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my students are aware of the legal landscape. I would that process. In order for that hope to be made mani-
be negligent if I did not warn them about the statewide fest, we need to keep placing our students at the center
political environment. of the narrative. If we build cultures and craft musical
experiences that leave students feeling successful and
Wooten: I am a Black conductor showing up in a pre- connected, choirs will thrive. However, no matter how
dominantly white space for work every day. Unfortu- amazing our choirs are, significant forces continue to
nately, whiteness often dares me to leave my authentic stand in our way with programs being deflated as we
ways of knowing and being at the door. Such mani- enter the demographic slope. We need to keep thinking
festations include, but are not limited to, the follow- about ways to help administrators, boards, and other
ing: overt opposition to charged textual themes found power players understand the impact of what we do
in repertoire, blissful ignorance to composers of my with quantitative data for qualitative work. Keeping
race, daily confrontation of the reality that I am one track of recruitment and retention numbers is only the
of few Black people in my workspace, students and beginning. How can we use data creatively to tell the
faculty limiting my knowledge and skills to Black stories of the lives we change?
idiomatic music, and navigating a pervasive institu-
tional entitlement that demands ongoing partiality to
Western-derived methods of learning, engaging, and If we build cultures and craft musical
creating. As a critical act of resistance and liberation, experiences that leave students feeling
I insist upon drawing from the well of my musical expe- successful and connected, choirs will
riences from the Black church to assist in my continued
proficiency of music theory, using critical thinking skills thrive.
in my teaching of score study and rehearsal analysis,
programming and studying a diversity of repertoire
that encompasses multiple abilities and stories of cho- Myers: In a time of budget cuts and STEM-focused
risters, and centering voices of marginalized people in education, it would be easy to worry that choirs may be
the promotion of our choral activities. at risk. However, the choral art form is alive, thriving,
Choral performance and study have also welcomed and adapting to societal needs faster than I have ever
an increased use of technology to facilitate learning seen. When we share this vibrancy with our campus-
and interaction. It is encouraging to know that choral es, we can show that we are among the classes most
students are welcoming worldwide connection via vir- readily adopting universal design for learning, proj-
tual symposia, composer/conductor mentorship pro- ect-based instruction, and a commitment to ADEI.
grams, and virtual choral exchanges in the hopes of Anyone reading the Choral Journal knows the power of
sharing culture, awareness, and joy. As a professor, the choral music to stir the soul, to bring people together,
use of technology remains a foundational element to and to inspire social change, but those making institu-
my commitment to cultural competency and innova- tional decisions for our programs do not. It is our duty
tive music education methods. to advocate for our art, and with time, we will find that
choirs are more relevant than ever. I believe that more
community-focused, non-auditioned choirs will thrive
What, do you believe, is the future of choral on college campuses, as they provide the best oppor-
music in higher education? tunity for more vibrant and more comprehensive pro-
gram growth.
Burk: I hope collegiate choral groups continue to be
organizations where students can connect with each Petite: I teach a non-auditioned choir where most of
other, driven by the purpose of creating beautiful, the singers are non-music majors. These students love
meaningful music together and being transformed by to sing choral music. I am hoping this indicates the rel-

CHORAL JOURNAL September 2025 Volume 66 Number 2 29