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2026 ACDA Southern Region Conference                                                     March 4-7, 2026                                                                   Memphis, Tennessee



                                      Performing Choirs
                                      P er f orming C  hoirs




                               Lux                          from  a  variety  of  professions  united  by  our  shared

                                                            passion for creating musical experiences that resonate
                                                            deeply with audiences. Under the direction of Ashley
                                                            Conway  and  Emily  Allison  alongside  Benji  Stenger,
                                                            collaborative pianist, Lux offers a distinctive approach
                                                            to a professional-level ensemble tailored to meet the de-
                                                            mands of busy musicians who cannot rehearse weekly.


                                                                        Ashley Conway is the assistant professor
                                                                        of music education at Brenau University,
           Lux, derived from the Latin word for “light,” is a           where  she  directs  Vocal  Chamber  En-
        professional treble choir based in Northeast Georgia.           semble (lobby performing choir, GMEA,
        Born out of a collective desire to infuse beauty and illu-      2022), and Spectrum Singers, and teach-
        mination into a world fraught with darkness, Lux spe-  es music education courses, aural skills, and conduct-
        cializes in delivering exquisite treble music that uplifts   ing.  Conway’s  previous  appointments  have  included
        the soul. Our diverse ensemble is in its fourth season   public  and  private  schools,  colleges  and  universities,
        and comprises both full-time musicians and members   churches,  and  community  music  programs  through-
                                                            out the United States. She is an active scholar, guest
                                                            conductor, and adjudicator, and is a founder and con-
                                                            ductor of the professional treble choir, Lux (GA-ACDA
                                                            performance, 2024). Conway holds a BME and MME
                                                            from Brenau University and the University of Georgia.
                                                            She earned the DMA in choral conducting from Ar-
                The Fifth International Meeting of the      izona State University. Her research interests include
                                                            women’s choirs and music and hearing loss.
                     Symposium for

                        Research in                                     Emily Allison is in her sixth year as cho-
                                                                        ral  director  at  Cherokee  Bluff  Middle
                     Choral Singing                                     School,  following  twelve  years  at  East
                                                                        Hall  Middle,  where  she  was  named
                                                                        2019–2020 Teacher of the Year. She was
              A hybrid symposium held in person and remotely  also  named  Cherokee  Bluff’s  2024–2025  Teacher  of
                                                            the Year and the 2025 District 14 Music Educator of
                     April 30 - May 1, 2026                 the Year. Her seventh- and eighth-grade chorus per-
                                                            formed  at  the  2025  GMEA  In-Service  Conference.
                      The Big 10 Conference Center          Allison  holds  a  bachelor’s  in  vocal  performance  and
                           Chicago, Illinois                an MME from Piedmont University. She serves as a
                                                            leadership team member, Tome Sponsor, and former
                                                            Grade Level Chair (2020–2024). Outside school, she
                                                            is the children’s director at Jefferson First UMC and
                                                            cofounder/conductor of Lux. She enjoys reading and
                                                            adventuring with her husband and two kids.



        112      CHORAL JOURNAL  January 2026                                                  Volume 66  Number 5
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