
and more confident to incorporate percussion into re- ability to engage, focus, improve their vocal technique,
hearsals and performance. enhance body presence, and build a strong community

CHORAL JOURNAL January 2024 Volume 64 Number 5 53