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 […]
Choosing Music that Inspires Growth
Caleb Zustiak – Be Our Guest – Missouri Choosing Music that Inspires Growth The administrator continues writing in her notebook as the choir performs one of its upcoming festival songs. The students are engaged in the music; they have obviously worked hard to learn to sing together and in parts, and the class has met […]
Building Bridges Through Song: Expanding Community Through Collaboration
Nathan Wubbena – Children & Community Youth R&R Chair Building Bridges Through Song: Expanding Community Through Collaboration Being a music educator can often feel isolating. While we’re surrounded by fellow educators daily, our role differs significantly from that of a typical classroom teacher. We may have colleagues in other musical disciplines—band, orchestra, and beyond—who understand the […]
How to Start an A Cappella Group
Leia Browning – Contemporary A Cappella R&R Chair How to Start an A Cappella Group Contemporary A Cappella has changed my program for the better in so many ways. Each year, student interest and retention grows, literacy gets better, and students are proud to show what they’ve accomplished in live shows, music videos, and professionally […]
Choosing Literature for Treble Ensembles
Tanner Oglesby – SSAA R&R Chair Choosing Literature for Treble Ensembles January has always been a complicated month for me. As an individual, I find January to be an exciting time, imagining new goals, starting fresh, and cleaning the slate. As a choral director, I find January to be the “lull” in the middle. Still […]
Fostering Choral Excellence and Community Impact at Two-Year Colleges
Tatiana Taylor – 2-Year College R&R Chair Fostering Choral Excellence and Community Impact at Two-Year Colleges Two-year colleges are unique and face their own set of challenges. Our students are with us for a short amount of time and creating a dynamic choral culture can be challenging. I currently serve as the Director of Choirs […]
