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2024 ACDA Southern Region Conference February 21-24, 2024 Louisville, Kentucky

Performing Choirs
P er f orming C hoirs

Apopka High School Bak Middle School of the Arts
Belles Chorale

Belles, the premier treble choir at Apopka High Chorale, the premier mixed chorus at BAK Middle
school, frequently performs at local and national col- School of the Arts in West Palm Beach, FL, strives to
leges/universities. Belles performed for the 2021 FL challenge its seventh- and eighth-grade members with
ACDA Conference and has performed in venues such demanding and interesting repertoire. Chorale is kept
as Carnegie Hall, Orchestra Hall, and Steinmetz Hall. busy throughout the year by performing at community
Belles comprises students in grades 10-12 who are events and competing in festivals around the country.
heavily involved in campus activities, playing sports, as They consistently earn the highest ratings at district as-
members and officers in the Student Government As- sessments and have a tremendous legacy of performing
sociation, and as members of National Honor Society. at state, region, and national ACDA conferences.

Sandra Shafer is the director of choirs Jorge Valls holds a BME from Palm
at her alma mater Apopka High School Beach Atlantic University. He is cur-
and has twice been named Teacher of rently in his tenth year of teaching and
the Year at Liberty Middle School (2014) his seventh year teaching at Bak Middle
and Apopka High School (2022). Student School of the Arts. In addition to Bak,
choirs under her direction have consistently received he conducts the Men’s Chorus for the Young Singers
superior ratings at district music performance assess- of the Palm Beaches. Previously, Valls built the choral
ment. As a performer, Shafer sings with the Orlando program at Eagles Landing Middle School in Boca Ra-
Sings Symphonic Chorus and Solaria Singers. In Or- ton and was the associate director for the Girl Choir of
lando Sings, Shafer also conducts the SSAA ensemble, South Florida. He serves as the Middle School R&R
Harmonia. She is an active conductor, clinician. and Chair for Florida ACDA.
adjudicator throughout Florida, and has presented
sessions at conferences of the Florida MEA and the Carrie Leahy has taught for twenty-four
Florida Vocal Association. She holds a bachelor’s from years at the middle and high school lev-
Stetson University in DeLand, FL. els in South Florida. She is currently in
her second year teaching at Bak MSOA.
Leahy grew up in Palm Beach County

68 CHORAL JOURNAL January 2024 Volume 64 Number 5