Inside…

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE ...... 3

IRIS LEVINE AND JOE MILLER HEADLINE Published by the California Chapter of the American Choral Directors Association 2009 ALL-STATE HONOR CHOIRS ...... 5 Volume 21, Number 2 • Winter 2009

MARK TEETERS NAMED A CALIFORNIA TEACHER OF THE YEAR ...... 7

TAPPING INTO THE MESSAGE BOARD...... 7

ELECTIONS 2009 REGIONAL REPRESENTATIVES ...... 16 PRESIDENT-ELECT ...... 18

REGIONAL REPRESENTATIVES

CENTRAL COAST NEWS...... 9

REPERTOIRE & STANDARDS

TRY A CHOIR RETREAT THIS YEAR ...... 10

PAUL SALAMUNOVICH SHARES ...... 11

CMEA MIDDLE SCHOOL HONOR CHOIR DEBUTS ...... 11

TIPS FOR MAKING YOUR CHOIR MUSICAL...... 12

VOCAL JAZZ NUTS AND BOLTS ...... 14

CALIFORNIA ACDA CONTACTS Opening Night of the New York Music Festival of 1881— Handel’s “Dettigen Te Deum” Wood engraving. From American Art Journal 35 (14 May 1881): cover...... 19 Performing Art Reading Room, Library of Congress. American Choral Music, 1870-1923, is a collaboration between the American Choral Directors Association (ACDA) and the Library of Congress.

Whereas, the human spirit is elevated to a broader understanding of itself through study and performance in the aesthetic arts, and ACDA Whereas, serious cutbacks in funding and support have steadily eroded state institutions and their programs throughout our country, Advocacy Be it resolved that all citizens of the United States actively voice their affirmative Resolution and collective support for necessary funding at the local, state, and national levels of education and government, to ensure the survival of arts programs. ACDA members are encouraged to print the ACDA Advocacy Resolution in all programs.

Upcoming Events

Official Publication of the 2009 California Chapter American Choral Directors Association CALIFORNIA ACDA BOARD MEETING...... JAN 17 Editor ACDA NATIONAL CONVENTION...... MAR 4-7 Douglas Lynn Oklahoma City, Oklahoma [email protected] Celebrating ACDA’s 50th Anniversary c/o 1450 South Melrose Drive, Oceanside CA 92056 760-758-4100 ext 140 CALIFORNIA ACDA ALL-STATE HONOR CHOIR...... MAR 26-28 Cantate is published three times each year. Pasadena Submission Deadlines Dr. Iris Levine, Women’s Choir Conductor Fall Issue — August 1 (published September 1) Dr. Joe Miller, Mixed Choir Conductor Winter Issue — December 1 (published January 1) CANTATE DEADLINE FOR SPRING/SUMMER ISSUE...... APR 1 Spring Issue — April 1 (published May 1) CALIFORNIA ACDA SUMMER CONFERENCE ...... JUL 26-29 Guidelines for Submissions Oakhurst (ECCO) The Editor welcomes the submission of articles, announcements, reports, music and book reviews, job Rodney Eichenberger, Headliner vacancies, and any other item of interest to the California ACDA membership. Articles should reach the Editor no later than the established deadline and 2010 should include the following information: 1. Title ACDA WESTERN DIVISION CONVENTION ...... MAR 3-6 2. Author’s name and phone/email address Tucson, Arizona 3. Name of school, church, or organization 4. Author biography (50 words) CALIFORNIA ACDA SUMMER CONFERENCE ...... JUL 25-28 5. A good full-face photo Oakhurst (ECCO) The manuscript should be limited to a maximum of two Rollo Dilworth, Headliner typewritten pages. Electronic text is preferred and may be emailed to the Editor at the above address. California ACDA reserves the right to edit submissions. Guidelines for Advertising Advertisers Index Charges listed are for camera-ready copy only, submitted electronically by PDF, JPEG, GIF, or TIFF. ACDA 2009 National Convention...... 5 Cantate is produced in black ink. Arrowbear Music Camp ...... 8 A check made payable to “California ACDA” must be Bob Cole Conservatory of Music / postmarked by the submission deadline. You will not be billed. Invoices can be prepared upon request. No copy California State University, Long Beach...... back cover will run without advance payment. If you would like an California State University, Chico...... 3 ad to run in more than one issue, please include full payment at the time of the initial ad. California State University, Fresno ...... 4 Advertising copy is subject to editorial approval. The California State University, Fullerton...... 13 Editor reserves the right to head and/or box any advertisement bearing confusing resemblance to California State University, Los Angeles ...... 6 editorial content. Incantato Tours ...... 15 Advertisement dimensions listed below are examples; World Projects ...... 9 rates are charged by actual dimensions. For example, 1/3 page is listed at 2.5”x10” but can be any simple rectangle with total area equal to 25 square inches. Advertising Rates Music is an outburst of the soul. Size ...... Single Annual 1/6 page (2.5”x5”) ...... $55 $110 1/4 page (3.75”x5”)...... $75 $150 Frederick Delius 1/3 page (2.5”x10” or 3.33”x7.5”)...... $95 $190 English composer, 19th century 1/2 page (3.75”x10” or 5”x7.5”)...... $140 $280 2/3 page (5”x10” or 6.67”x7.5”)...... $190 $380 Full page (7.5”x10”) ...... $275 $550

