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STANDING COMMITTEES
From the
Executive Director

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

What Does it Mean to be an Expert?

COMPOSITION INITIATIVES

DAN FORREST, CHAIR Many ACDA members serve as the choral
dan@danforrest.com
expert in their community. Whether you are the
single elementary teacher in a school or have a
DIVERSITY INITIATIVES specific role in an entire School of Music, people
ARREON HARLEY-EMERSON, CHAIR Robyn Hilger are looking to you for input, guidance, feedback,
aharley@choirschoolofdelaware.org

and have trust in the knowledge you are bringing to the work. In our
EDUCATION & COMMUNICATION rapidly evolving field, the concept of expertise is dynamic. Even those
JAMILA MCWHIRTER, CHAIR who have attained the highest level of mastery must continue to learn,
jamila.mcwhirter@mtsu.edu grow, and adapt to stay relevant and effective. After all, the choristers
in front of us today are facing a dramatically different world than even
INTERNATIONAL ACTIVITIES a decade ago. We are responsible for preparing them for the world now
and into the future. This requires all of us to be on a perpetual learn-
JOSHUA HABERMANN, CHAIR
joshhabermann@gmail.com ing journey long after our time as an official student has passed. New
paradigms are reshaping the boundaries of our field. We must remain
REPERTOIRE & RESOURCES at the forefront of the work.
GRETCHEN HARRISON, CHAIR Expertise is about accumulated knowledge and skill, but it is also
nationalrr@acda.org about the capacity to adapt to changing circumstances. Those who

continue to learn will be equipped to devise fresh perspectives and
RESEARCH & PUBLICATIONS strategies, enabling us to navigate uncharted waters with confidence
JESSICA NAPOLES, CHAIR and finesse. We learned many things through COVID, but two of those
Jessica.Napoles@unt.edu lessons were the value of adaptation and innovation. Expertise, as we

had known it, was challenged to its limit. One of my greatest wishes
is that now that we are back to more familiar territory, we don’t lose
those new insights, but that they become part of our growing expertise.
ADVOCACY STATEMENT True expertise is also about curiosity and humility. Experts know
that it is okay to “not know,” and in fact, a true expert will be one
The human spirit is elevated to a broader understanding of the first to openly and without hesitation admit when they do not
of itself and its place in the world through the study of and know. There’s always room for discovery and expanded understanding.
participation in choral music. Singing in a choir produces
more active and involved citizens. It affects self-worth By embracing growth, experts set an example for others. Our pursuit
in youth and adults. It builds connectivity throughout of knowledge and skill never ends. The journey of learning is not a
communities. Society benefits from the aesthetic beauty testament to inadequacy, but a testament to the resilience and open-
and community of singers created by choral programs mindedness of those who strive to be and do their very best every day.
within schools, houses of worship, and community ACDA is committed to this learning journey for you. Keep your eye
organizations through involved citizenry, connectivity on our growing base of resources to serve you along this learning con-
throughout communities, and feelings of personal self-
worth. The American Choral Directors Association and tinuum. Through ongoing learning, experts remain relevant, innova-
its membership resolve to ensure the survival of choral tive, and effective in their fields, inspiring others to follow suit. ACDA
programs for this and future generations by: is here for you every step of the way.
Actively voicing support for funding at local, state,
and national levels of education and government;
collaborating with local and national organizations to
ensure the distribution of arts funding data and arts-
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.
2 CHORAL JOURNAL October 2023 Volume 64 Number 3