Mississippi State University has a newly founded organization. The American Choral Directors Association is intended for those who are interested in being a choral director, but even non-music majors can join. “We started informally last semester and now we are in the process of getting it all together,” Amanda Hall, president of ACDA, said.
The group meets once a month and hosts speakers to talk about different topics for choral directors. Some speeches include how to organize a choir, new warm-up exercises and why they work. Last spring, those who met for ACDA requested those topics and other ones to be taught to them.
“I am so pleased that so many of our students are involved in ACDA. Being a part of this organization will help prepare them to be better teachers when they graduate,” Dr. Jeffrey Pappas, associate professor of music education, said.
Many of the ACDA goals include those that will further their own knowledge of what being a choral director means and how to put a choral program together whether it is for a church, school, community or whatever purpose their future choir may serve.
“As a teacher we need to know what basic things we to start with or to teach. Being a part of ACDA helps us take what we learn in our classes a step further,” publicity chair for ACDA Lynn Massa said.
The ACDA will hold a local festival to inform the community and MSU about the choral program at Mississippi State and discuss topics on choral music education. The festival and the ACDA meetings will give students a chance to network with other choral directors and see what they are doing in the “real world.”
“Right now we want to get the word about on ACDA. It is only for those interested in choral work, but non-music majors are welcome. ACDA will help all those interested as much as they want it to,” Hall said.
ACDA is a national organization and the chapter on campus is its first at MSU. For more information on ACDA and the meetings, visit their Web site at www.acdaonline.org.
“Students who want to be choral directors need to remember that classes help, but the more you do it the better you will get. That is what ACDA wants to do for our students,” Massa said.