2 California ACDA • Winter 2009 FROM THE PRESIDENT Looking Back...Moving Forward

By the time you read this, the madness of the it all happen: Genevieve Sagi-Tep (Coastal), Liz holiday season will be but a pleasant memory. But Hodgdon (Central), and Tammi Alderman and oh, the stress most of us go through whilst in the Rodger Guerrero (Southern/SCVA). These people throes of December concertizing! Here is a brief put in countless hours of planning, leg-work, and update of California ACDA events: coordination to produce these events successfully. KEN ABRAMS [email protected] We presented our first Regional Conferences Many of the students who sang in the Regional in late November at three sites—San Francisco, Honor Choirs will now be eligible to participate in PRESIDENT Fresno, and Santa Monica, with participation the California All-State Honor Choir. This www.acdacal.org totaling more than 250, featuring headliners Vance year’s event will be held in Pasadena on March George, Mark Hayes, and Jo-Michael Scheibe. 26-28, and you can learn more about it on page 5. Each venue also had a pool of talented and capable Finally, our state membership has seen a surge directors who assisted and presented their own of more than 60 new members in the past months! interest and reading sessions. There are too many With all that has been happening with the people to list in this article, but I want to give a big economy, it is a pleasant surprise to see so many thank you to everyone who shared their expertise colleagues finding value in their participation with and techniques with us. ACDA. The California ACDA board will continue In tandem with the conferences were the to encourage new members and to identify Regional Honor Choirs. Feedback from all three activities and events that our members value. events was extremely positive in regards to the Thanks for all of your support for a successful quality of both the conductors and the singers. 2008, and I look forward to working with each of Kudos to each of the regional planners who made you this coming year. ♦

California ACDA • Winter 2009 3 4 California ACDA • Winter 2009 CALIFORNIA HONOR CHOIRS Iris Levine and Joe Miller Headline 2009 All-State Honor Choirs

A commissioned work written for the Mixed 2008 REGIONAL HONOR CHOIRS All-State Honor Choir by Frank Ticheli, “Best honor choirs’ performance I’ve heard in professor of composition at the Thornton School SHIRLEY NUTE years.” of Music at the University of Southern California, [email protected] “Singers were extremely well-prepared.” will be premiered at the concert. There will be 113 schools from throughout the state of California ALL-STATE “Both conductors were excellent.” represented. HONOR CHOIRS Dr. Iris Levine will conduct www.acdacal.org/ “No doubt all choral programs from which the honorchoirs.htm singers came benefited from their participation the Women’s All-State Honor in this honor choir experience.” Choir. Nationally recognized for her excellence in choral conducting, Dr. Levine is These are just a few of the comments heard department chair and professor regarding the 2008 Regional Honor Choir of music at California State weekend rehearsals and performances in Polytechnic University in November. We are greatly indebted to Regional Pomona. She is founder and Honor Choir chairpersons Genevieve Sagi-Tep, artistic director of Vox Femina, Los Angeles’ Liz Hodgdon, Tammi Alderman, and Rodger premiere women’s chorus. Dr. Levine is the Guerrero for the many hours spent in providing a Artistic Director for the Master Chorus at Stephen most memorable singing experience for the S. Wise Temple, where her choral arrangements hundreds of singers participating. are often performed. She is the Western Division 2009 ALL-STATE HONOR CHOIR Chair of the ACDA Repertoire and Standards Committee for Women’s Choirs and is highly The 2009 All-State Honor Choir singers will be sought as guest clinician and adjudicator for choral gathering in Pasadena on March 26-28. Their festivals throughout the country. performance will be held in the Pasadena First Presbyterian Church on Saturday afternoon. Dr. Joe Miller will conduct the Mixed All-State Honor Choir. Dr. Miller is conductor of two of America’s most Celebrating renowned choral ensembles: the 32-voice Westminster Our Choir and the 200-voice Westminster Symphonic Choir. As director of choral 50th Year! activities at Westminster Choir College of Rider University in Princeton, New Jersey, he oversees an extensive choral program that includes eight ensembles. Guest conductor for numerous all-state and honor choirs, this season Dr. Miller will conduct the Florida ACDA All- 2009 ACDA National State Honor Choir and the ACDA Western Division High School Honor Choir. He also served Convention as Headliner for the 2008 Ohio Choral Directors Summer Conference. OKLAHOMA CITY All information regarding the 2009 All-State Honor Choir schedules, rehearsal sites, and hotel MARCH 4-7, 2009 reservation procedure will be posted at www.acdacal.org, the California ACDA webpage. www.acdaonline.org ♦

California ACDA • Winter 2009 5

6 California ACDA • Winter 2009 Mark Teeters Named a California Teacher of the Year

SACRAMENTO — November 13, 2008 Instruction Jack O’Connell made State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack the final decision. O’Connell today named five remarkable educators “There is overwhelming as California Teachers of the Year for 2009. These evidence that music improves extraordinary educators were selected from an academic performance and exceptional field of highly qualified and equally provides a creative outlet for dedicated educators. teenagers,” says Mr. Teeters. One of them is California ACDA member “Music has always had the power Mark Teeters, who teaches choral music at to make languages, culture, and Vintage High School in the Napa Valley Unified history come alive in ways School District (Napa County). unrivaled by any textbook. Our “Mark Teeters has opened up the world to his kids have sung in at least twenty students through music and through travel,” different languages from O’Connell said. “He has shown them the amazing Hungarian to Hebrew. Classroom power of music that can be seen in both academic discussion on the texts of songs and social development and should always be a has opened students’ hearts and part of the educational experience. It is a medium minds to the beauty of poetry…music operates in of communication and expression all children not just the factual realm, but also in an emotional should acquire.” one. In a time when many teenagers are The awardees underwent a three-phase disaffected at home, alienated or separated from selection process that included a review of their adults and sometimes even from their peers, music submitted essays, site visits to their classrooms, connects them in real ways.” ♦ and an interview. State Superintendant of Public — WITH MATERIAL FROM THE CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

