Cantate (Fall 2016)
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JOSHUA PALKKI ASSISTANT PROFESSOR OF VOCAL/CHORAL MUSIC EDUCATION BOB COLE CONSERVATORY OF MUSIC CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY, LONG BEACH After an exhaustive national search, the Bob Cole Conservatory of Music at California State University, Long Beach is thrilled to announce the appointment of Dr. Joshua Palkki as Director of Choral Music Education. Dr. Palkki received his Ph.D in music education (choral conducting cognate) from Michigan State University, where he received a university-wide award for his work on LGBTQ inclusion in choir. He was a finalist in the graduate division of the 2011 ACDA national conducting competition while earning a master’s degree in choral conducting at Northern Arizona University and he holds and an undergraduate degree in vocal/general music education from Ball State University. Dr. Palkki taught middle and high school choral music in California and Maryland, including time at Hoover Middle School and Lincoln High School in San José—two performing arts schools. He has presented at state and national research and practitioner conferences and his writing appears (or will appear shortly) in Journal of Music Theory Pedagogy, Journal of Research in Music Education, Research and Issues in Music Education, Research Studies in Music Education, and The Choral Journal. We welcome him to the Bob Cole Conservatory and we look forward to his involvement in the greater choral and music education communities in California. To contact Dr. Palkki, please see his full biography: 2 • CANTATE • VOL. 28, NO. 3 • FALL 2016 CALIFORNIA ACDA 5 | BEHIND THE MUSIC FROM THE PRESIDENT’S PEN · BY LOU DE LA ROSA 6 | VARIATIONS LETTER FROM THE EDITOR · BY ELIZA RUBENSTEIN 8 | I WAS GLAD....OR WAS I? A COMPOSER REFLECTS ON RELIGION · BY SHAWN KIRCHNER 11 | THE BEST GIFT THE COMPOSER’S VOICE · BY DALE TRUMBORE 12 | CONTEMPORARY A CAPPELLA: FIVE THINGS YOU MIGHT NOT KNOW BY DEKE SHARON 14 | CA-ACDA ELECTIONS: MEET THE CANDIDATES 16 | CA-ACDA MEMBERSHIP DRIVE AND NEW REPERTOIRE & RESOURCES AREAS BY LOU DE LA ROSA 18 | BE TRUE TO YOUR SCHOOL!: THE 2016 SUMMER CONFERENCE AT ECCO 21 | THE VOTE ON AFFILIATION Even the “wallflowers” had a great BY LOU DE LA ROSA time at our ecco Homecoming party! more photos on pages 18-19. 22 | CASMEC & CHORAL LEADERSHIP ACADEMY 25 | VISION FOR THE FUTURE SCHOLARSHIP FUND DONORS 26 | NEWS AND NOTES HAPPENINGS FROM AROUND THE STATE 29 | TOP FIVE: WOMEN’S CHOIRS BY TAMMI ALDERMAN 30 | TOP FIVE: MIDDLE SCHOOL & JUNIOR HIGH CHOIRS BY MOLLY PETERS 31 | TOP FIVE: JAZZ CHOIRS BY IAN BREKKE 33 | TOP FIVE: CHILDREN’S CHOIRS BY PEGGY SPOOL 34 | CALIFORNIA ACDA DIRECTORY LEADING THE WAY CANTATE • VOL. 28, NO. 3 • FALL 2016 • 3 CANTATE Volume 28, Number 3 Official publication of the California Chapter of the American WHEREAS, Choral Directors’ Association the human spirit is elevated to a broader understanding of itself Eliza Rubenstein, editor through study and performance in [email protected] the aesthetic arts, and WHEREAS, GUIDELINES FOR SUBMISSIONS serious cutbacks in funding and We welcome and encourage California ACDA support have steadily eroded state members to contribute articles, announcements, institutions and their programs music and book reviews, job vacancy listings, throughout our country, photographs, and other items of interest to Cantate! BE IT RESOLVED Please send queries and article ideas to that all citizens of the United [email protected]. You are also States actively voice their affirmative welcome to submit completed articles, but please and collective support for necessary note that not all articles received will be published. funding at the local, state, and national Deadlines for publication are as follows: levels of education and government, August 15 (Fall issue); November 1 to ensure the survival of arts programs (Winter issue); March 1 (Spring issue). for this and future generations. The editor reserves the right to edit all submissions. California ACDA members are encouraged to print this ACDA resolution