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2024 ACDA Southwestern Region Conference February 27 - March 2, 2024 Denver, Colorado

Franklin E. Haliburton is currently the Arvada West High School
musical director of two of Jamaica’s Vocal Showcase
leading musical groups, The Univer-
sity Singers, from The University of the
West Indies, Mona Campus; and The
Philharmonic Orchestra of Jamaica (POJ), the coun-
try’s premier orchestra. His body of work with both
groups has established him as one of Jamaica’s princi-
pal choral/orchestral conductors. In his early years, he
studied the piano and the cello with two of Jamaica’s
most esteemed music educators. Halliburton’s maiden
opera 1865, an opera based on the Morant Bay Rebel-
lion, was recognized by the guild of Jamaican actors
with nine prestigious Actor Boy Awards, including Best
Production, Best Score and Best Original Song. Hal-
liburton co-founded and launched the Philharmonic The Arvada West Choral Music program has one of
Orchestra of Jamaica in 2013, a charitable organiza- the premier programs in the United States, with an invi-
tion devoted to Jamaican orchestral excellence. tation to perform at the 2017 National ACDA Confer-
ence in Minneapolis. Numerous choirs have also been
selected to perform at CMEA conferences in the past
several years, including ten appearances since 2009.
Plenary Sessions The choirs also consistently receive straight “Superior”

ratings at festivals and competitions. AWest choirs have
performed in numerous cities and prestigious venues
The Choral Music of Ola Gjeilo across the United States, and have traveled internation-

in His Own Words ally, performing High Mass at the Basilicas of St. Peter’s
Rome and St. Mark’s Venice.
Join us for an inspiring plenary session with head-
liner Ola Gjeilo as he takes us on a journey through Taylor Rodgers, a native of Oklahoma, is
his distinctive choral music. An acclaimed pianist and in his ninth year of educating young peo-
composer, Gjeilo is known for his stunning choral ar- ple through choral music. He currently
rangements that blend contemporary and classical serves as the director of choral activities
styles. During this session, attendees will have the op- at Arvada West High School in Arvada,
portunity to learn more about the compositional tech- Colorado. Alongside his co-director, Jesse Vanlanding-
niques and artistic inspirations behind his music. The ham, he teaches six ensemble classes and facilitates two
session will feature a choral music reading session and student-led, extracurricular vocal groups. Prior to his
a Q&A, where attendees can directly engage with the time at Arvada West, Rodgers was the director of cho-
composer and explore his creative process. Joining us ral activities at Dunwoody High School in Dunwoody,
for this demonstration will be the Arvada West High GA. In addition to his work at the school level, he has
School “Vocal Showcase,” under the direction of Tay- been highly involved in the Georgia MEA, serving as
lor Rodgers. the District IV Choral Chair. He holds a BME from
the University of Central Oklahoma. He is certified by
Ola Gjeilo will be the clinician for this session. His pho- the AP CollegeBoard to teach AP Music Theory, and
to and bio are on page 87. he regularly collaborates as a pianist.

CHORAL JOURNAL January 2024 Volume 64 Number 5 89