FROM THE WEBMASTER Tapping into the Message Board

Have you taken a look at the Message Board on Another member is offering free choir robes for the California ACDA website? I must confess that anyone in need. There is also an announcement for I’m so busy with maintaining the website and with a Children’s Choir Festival in April 2009. working my choral music program, that I don’t The Message Board has great potential that often look there. I see the home page several times we’ve yet to tap into. It can be a valuable resource MARK ALBERSTEIN [email protected] a day, but the Message Board is a whole other for choral directors who need a bit of mentoring. thing. You have to click down one level to get Questions about literature, performance practice, WEBMASTER there, and it just doesn’t occur to me that often. and choir management are just a few of the www.acdacal.org The message board is a unique part of our potential topics for discussion. It can be a clearing website, because the content there is contributed house for sharing literature, and we can post links directly by the members. Unless I check it from to needed resources. Can you imagine how helpful time to time, I have no idea what’s available there. it would be for anyone whose message begins with So, this morning I took a look. “I’m trying to find...”? The first thing I noticed is that there is some I’d like to encourage us all to avail ourselves of activity there, but not a lot. Members are posting the Message Board. Not only will it be a help to messages at the rate of two or three per month. everyone who uses it, but it can also build our The next thing I noticed was that quite a few of the sense of community. Those who are already messages there have relevance and time-value. posting there have something they want to Currently, one member is looking for roommates communicate to us, but if we don’t check the for his National Honor Choir student (male). board from time to time, they go unheard. ♦

California ACDA • Winter 2009 7

8 California ACDA • Winter 2009 REGIONAL REPRESENTATIVES Central Coast News

Despite the circumstances facing our nation and the amount of negative news we receive daily, music continues to be a valued “constant” in the lives of many of our young people. There has never been a more important time for our society to experience the beauty and power of the choral JO ANNE art. Choral directors on the central coast rarely see each STODDARD other except for those occasional state conferences. [email protected] Nonetheless, we are all working diligently to ensure that we CENTRAL COAST provide many musical opportunities for our students. www.acdacal.org/ The Central Coast Men’s Choir Clinic was held on centralcoast.htm October 3 at Templeton High School. Dan Earl, our guest clinician from Santa Rosa, again shared his passion, talent, and infectious energy with young men from our region. The day was spent refining three pieces and strengthening individual vocal technique. San Luis Obispo High School, Paso Robles High School, Templeton High School, Flamson Middle School, and Templeton Middle School were represented. It is wonderful to experience the camaraderie and enthusiasm created when so many young men join forces to make music. Our 5th Annual Central Coast Men’s Clinic will be held Friday, October 2, 2009, at Templeton High School. Gary Lamprecht will be our guest clinician. Please save the date! Chanticleer will be sponsoring a high school festival/ clinic on Tuesday, February 17, 2009, at Templeton High School. This is the first time that Chanticleer has outreached to the high schools in our local area. We hope it becomes an annual event. Information and registration forms are being sent to all area high schools. If you would like to participate in this festival, please contact me at [email protected]. I am also organizing a Women’s Festival to be run much like the Men’s Clinic. Many of my female singers have watched the enthusiasm and growth experienced by the guys in previous years and felt neglected. This year I promised them we would organize a similar event “just for the girls”! I am very excited that Iris Levine from CSU Pomona has agreed to be our guest clinician at the 1st Annual Central Coast Women’s Choir Clinic to be held on Friday, February 27, 2009, at Templeton High School. We will be selecting three pieces for all participants to become somewhat familiar with prior to the clinic. During the day, we will be working on those pieces so that each school could go back to their school and perform one (or more) of those pieces at a concert or festival in the spring. As is the case with the fall Men’s Clinic, there are no performances, ratings, or pressure of any sort. The purpose is to learn as much as we can about our voices and to experience the joys of choral music that are so difficult to express in words! Contact me for more information. Flyers and registration forms were sent in the beginning of December. ♦

California ACDA • Winter 2009 9 REPERTOIRE & STANDARDS Try a Choir Retreat This Winter

