Page 90 - CJJanuary2026

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

Interest Sessions
In t er est S essions

Culturally Responsive Music Programming Do, Re, But What About Mi?
for Secondary Choirs Centering Singer Identity

Repertoire selection is a critical part of the work of This session explores a shift in mindset: from focus-
a secondary choral music educator, but it can feel time ing solely on the music to fostering a rehearsal culture
consuming, costly, and increasingly fraught as we seek to built on student motivation, emotional connection,
break down systemic biases our music libraries perpet- and belonging. Drawing from student voices and sup-
uate. This session will define important terms related to ported by practical strategies, participants will discover
culturally responsive music programming, provide an how to lead with empathy and imagination. Learn how
overview of current best practices, and provide direc- solfège-based literacy techniques and reflective leader-
tors with two practical tools for programming in their ship can help create rehearsals that not only build skills
own work: a template for tracking music selections that but also identity, connection, and change in your sing-
creates a culture-focused overview of the pieces they ers...and in yourself!
are programming, and a guiding framework of prob-
ing questions to ensure music selections are culturally Ryan Beeken will be the clinician for this session. His
responsive. Identity groups addressed include racial/ photo and bio are on page 68.
ethnic minority groups, the LGBTQ+ community, re-
ligious beliefs and practices, communities of persons
with disabilities, and others.
Enhancing Rehearsals and Performances
Emily McKinney is the choir director Through Movement
at Mead High School in Spokane, WA,
where she has taught for seven years. Her Singing is an art form that engages the whole per-
teaching style and outlook have been son. This is a collaborative session between the pre-
profoundly impacted by the uncertain senter and Samuel Booth’s high school chorus from
climate in which her career began and the changes Bellarmine Preparatory School. This session reminds
that both she and her students have undergone: from the body of what it did naturally through movement
A-day/B-day masked choir nine feet apart during rehearsal techniques as an aid to our singers’ vocal de-
2020, to publicly coming out to her community as bi- velopment for performance. Attendees will learn said
sexual (and her wife as transgender) in a conservative rehearsal techniques that can be used immediately
city with a volatile political climate. These experienc- with their ensembles, followed by a live demonstration
es have given her a passion for serving LGBTQ+ and with Bellarmine’s singers utilizing accessible repertoire.
other marginalized students in her community through Attendees will also participate alongside Bellarmine’s
her classroom teaching, SAGA (Sexuality and Gen- singers. The strategies provided allow ensembles to
der Alliance), and Hope Squad (a peer-to-peer mental build community by working together and invite sing-
health assistance program). She earned her master’s in ers to develop a full-bodied tone for performance.
curriculum and instruction from WGU in 2024.
Raul Dominguez is the associate direc-
tor of choral studies at Pacific Lutheran
University in the Tacoma, WA, area,
where he conducts the University Cho-
rale (mixed), University Singers (treble),
teaches three levels of conducting, and repertoire and

88 CHORAL JOURNAL January 2026 Volume 66 Number 5