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STANDING COMMITTEES
From the
Executive Director

ADVOCACY & COLLABORATION
EMILY WILLIAMS BURCH, CHAIR
EmilyWilliamsBurch@gmail.com Composition within ACDA

COMPOSITION INITIATIVES In this month’s journal, we are celebrating the con-

DAN FORREST, CHAIR tributions that composers make to the rich and diverse

dan@danforrest.com
community of ACDA. The relationship between com-
DIVERSITY INITIATIVES posers and choral directors is a very special one and
ARREON HARLEY-EMERSON, CHAIR Robyn Hilger something that has stood out to me since my first days
aharley@choirschoolofdelaware.org in ACDA. When I was traveling to the Region confer-

ences, within only the first few months of being with ACDA, I was taken
EDUCATION & COMMUNICATION aback by the sheer amount of new music that was premiered in almost ev-
JAMILA MCWHIRTER, CHAIR ery concert session. There is something very special in how we think about
jamila.mcwhirter@mtsu.edu “who” can create music.
What is ACDA’s role with composition? Substantial! As the primary
INTERNATIONAL ACTIVITIES consumers of choral repertoire, we play a huge role in influencing the
JOSHUA HABERMANN, CHAIR types and kinds of music that are created and in supporting those who
joshhabermann@gmail.com create it. ACDA has invested in commissioning works since the early 90s
with the Brock Commission and Prizes. The last three years have seen the
REPERTOIRE & RESOURCES development of efforts to focus on accessibility without sacrificing beauty,
GRETCHEN HARRISON, CHAIR on composer/poet partnerships, and on partnerships between historically-
nationalrr@acda.org
marginalized composers and choral organizations to premiere the works.
This year already, ACDA has expanded to a new format called the Focus
RESEARCH & PUBLICATIONS
Prize, which will be a rotating focus that is structured to meet identified
JESSICA NAPOLES, CHAIR gaps in repertoire needs of ACDA members and their ensembles. The first

Jessica.Napoles@unt.edu

awards have just been made for pieces for Treble Choirs and Tenor/Bass
Choirs.
I am thrilled to announce our next expansion with the New Canon Proj-
ect. Through the Sphinx Organization Venture Fund and in partnership
ADVOCACY STATEMENT with Rising Tide Music Press and the American String Teachers Associa-
tion, ACDA will commission, over the next two years, 12 Black and/or
The human spirit is elevated to a broader understanding
of itself and its place in the world through the study of and Latinx composers (who are within their first 10 years of composing) to cre-
participation in choral music. Singing in a choir produces ate 12 new works for the school market. We will also recruit 12 Black and/
more active and involved citizens. It affects self-worth or Latinx mentors, who already have success in the school market, to serve
in youth and adults. It builds connectivity throughout as advisors. Through structured mentoring and professional development,
communities. Society benefits from the aesthetic beauty these pieces will be workshopped with school partnerships and ultimately
and community of singers created by choral programs
within schools, houses of worship, and community published on ArrangeMe through our partnership with Hal Leonard. This
organizations through involved citizenry, connectivity is one of the first philanthropic grants received by ACDA in more than a
throughout communities, and feelings of personal self- decade. Keep an eye out for information about how to become involved.
worth. The American Choral Directors Association and The project launches this fall.
its membership resolve to ensure the survival of choral We flourish when we nurture everyone within our choral community.
programs for this and future generations by:
Nurturing our composers is no exception. I continue to look forward to the
Actively voicing support for funding at local, state, contributions that our work will make to the development of our compos-
and national levels of education and government; ers and how their creations will contribute to the repertoire available for
collaborating with local and national organizations to
ensure the distribution of arts funding data and arts- years to come.
related activism opportunities; advocating for full access
to choral singing and inclusion of all singers in a choral
program; and ensuring the distribution of advocacy
statements and data regarding choral programs.