Each year I take my Chamber Choir on a PURPOSES retreat in September. We spend two-and-a-half • Team Building days at a great camp in the woods singing, climbing over walls, crossing rope bridges, • Goal Setting TAMMI ALDERMAN playing games, and singing. I choose to focus this • Rehearsal talderman@ time on goal-setting and team-building for a group falconchoir.org WHEN TO GO that will spend an exorbitant amount of hours • Before School Starts—Great for getting to SENIOR HIGH together during the month of December. You have know one another & some basic team-building to learn to love one another to see past your SCHOOL CHOIRS • Early in the Year/September or October— differences during caroling season. www.acdacal.org/ Great for setting goals for the year, developing high.htm This January, I am changing my tactics. I am trust and in-depth team building taking the same group to a church basement. We • Mid-Year/Winter—Great for becoming are going to make our own meals, and focus on re-acquainted with each others’ strengths, music—really focus. The plan is to teach them all renews energy of group members those things about their pieces that I usually just • End of Year/May or June—Great for assessing mention during rehearsal. I’d like them to truly the year and fun/relaxation; this should only be understand the when, why, and who of the music, done in conjunction with an earlier retreat the texts, and the composers. If you’ve never taken your students on a TEAM-BUILDING IDEAS retreat, I highly suggest doing so. If this winter is (These are different than ice-breakers.) not possible, start looking into next fall. The • www.wilderdom.com/games musical benefits are priceless, and the • www.teampedia.net relationships built between you and your students • www.group-games.com will make your time together more valuable. I’ve • Challenge Course (if available at the location) listed some basic retreat ideas below. Feel free to contact me if you have any questions about what I GOAL SETTING IDEAS do or would like more resources for new ideas. • Group goals (from group, from individuals) • Individual goals per person • Section goals (from sections or individuals) Repertoire & Standards • Your goals for the group or individuals The fourteen national Repertoire & • Choose carefully what is shared aloud Standards (R&S) Committees provide support, REHEARSAL IDEAS vision, and resources for every major area of • Great time for sectionals choral work in ACDA. • Bring in a voice teacher to give sections/groups R&S Chairpersons, appointed at the national, mini master-classes division, and state levels, serve members who • Rehearse in as many different spaces as share similar interests by providing resources possible (outside, inside, stairwells, sitting, that promote excellence in the performance of standing, in the dark, in circles, in partners) choral music: • You may need to bring electric keyboards with • Leadership you, depending on your facility. I always have • Information one for each section. • Networking REMEMBER TO HAVE • Excellence among colleagues • Pencils (bring extra, they’ll forget) • Professional growth • Paper (for goal setting or activities) • Choral music in the lives of people • Pitch Pipe(s) These are the people you should call if you • Blindfolds, rope, yarn, and other game materials have questions about your particular area of music. See inside back cover or • Water, cough drops www.acdacal.org for contact information. ♦ • An open mind and a great attitude ♦

10 California ACDA • Winter 2009 REPERTOIRE & STANDARDS Paul Salamunovich Shares

It will be the end of an era. today’s choir directors have only After sixty years directing the one thought process.” He went on music at St. Charles Borromeo in to explain that many of our North , Paul universities have only one style or Salamunovich will step down concept of choral music-making ANNA HAMRE [email protected] when the church starts its and that their graduates pursue renovation probably late this that notion as if it were “the rule COLLEGE & coming spring. Part of the of law.” One of the “great UNIVERSITY failings,” he lamented, is incredibly rich 20th-century scene CHOIRS that included Howard Swan, neglecting to create a tonal www.acdacal.org/ Charles Hirt, , and quality that is appropriate for college.htm , Salamunovich was the literature being performed. an eyewitness to and participant What was his recommendation? in what he considers the “Golden “Spend more time listening to all Age of Choral Music” that started in 1937-1938. kinds of groups all over the country.” Of course, He recently spoke of the earlier state of choral he pointed out, the convention performances are music. “You know, I love to listen to those early useful, but the rehearsals are even more valuable. recordings. But they aren’t that good.” Choirs a “Observe as many different styles of conducting century ago simply did not perform at the level of as possible. Get into discussions with your orchestras. He explained how delighted Bruno colleagues.” Walter and were when the choirs He spoke of this fall’s Thanksgiving he prepared for them could match the quality of observance at St. Charles Borromeo with the the instrumental ensembles. excitement of a beginning choral director. He As a young man he developed nodules, which listed the musical selections and their organization pushed him out of singing and into conducting. into a religious service that builds to a climax His success, he believed, was his ability to get a leaving the congregation cheering. Those cheers group to sing like he could sing when he was resonate throughout our choral community in younger. Now we have “perfected choral music!” thanks for a legacy left by Paul Salamunovich and he exclaimed. “And we are constantly improving”! the other masters, many who honed their art in our When pressed for his suggestions for today’s state. ♦ directors, he said, “I’m very concerned that

NEWS FROM THE CMEA CHORAL REPRESENTATIVE CMEA Middle School Honor Choir Debuts

Plans for the first annual CMEA Middle music from the University of Northern Colorado in School Honor Choir are coming along very well. Greeley, and a DMA in choral literature and The committee accepted eighty-two fine young performance from the University of Colorado in singers in grades six through nine from a large Boulder. She has selected a varied program number of taped auditions. including Steven Hatfield’s “Jabula Jesu,” the CHRISTOPHER W. This exciting event will take place during the “Credo” from Haydn’s Lord Nelson Mass, Julie PETERSON CMEA In-Service Conference on March 12-14, Knowles’ arrangement of “Danny Boy,” and Rollo [email protected] 2009 in Ontario. The conductor will be Dr. Anna Dilworth’s “Shine On Me,” among others. CMEA CHORAL Hamre, Director of Choral Activities at Please go to the CMEA honor choirs website at REPRESENTATIVE CSU Fresno. She holds the BA degree in vocal www.calmusiced.com/honorgrps.htm for more and instrumental music education from Augustana information. Feel free also to contact me with your College, Sioux Falls, SD, the MM degree in choral ideas or questions about the honor choir. ♦

California ACDA • Winter 2009 11 REPERTOIRE & STANDARDS Tips for Making Your Choir Musical Stolen gems from around the choral world

