Page 59 - CJMarch_April25

Lift E ve r y Vo i ce
Lift Every Voice

Accessible and Beautiful:
Reflections from Our 2023 ACDA National Conference Insight Session

by Edryn J. Coleman

When we were invited to present an insight choir erful reminder that diversity in choral music is not just
session at the 2023 National Conference, I knew it was important—it is essential. This experience reinforced
an incredible opportunity to showcase the hard work of my belief that all choirs have something valuable to of-
our students and the diversity of our choral program fer. My hope in documenting this journey is to inspire
within the overall school community at Oakland Mills others to share their own stories and take the challenge
High School in Columbia, Maryland. Our choir re- to submit a proposal for the next regional or national
flects a rich tapestry of backgrounds and cultures and conference session themselves, thereby engaging with
embodied the 2023 Conference theme, “A Place of Be- the broader choral community.
longing.”
The Oakland Mills community is among the most
diverse school communities within the Howard Coun- Session Structure and Goals
ty, Maryland, Public School System with 80% minori- Through a multi-faceted experience that was part
ty enrollment: 44.4% Black, 20.8% Hispanic, 19.7% reading session, part teaching session, all within the
White, 7.2% Asian, and 7.7% two or more races. The context of an honest conversation, the overall goal
ethnic percentages of the singers reflect the diversity of our session was to contribute to our diverse choral
of our school and the community at large. Our singers community in the following ways:
are Christian, Muslim, atheist, and open members of
the LGBTQIA+ community. At a time when people 1) Address the need for more accessible SATB/SAB
who felt unseen were given a voice, I felt strongly that choral music that offers multiple opportunities for
the timing was right and that our choral program was building and teaching music skills and an impactful
the physical manifestation of the conference theme performance experience.
through our collaboration and representation.
Through perseverance and dedication, our students 2) Address the need for more diverse music composed
demonstrated that every choir, regardless of perceived and arranged by minoritized choral musicians.
obstacles, has a place at ACDA. Their success is a pow-

CHORAL JOURNAL March/April 2025 Volume 65 Number 7 57