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STANDING COMMITTEES
From the
Executive Director

ADVOCACY & COLLABORATION
ALEX GARTNER, CHAIR

agartner@pensacolasings.org
New Digital Tools Empower Music Educators
COMPOSITION INITIATIVES to Advocate Like Never Before

KATIE HOUTS, CHAIR
Across the country, music education is facing
katie.houts@gmail.com
pressures that threaten its foundational place in our
DIVERSITY INITIATIVES schools. Whether it’s districts lowering arts gradua-
ARREON HARLEY-EMERSON, CHAIR Robyn Hilger tion requirements, workforce plans focusing narrowly
arreon@equitysings.com on STEM, or budgetary headwinds, defending our
role as a core subject requires vigilance—and innovation in the ways we
EDUCATION & COMMUNICATION advocate for our choral programs.
JOHN MCDONALD , CHAIR Fortunately, we’re not alone in this work. The recent launch of a new
JohnMcDonald@wustl.edu advocacy resources clearinghouse on musiciseducation.org puts a trans-
formative array of new tools at your fingertips. These are not just web
INTERNATIONAL ACTIVITIES pages; they are a living, evolving toolkit designed to help us respond to
JOSHUA HABERMANN, CHAIR challenges. ACDA is proud to do this work with a coalition of partners.
joshhabermann@gmail.com Check out the “about” tab to see all the organizations that are collaborat-
ing to support you in your advocacy efforts.
REPERTOIRE & RESOURCES
GRETCHEN HARRISON, CHAIR What’s new on musiciseducation.org?
nationalrr@acda.org
1. Step-by-Step Advocacy Guides:
RESEARCH & PUBLICATIONS The website now offers actionable advocacy pathways. These guides
ELIZABETH CASSIDY PARKER, CHAIR are grounded in proven strategies—like clarifying your local landscape,
eparker@temple.edu

uniting allies, and turning data into compelling stories.
2. Data & Messaging Resources:
You’ll find up-to-date statistics that demonstrate music’s power to boost
ADVOCACY STATEMENT attendance, increase graduation rates, and drive workforce readiness.

The human spirit is elevated to a broader understanding These facts are ready to power professional presentations, parent newslet-
of itself and its place in the world through the study of and ters, or testimony before decision-makers.
participation in choral music. Singing in a choir produces
more active and involved citizens. It affects self-worth 3. The Karl B Chatbot—Your On-Demand Advocacy Partner:
in youth and adults. It builds connectivity throughout The true game-changer is the new Karl B AI assistant, available right
communities. Society benefits from the aesthetic beauty on the site. Karl B can draft personalized letters, talking points, eleva-
and community of singers created by choral programs
within schools, houses of worship, and community tor pitches or policy memos drawn from decades of research, expert best
organizations through involved citizenry, connectivity practices, and the latest national data. Simply type your audience and
throughout communities, and feelings of personal self- goal, and Karl B does the rest. Check out the user guide before you start.
worth. The American Choral Directors Association and Use the power of AI for the good of your program!
its membership resolve to ensure the survival of choral
programs for this and future generations by:
Music educators shouldn’t have to go it alone. With these tools, you
Actively voicing support for funding at local, state, have resources and expertise on call, whether you’re preparing for a board
and national levels of education and government; meeting, engaging skeptical administrators, or helping policymakers see
collaborating with local and national organizations to
ensure the distribution of arts funding data and arts- the value of what you do. The legislative season is just around the corner.
related activism opportunities; advocating for full access Use these new resources to make your advocacy stronger than ever!
to choral singing and inclusion of all singers in a choral
program; and ensuring the distribution of advocacy
statements and data regarding choral programs.
2 CHORAL JOURNAL November/December 2025 Volume 66 Number 4