TONE INTERPRETATION “You do not sing as you talk any more than you “Squeeze the fruit. Let its juice drip out.” run like you walk.” • Let no note go un-nurtured JEFF SEAWARD • Posture provides the opportunity for resonance • Never sing the same thing the same way twice [email protected] • It don’t mean a thing if it ain’t got that ring! • Each note should desire to go the next one • Resonance is volume • Lines should pull like scarves from a TWO-YEAR • Keep the soft palate raised with the brightening magician’s coat pocket COLLEGE CHOIRS of the eyes • Dynamics – contrasts explore ranges of www.acdacal.org/ • Sing with a mature quality dynamics twoyear.htm • The inspiration is in the inhalation: “inspirare” • Style • Breath support, breath management • Relationship of phrase and text • Spin the tone • Energize phrases • Facial expressions can improve tone and • Intensity and volume of a phrase grows or intonation diminishes during rests • Color your vowel sounds to fit the text, style, • Give every note its FULL life (birth, school, and genre marriage, grandparent, death) • Keep eyebrows and bottoms up • Melody must always be present; back off and allow the melody to be highlighted • Physical movement can be a catalyst for RHYTHM musical movement “Movement creates musicality; musicality lies in • Don’t sing the notes, sing the line our physical movements. The rhythm of the piece • Lighten the vowel to fit the tempo and re- should be internalized.” pronounce with clarity • Make the release of one phrase the springboard • Rhythmic integrity into the next • Attacks and releases • Consonants in front of the beat, vowel on the beat COMMUNICATION • Breathe – Sing “Enjoy the music. Sing the meaning of the text. • Cross-listen Provide an experience, rather than perform music.” • Buoyancy • Inform your face! • Music begins in the human experience of the INTONATION poet “Unification of vowel sounds is the single-most • Sing with a performer’s mentality: become a important factor that influences intonation.” character, sell that character • Don’t break my prayer • The sharper the dissonance, the freer the • Think of a way you can relate to the song then consonance apply it to the music • The beauty is in the dissonance (without • Paint a picture with your body, face, and voice conflict, there is no resolution) • Know word-for-word translations • Suspensions • Color • Balance • Use of silence • Cross-listen • Create beauty • We should use our ears more, mouths less! • Tell the stor • Become the music DICTION (Continued on page 13) “Elegance through syllabic stress” • Buy in to ALL consonants • Sing the language and not the notes • Dynamic contrast and linguistic expressiveness • Articulation – space between notes www.acdacal.org

12 California ACDA • Winter 2009

¾ Tips…

(Continued from page 12)

MOTIVATION “Ask for more!” • Positive reinforcement • Build relationships • Listen to your singers’ point of view • Model what you want • Refuse to accept poor performance • Consistent discipline builds pride and esprit de corps among students • The team effort results in a product that is much greater than the sum of its parts • Get out of their way

CHOOSE THE RIGHT LITERATURE “You must love it!” • Music must fit the abilities and personalities of your choir • Choose literature of integrity • Be flexible and creative • Show off your strong points • Take risks

ATTENTION IS IN THE DETAIL “No detail is too small.” • Outfits, uniforms • People hear what they see • Riser etiquette and placement • Create depth and utilize more of the stage during a performance • Acoustic considerations • Showering and deodorant help!

OWNERSHIP “You are responsible for every single note.” • Know, not only your own part, but others as well • Listen more and do not rely on the conductor so much • Keep your focus! • Go over my music alone! • “I will clear my mind of all external thoughts and dive into the music” • Become one with the piece • Put all your energy into what you are singing ♦

California ACDA • Winter 2009 13 REPERTOIRE & STANDARDS Vocal Jazz Nuts and Bolts

Seasons greetings to my fellow ACDA 2. Personnel—Voicing and balance issues members. I am your new Vocal Jazz R&S Chair, • Double the inside voices. It’s difficult to blend but I feel more like the prodigal son of the high sopranos, and there should be one lead. California ACDA board, having missed both my Hard to double low basses on a mic. I like inner OHN NUTSON J K favorite summer music event, the California harmony. [email protected] ACDA Summer Conference at ECCO (I was in • Mics can fix all the balance issues. Only one JAZZ CHOIRS France with my Cuesta College Chamber Singers), tenor or bass?—turn up his mic. Six amazing www.acdacal.org/ and the California ACDA Regional Conference. altos? Turn down their mics. Voila! jazz.htm I was presenting at the Music Association for California Community Colleges (MACCC) 3. Microphones Conference in San Diego while the Regional Microphones for balance, color, and percussion Conferences were held. I miss you all, and can’t • Important to rehearse on mic. Mics are wait to see more of you at upcoming conventions necessary for the coloring of jazz and vocal and at ECCO! presence (warmth/breath). A short introduction for those of you who don’t • Some chords can only be balanced with mics. know me: I grew up in Minnesota, and studied • Enhanced percussive effect of consonants and piano at the University of Minnesota. After living vocal percussion. in New York City for three years, I studied vocal jazz with Phil Mattson, and then choral conducting An Apology for Microphones with Dr. Edith Copley at Northern Arizona Microphones present a wonderful opportunity University, where I received my master’s degree. for you and your students to learn acoustic I’ve been at Cuesta College in San Luis Obispo for principals. Find someone to help you EQ the the past seven years, where I teach two choirs, two mics so that the sound is accurate and natural. vocal jazz groups, and music theory. I also sing Singers can learn about sound frequency, pitch with Vocalogy, a vocal group based in Long fundamentals, and partials. Second, your Beach. We have performed at several ACDA singers will get a much more accurate sense of events—most recently the 2008 ACDA Eastern the sound that they are creating. Microphones Division Conference in Hartford, Connecticut. amplify the good and the bad. The mic will Since we missed each other at the recent hold your singers to a higher standard, while Regional Conference, I thought I’d include here offering them wonderful (read: loud) rewards! the transcript of my recent MACCC presentation. 4. How to teach improv skills (scat) and It was a Nuts and Bolts kind of workshop. There ear-training might be a piece in here that is helpful to you or • Repeat rhythmic phrases on one note and might stir you to thinking. Feel free to drop me a change only when the underlying chord line and let me know what you think. dictates so. SOME NUTS AND BOLTS • Learn how to hear and sing the roots of the chord in the progression 1. Auditions I do a regular choral audition—range, tone, • Exercise: Scat on whole/half/quarter/eighth. control, pitch, register blend, tonal memory. • Hold chords, have students build them up from Then I assign a 48-hour take-home excerpt, the root (play the root on piano if the chord is a usually a very difficult soli, e.g. “Stella By rootless voicing). Have students trade parts so Starlight,” arr. Phil Mattson. Each singer sings they can all learn what it “feels like” to sing a this a cappella, solo, on a microphone, in 7th, 13th, 3rd, #5, etc. public. No jazz improv, no solo tune. You’ll • On challenging fragments: Have students play get a good understanding of their rhythmic the parts on piano while singing their part. sensitivity when they do their choral and take- READ: Vocal Improvisation, by Michele Weir. home auditions. If I don’t end up with students Advance Music. who are interested in improvisation, then I program less repertoire that requires (Continued on page 15) improvisation.

