Page 88 - CJJanuary2026

2026 ACDA Northwestern Region Conference March 4-7, 2026 Tacoma, Washington

Interest Sessions
essions
In
est S
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Kingdom Sound, Trio Tsuica, Carpathian-Pacific Ex- annual Cascade Conducting Workshop in Tacoma. As
press, and many others. Chessin was a 2025 Gram- a true collaborative artist known for her deep insight
my Music Educator Award finalist, a 2023 and 2025 and “getting inside the conductor’s head,” she provides
Country Music Association Music Teacher of Excel- feedback through the special lens of accompanist, sing-
lence, and a 2018 Give A Note Foundation Music Edu- er, and conductor combined.
cator Innovator Award winner. In his previous life, he
performed alongside Pink Martini, opened for Gwen
Stefani, and was featured on the soundtrack of the Pix-
ar film Monsters University. An Ethic of Care in
Choral Music Education

A Voice from the Piano: Nel Noddings taught that caring should be the foun-
Conductor-Pianist Collaboration dation of every K–12 education and that our primarily
responsibility as educators is to model caring behavior,
engage students in dialogue, give opportunities to prac-
This session will explore the immense power of the tice, and acknowledge progress when it occurs. Un-
conductor-accompanist relationship and its effect on dergraduate music education majors often talk about
developing your ensemble. As conductor and pianist engaging repertoire, inspiring mentors, lifelong friends,
codevelop a collaborative model, shared teaching in and unforgettable memories. Too often, they speak also
conducting, vocal pedagogy, artistry, technique, and of erratic teachers who demonstrate a sincere dislike
leadership becomes possible. This session will discov- for teaching. This session, copresented by two under-
er ways in which a conductor can encourage and help graduate students, will share strategies for establishing
develop a collaborative relationship with the accompa- an ethic of care in the choral ensemble. Examples will
nist—no matter the level—and utilize keyboard skills come from work with the Pocatello Women’s Correc-
and aural skills to a greater degree. In addition, session tional Choir. This session includes survey results from
attendees will discover tricks of the trade: ways in which 150 undergraduate choral students; resources from
a collaborative pianist can help the choir with rhythm, Fred Rogers, François Clemmons, and others; and in-
tuning, onsets, sight singing, and vocal pedagogy. formation about how to start a prison choir.

Amy Boers is well known as a collabo- Jeffrey Francom is director of choral ac-
rative pianist, music director, singer, and tivities at Idaho State University, where
church musician. She currently holds he also serves as artistic director of Po-
positions at Pacific Lutheran University, catello’s Camerata Singers, the Pocatello
Symphony Tacoma Voices (pianist and Women’s Prison Choir, and the Idaho
assistant rehearsal conductor), and is director of mu- International Choral Festival. From 2009 to 2024, he
sic at Mountain View Lutheran Church. Her work at taught at SUNY Potsdam’s Crane School of Music. Pri-
PLU varies between rehearsal pianist for three choral or to ‘09 he directed the Stony Brook Camerata Sing-
ensembles, opera workshop, accompanying and coach- ers and Babylon Chorale, and taught at Suffolk County
ing private students, team-teaching theater courses, Community College and Duval Public Schools. Recent
and she is resident music director in PLU’s theater professional engagements have included premieres for
and dance department. As a conductor, Boers has led chorus and orchestra by Rollo Dilworth, Gary Fry,
regional honor choirs and coached developing choral William Averitt, and Shavon Lloyd; chorus master for
conductors from across the Western Hemisphere at the JoAnn Falletta, Duain Wolfe, Ann Howard Jones, and

86 CHORAL JOURNAL January 2026 Volume 66 Number 5