Eva Jessye: A Pioneer in American Choral Music and Cultural Advocacy
4-Year University R&R Rayvon T. J. Moore Introduction This year marks the 130th anniversary of the birth of Eva Jessye—a pioneering figure in American music and, coincidentally, a fellow Aquarius. I’ll admit, during my college years, I knew little about her. It was not until I found myself living in Kansas that I began to […]
Empowering Voices!: Encouraging Lifelong Singers
Youth & Student Activities Dr. Jennifer Sengin Empowering Voices!: Encouraging Lifelong Singers A hallmark of a truly meaningful singing experience is inspiring singers to continue pursuing music beyond their time together. While conductors often focus on the immediate musical activities at hand in our rehearsals and performances, we can also foster a love of music […]
The First Answer is Always to Listen More
Beth Enloe Fritz Jazz R&R The First Answer is Always to Listen More They say one of the best characteristics of a friend is to be a good listener. When listening, we not only gain information, but also in the best-case scenarios, can open up to emotions and be inspired. In my experience talking with […]
Your Summer, Your Tempo: Rest, Recharge, and Reignite
R&R Resource Article Spencer Wiley Your Summer, Your Tempo: Rest, Recharge, and Reignite Congratulations on almost making it to the end of the school year! For most of us, the month of May tends to be the time when we get ready for the final concert of the semester, audition students for the upcoming school […]
AVOIDING BURNOUT: Self-Care is Not a Luxury, It’s the Key to Longevity
AVOIDING BURNOUT: Self-Care is Not a Luxury, It’s the Key to Longevity by Dr Jaclyn Normandie As music educators, we devote much of ourselves to the success and well-being of our students. We invest countless hours, energy, and passion into guiding their growth, helping them navigate both the technical and emotional aspects of music and […]
Appropriation
Eduardo Garcia-Novelli, World Music & Cultures R&R Chair If we think about the British Museum displaying a vase from ancient Babylon, the concept of “cultural appropriation” is clear: They likely picked up the vase during the glory days of the Empire. In that case, one group takes something from another group. Stealing is wrong. So, […]
The 7 Habits of the Highly Effective Choral Program
Reginal Wright, TTBB Choirs R&R Chair The 7 Habits of the Highly Effective Choral Program I’ve always been drawn to Stephen Covey’s writings on success, particularly his Seven Habits of Highly Effective People. As someone who thrives on process and structure, this book has been a constant guide throughout my teaching career. When I recently […]
Elevating Your Show Choir
Michael Shimp, Show Choir R&R Cahir Elevating Your Show Choir: A Guide to Collaborating with Arrangers As the Show Choir Season is coming to an end, we all begin the new adventure of creating a new Show Choir Show for next year. A new season to build also comes with the other items that are […]
Collaboration: Everyone wins!
Andy Waggoner – Community Choirs R&R Chair Collaboration: Everyone wins! Hello SWACDA Friends. The 2025-2026 season marks the 50th Anniversary for the chorus I have the privilege of conducting. In planning for this momentous occasion, we have had a lot of conversation around collaboration. While we certainly won’t do all of these suggestions, I wanted […]
Crafting a Well-Balanced and Engaging Concert Program
Tatiana Taylor – 2-Year College R&R Chair Crafting a Well-Balanced and Engaging Concert Program Designing a concert program that is both fresh and well-balanced can be a daunting task. There have been semesters when I found myself struggling for ideas, often turning to colleagues for inspiration. Whether at conferences, through professional discussions, reading articles, attending […]