14 California ACDA • Winter 2009

¾ Nuts and Bolts

(Continued from page 14)

5. Rhythm section • The biggest challenge for the vocal director. Jazz/funk/R&B/ pop/Latin drums and bass are not easy concepts to master. Takes lots of time and focused listening. Sing along with the drummer and bassist—vocal percussion, vocal bass (fun!) • Listen to recordings while you follow a rhythm section part. • Important to understand how the band reads their charts. This way you can edit their charts, and suggest ways for them to realize the notation. There are a limited number of fills and set-ups. Learn a few per semester—don’t let it overwhelm you. Learn along with your rhythm section students. They probably already know a lot from their jazz band experience. READ: Rhythm Section Workshop: For All Directors. By Shelly Berg, Lou Fischer, Fred Hamilton, and Steve Houghton. Alfred Publishing. 6. Sound systems Save money with $79 Shure SM-58s. Spend money to get a system with lots of EQ capability. Parametric EQs (at least 2, 3 or 4 ideally) on each channel, plus a graphic EQ for monitor speakers and another for the main speakers. Spend a lot on the speakers. Active speakers are all the rage now. Favorite speaker: JBL PRX512M Typical sound system: • 16-channel board (Mackie, Yamaha, Allen & Heath) • 2 “active” main speakers (Mackie or JBL) • 5 “active” monitors (Mackie, JBL, EAW) • 16-channel snake (Conquest Sound) • 2 Graphic equalizers (one for mains, one for monitors) • Reverb unit • Compressor (eliminates sudden peaks of sound) • CD player ♦

www.acdacal.org The California ACDA Website

Resources ● Event Dates ● Registration Forms

California ACDA • Winter 2009 15

FOR SOUTHERN REPRESENTATIVE California ACDA’s A two-year term. annual elections are upon us! The 2009 elections include our new President-Elect as well as regional representatives from the Southern, Central, and Bay Area regions. RODGER GUERRERO MICHAEL SHORT Rodger Guerrero has Michael Short has been Candidate bios and conducted choirs at all levels the Director of Choral photos follow. A for over twenty-two years. In Activities at Orange High separate mailing his eighth year at Harvard- School since the spring of Westlake School in North 1982. He holds a bachelor with ballots, bios, Hollywood, he conducts the degree and a masters degree and photos will be Bel Canto, Chamber Singers, in Choral Conducting. sent to California Jazz Singers, and Wolverine In February of 2002 he ACDA members in Chorus. received the “Bravo Award” He holds a BA and MM in from the Los Angeles Music the spring. Choral Conducting. He has Center for excellence in music conducted high school choirs, education as an arts specialist. Please acquaint children’s choirs, and In 2003/04 he was named yourself with our collegiate vocal ensembles, “Teacher of the Year” for candidates. Each and he has worked with all Orange Unified School would make a fine styles of church choirs. District and Runner up for He has performed in six Orange County Department of addition to our state different ACDA conventions Education teacher of the year. board. and conducted at two ACDA From 1990-1993 he served Western Division as the ACDA High School Your vote counts! Conventions and at the 2005 Honor Choirs Chair, and he ACDA National Convention. has served on the board of the Let us hear from you He is the SCVA vice SCVA. He was the in 2009! ♦ president in charge of the “Convention Properties” chair Southern California High for the 2008 ACDA Western School Honor Choirs. He has Division Convention in previously served as the Anaheim. SCVA vice president for the He is the director and Vocal Solo Competition, the founder of the Orange CMEA Central Section Board Community Master Chorale Secretary, and the California and Director of Music at the ACDA Choral Representative First United Methodist for the state CMEA Board. He Church of Orange. He is also has also become a regular the district department adjudicator for SCVA Choral chairman of Secondary Vocal JULIE DANA Festivals. Music for Orange Unified

Elections 2009 [email protected] He has served as the School District. Since April Director of Pastoral Music at 2004, he has served as the VICE PRESIDENT Choral Director for Santiago www.acdacal.org Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church in Hollywood for nine Canyon College. ♦ years. ♦ 16 California ACDA • Winter 2009

FOR CENTRAL REPRESENTATIVE FOR BAY AREA REPRESENTATIVE A two-year term. A two-year term.

