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

in Greenville, NC. He is also the artistic The Transcendent Experience:
director and concert choir conductor for Creating Culture and Meaning
the Greenville Choral Society. Previously,
Roby served as a professor of music in the in Performance and Worship
areas of church music, choral music, and
vocal studies at Asbury College, Shorter College, and Uplifting, meaningful choral performances come
Union University. For fifteen years, he taught courses from groups with strong ensemble culture that are also
in the foundations and practice of Christian worship deeply connected to the culture around them. This in-
in the Schools of Divinity of Gardner-Webb Univer- terest session will describe the Technique of Culture
sity and Campbell University. He is a past president of Creation as developed by Artefact Institute. Our panel
North Carolina ACDA. of acclaimed choral artists will then discuss how to en-
rich aspects of choral performances in worship: lyricist
Tony Silvestri on storytelling and text, Chanticleer Ar-
tistic Director Tim Keeler on ensemble and audience
Towards a Holistic Approach building, and composer and conductor Benedict Shee-

for Neurodivergent Learners han on ritual. Our panel will share valuable tools for
in the Choral Classroom creating meaningful performances that attendees can
use in their own work.
There is a wealth of literature in the fields of mu-
sic education, music therapy, and psychology regard- Tim Keeler will be a clinician for this session. His photo
ing neurodivergent people, but next to no pedagogical and bio are on page 63.
material relating to large-group practices, particularly
within the choral rehearsal. Many, if not most, choir di- Benedict Sheehan will be a clinician for this session.
rectors will encounter neurodivergent students in their His photo and bio are on page 65.
programs at some point and will likely not know which
strategies effectively include their neurodivergent learn- Talia Sheehan will be a clinician for this session. His
ers in their classrooms. This session presents existing re- photo and bio are on page 67.
search and offers rehearsal techniques, classroom man-
agement strategies, and repertoire recommendations Charles Anthony Silvestri will be a clinician for this ses-
for high school choir directors to feel prepared to give sion. His photo and bio are on page 67.
all students a holistic and equitable learning experience.

Peter Allen Haley recently completed his
DMA in conducting at the University of Turning Choral Warm-Ups
South Carolina. He previously spent sev- Upside Down
en years teaching high school chorus in
North Carolina. He has held leadership
roles on the executive board of the Presbyterian As- Choral conductors often bemoan warm-ups, longing
sociation of Musicians and the 2020 and 2022 ACDA for new material to enhance old tricks. In this interac-
Southern Region Conferences. He holds degrees in tive session, learn how to design choral warm-ups that
music and church music from Wingate University and increase retention and connection with the music. By
Samford University. He has the honor of being the sec- exploring modes, intervals, rhythms, and styles, an en-
ond-best teacher in his house, behind his wife, Ashley, semble can maximize the first notes of a rehearsal and
and is a proud parent to Patrick and Libby Kay. seamlessly transition into reading and making music.
Learn to sing smarter by reinforcing concepts in the

CHORAL JOURNAL January 2024 Volume 64 Number 5 83