Page 88 - CJJan25

ACDA NATIONAL
2025 2025 ACDA National Conference March 18-22, 2025 Dallas, Texas
Alphabetical Listing of Interest Sessions
hoir Experienc
Immersion C
es
March 18-22 Dallas, TX Immersion Choir Experiences (Open to Both Tracks)

Immersion Choirs are returning in a new format! gan State University (DMA). He is editor of a multi-
Each Immersion Choir experience is offered as a nine- cultural choral series for earthsongs, co-editor of the
ty-minute session, no pre-registration required. There revised St. Olaf Choral Series for Augsburg Fortress
is no performance, and you do not have to make an Publishers, and has initiated the Anton Armstrong Sig-
ongoing commitment to experience these sessions. nature Choral Series with Gentry Publications. Arm-
Sessions are repeated on Wednesday, Thursday, and strong currently serves as chair of the National Board
Friday, allowing you to choose a different Immersion of Chorus America and has returned to serve on the
Choir experience each day! National Board of The Choristers Guild.
The Black Diaspora, Southeast Asia, and Latin
America Immersion Choir sessions are each offered Brandon A Boyd is the Marie M. and
three times: Harry L. Smith Endowed Professor and
the director of choral activities at the
Wednesday 4:45 pm-6:15 pm University of Missouri, where he con-
Thursday 4:45 pm-6:15 pm ducts the MU University Singers, Sanko-
Friday 4:45 pm-6:15 pm fa Chorale, and Choral Union Symphonic Chorus. He
also leads the graduate choral conducting program.
He is a conductor, composer, collaborative pianist, and
Music of the Black Diaspora frequent presenter. His compositions are performed
across the U. S. and abroad, and he curates the “Bran-
don A. Boyd Choral Series” with Hinshaw Music Pub-
Wed., Thur., and Fri. 4:45 pm - 6:15 pm lications. He is also the executive choral editor for Gen-

Sheraton Dallas Hotel try Publications. He holds degrees from The Florida
Austin Ballrooms 1, 2, and 3 State University (PhD and MM) and Tennessee State
University (BME).

Anton Armstrong and Brandon Boyd will lead the
Black Diaspora Immersion Choir, which will explore Music of Latin America
the performance practice in the genres of the Black
Spiritual and Gospel Music. Drawing on settings by
historic and contemporary composer/arrangers, Arm- Wed., Thur., and Fri. 4:45 pm - 6:15 pm
strong and Boyd will explore issues of tempo, use of Sheraton Dallas Hotel
dialect and appropriate vocal timbre for the interpreta-
tion of these genres with musical integrity. Dallas Rooms A1, A2, and A3

Anton Armstrong is in his thirty-fifth year During this session, participants will explore differ-
as conductor of the St. Olaf Choir, mark- ent aspects of the Latin American choral tradition, in-
ing him as the longest tenured conductor cluding works from the colonial period and other tra-
in the ensemble’s storied 112-year history. ditional repertoire, as well as music that was inspired
He is the Harry R. and Thora H. Tosdal by or based on Latin American folk music. While re-
Professor of Music at St. Olaf College, becoming the hearsing and singing, participants will get insight into
fourth conductor of the St. Olaf Choir in 1990. He is performance practices, rehearsal techniques and cul-
a graduate of St. Olaf College and earned advanced tural understanding of the repertoire, and the context
degrees at the University of Illinois (MM) and Michi- in which the pieces were created.

86 CHORAL JOURNAL January 2025 Volume 65 Number 5