HEATHER BISHOP TONY MOWRER LOU DE LA ROSA BRUCE C. Heather Bishop is the Tony Mowrer is an Lou De La Rosa is the LENGACHER choir director and department Assistant Professor of Music Director of Choral Activities Bruce C. Lengacher has chair of performing arts at at CSU Fresno, specializing in at West Valley College in received a Bachelor of Music Clovis North High School and choral music education. This Saratoga. He has taught music Education and a Master of she is also the California is his second year at CSU in San Jose for 24 years, 13 of Arts in Education. ACDA Central Region Fresno, following 27 years of which were at Abraham He in his tenth year as the Representative. teaching at the high school Lincoln High School, where Director of Choral Activities She served as the Choral and college levels. he served as chairman of both at Acalanes High School. He Representative for Fresno/ He holds a baccalaureate the music and performing arts has been the general/ Madera County Music degree in music, a master’s in departments. He was named classroom music and the Educators, and has served as music history, and a doctorate Teacher of the Year at Pioneer choral representative for the California ACDA’s R&S in music education. High School in 1991, again at Bay Section of the CMEA Chair for Women’s Choirs. Immediately prior to his Lincoln High School in 2002, and is a member of ACDA She holds a bachelor of appointment at CSU Fresno, and received an Outstanding and MENC. Teacher Award from the music in piano performance He was the choir director at He has worked with Lincoln Foundation in 2002. and received her Single Yosemite High School, in Ragazzi Boys Chorus, the Subject Clear Credential. She Oakhurst, CA. During the five He has received a BA in Peninsula Girls Chorus, and has taught elementary music years he was there, the choir Voice and an MA in Choral Piedmont Choirs. His choirs and children’s choirs. program grew 30 percent and Conducting. have performed in England, She was the recipient of his choirs routinely received He served on the CMEA France, Switzerland, Canada the Eunice Skinner Award in high ratings in regional Bay Section Board for eight and Mexico as well as many Fresno/Madera County 2001 festivals. Several of his years. He has hosted National Invitational and 2006, for Choral Music students were selected to numerous CMEA choral and Festivals. They have received Education. She was named participate in division and solo/ensemble festivals. Lou superior ratings at CMEA Teacher of the Year at Clovis national ACDA Honor is presently an adjudicator for choral festivals and national West High School in 2003 Choirs. CMEA Bay Section and and international festival and received a special District He is a member of the Heritage Festivals. appearances. “Innovator Award” for work ACDA, MENC, and He is a life member of He has studied with she has done to enhance the FMCMEA, and is the higher ACDA and has been active Robert Shaw, Rodney choral program and increase education representative for since 1982. He served as site Eichenberger, and Byron enrollment. the CMEA Central Section. host for the 1999 Coastal McGilvray. Her choirs have received He is active as a clinician and Region Honor Choirs, and He is a composer/arranger, top honors nationally. The adjudicator and has done was organizer and site host for a clinician, and a founding Clovis West Women’s significant research in the 2000 Coastal Region member of The Choral Chorale, under her direction, advocacy for the arts. In Honor Choirs. Lou presented Project. ♦ performed at the ACDA addition to his duties at CSU “Teaching Sight Reading” at Western Division Convention Fresno, he serves as the choir the 2008 California ACDA in Las Vegas. She has director at the College Summer Conference. accompanied for numerous Community Mennonite He would be honored to honor choirs including several Brethren Church in Clovis. ♦ serve the Bay Area on the California all-states. ♦ California ACDA board. ♦ More Election Materials ► California ACDA • Winter 2009 17

FOR PRESIDENT-ELECT A six-year term: two as President-Elect, two as President, and two as Vice-President.

MARY JONATHAN BREDEN TALBERG Mary Breden is Director Jonathan Talberg serves of Choral Activities and as Director of Choral, Chair of the Department of Vocal, and Opera Studies at Music at Loyola the Bob Cole Conservatory Marymount University in of Music at CSU Long Los Angeles. She has also Beach, where he is music taught in both the choral and music education director of the University and Chamber Choirs, programs at San Jose State University, the and he oversees the very respected and large University of Texas at Austin, and Holy Family undergraduate voice program. High School in Glendale, California. Ensembles under his baton have toured the At Loyola Marymount she supervises the United States and the world. He has conducted choral conducting concentration, teaching such at the Music Educator’s National Conference courses as choral conducting and choral regional honor choir on two occasions, at the methods. Under her leadership, the LMU 2008 ACDA Western Division Convention, at Concert Choir, Women’s Chorus, and Consort numerous all-state choir concerts, and Singers have appeared in performances throughout Europe and Asia. In constant throughout California, as well as New York demand as a guest conductor, he has worked City, Boston, Portland, Seattle, Tucson, and with all levels of singers—from elementary to Phoenix. Under her leadership, the ensembles professional—throughout the United States and have also appeared on two ACDA Western Europe. He has prepared choirs for the Division conventions. They performed with Cincinnati Symphony, the Long Beach Michael Crawford in his PBS special and as a Symphony Orchestra, the Los Angeles Master part of his national tour during the summer of Chorale, the Pacific Symphony, and the 1998. Pasadena Pops. Active as a choral clinician, adjudicator, He is also the music director of First and guest conductor, she is a past president of Congregational Church of Los Angeles, where the ACDA Western Division. Other ACDA he also serves as director of the Los Angeles services have included Division R&S Chair for Bach Festival. He is music director of the Women’s Choirs (representing the Western and 60-voice Camerata Singers of Long Beach. Southwestern Divisions), editor of the Prior to his appointment at CSULB in 2000, California state newsletter, and member of he served as conducting assistant to the several Western Division convention steering Cincinnati Symphony and the Cincinnati Pops committees. She has volunteered on the and as principal choral conductor at Arrowbear Education and Community Outreach Music Camp. Before graduate school, he was a Committee for the Los Angeles Master Chorale high school choral director in Orange County and has been a member of CMEA, SCVA, and at the Los Angeles County High School for MENC, the National Collegiate Choral the Arts. A five-year member of the California Organization, the International Federation of ACDA board, he holds the position of Youth Choral Music, and Chorus America. and Student Activities Chair. He is an editor at Mary Breden received her MM and DMA Pavane Music Publishing, where a choral series degrees in Choral Music from Arizona State is published under his name. University, where she studied conducting with He earned his BM in Choral Conducting Douglas McEwen. She also studied with Paul from Chapman University and his MM and Salamunovich while in undergraduate studies DMA in Choral Conducting from the

