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2026 ACDA Western Region Conference March 4-7, 2026 San Jose, California

Performing Choirs

Casteel Junior High School Castro Valley High School
Angels of Music A Cappella

A Cappella hails from the diverse San Francisco Bay
Area and is the premier concert choir in their large
Angels of Music was founded in 2015 with the public high school, comprising three separate audi-
opening of Casteel High School. It is a women’s choir tioned classes that practice together one evening per
comprising talented students in grades seven and eight. month. They have performed spotlights at Carnegie
For many members, this marks their first experience Hall and toured domestically and internationally. In
in a choral setting. Despite their limited background, 2018, A Cappella—and a subset within it, Madrigals—
these young vocalists exhibit a strong dedication to per- both placed first in their respective competition divi-
sonal and musical development. They consistently rise sions of the Northern California Golden State Choral
to the challenge, stepping outside their comfort zones Competition. In 2022, A Cappella won the grand prize
to cultivate the vocal technique, discipline, and collabo- of America’s Top Choir and Best Ensemble Choreog-
ration necessary to perform as a unified and expressive raphy in FeelItLIVE’s competition for top high school
ensemble. choir.

Jennifer Pearce holds a BM from Ari- Laryssa Sadoway is in her fourteenth
zona State University and has over thir- year at Castro Valley High School, where
ty years of teaching experience in the she conducts five choirs. She trained at
East Valley. Her diverse background in- the University of Massachusetts and
cludes teaching at the elementary, middle North Park University in Chicago. Sa-
school, and high school levels, as well as conducting doway received an MM in vocal performance at San
church and community choirs. She currently serves as Francisco Conservatory of Music. Career highlights
the Fine Arts Department chair at Casteel Junior High include leading her choirs to double gold victory at the
School in Queen Creek, Arizona. In addition to her 2018 Northern California Golden State Choral Com-
work in education, Pearce is an accomplished pianist petition, conducting at Carnegie Hall, collaborating
and maintains a private piano studio in her home. She with the BYU Singers, and conducting a featured per-
continues to perform, record, and tour with Millennial formance ensemble at California MEA. Sadoway has
Choirs and Orchestras. She is deeply inspired by her presented sessions at the California Choral Directors
husband, Marvin, their six children, and seven grand- summer conference at ECCO and at the California
children, who remain her most treasured source of MEA’s Bay Section winter conference.
pride and motivation.

180 CHORAL JOURNAL January 2026 Volume 66 Number 5