Elections 2009 at Mount St. Mary’s College in Los Angeles, University of Cincinnati’s College- and was, for several years, his accompanist Conservatory of Music. He completed a post- with the choruses at Loyola Marymount doctoral fellowship with the Cincinnati University. She stays active in choral singing Symphony Orchestra, Cincinnati Pops, and the as a member of the St. Charles Borromeo May Festival Chorus. ♦ Church Choir in North Hollywood. ♦ 18 California ACDA • Winter 2009

EXECUTIVE BOARD President REGIONAL Ken Abrams REPRESENTATIVES 41 Picardy Court Walnut Creek CA 94597 Bay Area 925-939-7562 home OPEN 925-552-3041 office Please contact Ken Abrams for [email protected] your needs. (see left) [email protected] REPERTOIRE & STANDARDS CHAIRPERSONS

President-Elect Boys’ Choirs Middle School & Central Travis Rogers Joyce Keil Junior High School Choirs Heather Bishop 112 Moss Lane 729 Sequoia Avenue Linda Lovaas 10283 North Sterling Lane Napa CA 94558 San Mateo, CA 94403 707 South Emerald Avenue Fresno CA 93720 707-256-3488 home 650-358-0702 home Modesto CA 95351 559-434-6136 home 707-253-3705 office 650-342-8785 office 209-522-6115 559-327-5449 office [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] Children’s Choirs Music in Worship Central Coast Vice President Beth Klemm Doug Albertson Jo Anne Stoddard Julie Dana 1008 Acorn Drive 2380 Murdock Drive 2295 Alice Place 610 East Pine Avenue Arroyo Grande CA 93420 Santa Rosa CA 95404 Paso Robles CA 93446 Fresno CA 93728 805-481-1189 home 707-544-3002 home 805-237-8042 home 559-233-3887 805-460-2500 office 707-545-3863 office 805-434-5845 office 559-442-4600 x8465 [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] College & University Choirs Show Choirs Executive Secretary Anna Hamre Tony Atienza Far South California ACDA Office 34279 Old Mill Road 1748 Bristol Court Nancy Gray Jan Lanterman Auberry CA 93602 Bonita CA 91902 12713 Briarwood Place 2348 Clay Street 559-855-8747 home 619-788-7167 Poway CA 92064-2644 Napa CA 94559 559-278-2539 office [email protected] 858-748-7345 home 707-255-4662 home [email protected] 707-255-8012 ACDA office 858-748-0245 x5155 office Senior High School Choirs [email protected] [email protected] Community Choirs Tammi Alderman [email protected] David Scholz 2630 Huntington Drive Unit F Music Department Duarte CA 91010 Northern EVENTS CHAIRS CSU Chico 970-988-5193 home Gavin Spencer 400 W Second Street 818-249-5871 x3105 office 4687 Nantucket Drive All-State Honor Choir Chair Chico CA 95929 [email protected] Redding CA 96001 Shirley Nute 530-588-5231 cell 530-242-9022 home Two-Year College Choirs 937 Cornell Drive 530-898-6127 office 530-241-4161 office Jeff Seaward Burbank CA 91504 [email protected] [email protected] 20800 Avenue 352 818-845-2683 Ethnic & Multicultural Woodlake CA 93286 [email protected] Southern Perspectives 559-564-6149 home John Tebay Regional Honor Choir Chairs OPEN 559-730-3871 543 Loyola Drive [email protected] CENTRAL Placentia CA 92870

Elizabeth Hodgdon 714-996-9991 home Women’s Choirs [email protected] 714-992-7303 office Karen Garrett

[email protected] 4130 Strandberg Street COASTAL Genevieve Sagi Tep Corona CA 92881 [email protected] Jazz Choirs 951-272-3432 home John Knutson 951-739-5600 x2109 office SOUTHERN (SCVA) COMMUNICATIONS PO Box 8106 [email protected] Rodger Guerrero San Luis Obispo CA 93403 [email protected] [email protected] Newsletter Editor (Cantate) 805-546-3100 x2667 Douglas Lynn Youth & Student Activities Summer Conference Chair [email protected] Dr. Jonathan Talberg Jo Anne Stoddard 1450 South Melrose Drive CSULB - Music 2295 Alice Place Oceanside CA 92056 Male Choirs Lori Marie Rios 1250 Bellflower Blvd Paso Robles CA 93446 760-758-4100 x140 2850 Montrose Avenue #22 Long Beach CA 90840 805-237-8042 home [email protected] La Crescenta CA 91214 562-985-5112 805-434-5845 office Website Coordinator 818-248-2803 home [email protected] [email protected] Mark Alberstein 818-952-4205 office [email protected] 332 East Ashland Avenue [email protected] Visalia CA 93277 [email protected] 559-623-1149 [email protected]

California ACDA • Winter 2009 19

PRSRT STD AUTO US Postage Paid California Chapter Riverside, CA American Choral Directors Association Permit 1645 c/o Douglas Lynn, Editor 1450 South Melrose Drive Oceanside, CA 92056