in all programs. ADVERTISING IN CANTATE Please visit our website (WWW.ACDACAL.ORG) or e-mail us at [email protected] for 2016-17 EVENTS CALENDAR complete information on advertising in Cantate, including rates, deadlines, and graphics specifications. Advertisements are subject to editorial approval. CASMEC (CALIFORNIA ALL-STATE MUSIC EDUCATION CONFERENCE) On the cover: Members of the Mater Dei FEBRUARY 16-19, SAN JOSE High School choirs (Santa Ana, CA; Scott Melvin, director, and Amanda Bistolfo, associate director) ACDA NATIONAL CONFERENCE take a selfie during their 2016 tour of Italy. Photo by Steve Wylie (www.stevewyliephotography.com); MARCH 8-11, MINNEAPOLIS used with his kind permission. 4 • CANTATE • VOL. 28, NO. 3 • FALL 2016 CALIFORNIA ACDA From The president’s pen: Behind the music his past Spring and Summer was an • increasing membership through the Tincredibly active time for the California SingUp Membership Drive and the ACDA Board on an organizational level. sponsorship of new Student members. As I write this, I realize that it may seem like boring stuff, but it will make a tremendous ur new executive administrator, Kathleen difference to the future of this organization. OPreston, hit the ground running on LOU DE LA ROSA IS THE So read on! July 1 as she took over from Jan Lanterman. We spent three of our 14 hours at the July The transition went smoothly, thanks to the PRESIDENT OF CALIFORNIA Board meetings scrutinizing each line item goodwill of both women, as Kathleen learned ACDA AND THE of the proposed budget in order to reflect our about our organization from April through actual expenses and income. It was a grueling June. Kathleen has automated many of our DIRECTOR OF CHORAL meeting, but as a result, we feel confident processes, as you will notice, and at the AND VOCAL STUDIES going forward, and I’m pleased to report that suggestion of President-Elect Rob Istad, she’s the financial state of our chapter is good. now creating a membership database and a AT WEST VALLEY We have an operating budget in excess of questionnaire that will help us to better meet COLLEGE IN SARATOGA. $300,000 and a projected surplus of about your needs. The Executive Board ratified changes HE HAS TAUGHT MUSIC IN 10%. We are steadily building a reserve, which we will need assuming we become an to the frequency of board meetings to more THE SAN JOSE AREA FOR affiliate organization (see page 21). However, closely monitor the finances and programs of the growing organization. The full Board will MORE THAN 30 YEARS, we are simultaneously embarking on new endeavors, such as: meet at ECCO and in January; the Treasurer INCLUDING 13 YEARS AT will join these meetings. The President’s • the creation of the California ACDA Council will meet in January, March, July, and LINCOLN HIGH SCHOOL, State Conference at CASMEC, complete September (in conjunction with other ACDA with performing choirs, interest sessions, A VISUAL AND PERFORM- events to minimize expense). The Executive reading sessions, and All-State Honor Board will meet in October. ING ARTS SCHOOL. HE HAS Choirs performing in a beautiful acoustic The President’s Council (president, and visual setting; SERVED HIS PEERS THROUGH president-elect, vice-president, executive • the creation of a budgetary line-item for administrator) met prior to the ECCO Board NUMEROUS PROFESSIONAL an annual commission for the All-State meetings to set plans for the last year of my ORGANIZATIONS. LOU FEELS Honor Choirs; term and prepare for the as yet undetermined LUCKY TO BE MARRIED TO • building the Vision for the Future future of our organization under Rob’s leader- Scholarship Fund and awarding the first ship. I’m referring of course to the affiliation MARY AND IS PROUD TO BE Dr. Charles C. Hirt Scholarship for question, which you will decide in a vote this THE FATHER OF CHRISTINE, Professional Development from last year’s December. proceeds; KATHERINE, AND EMILY. look forward to seeing you at the Second • the establishment and awarding of HE ENJOYS WOODWORK- I California ACDA State Conference the George Heussenstamm Choral at CASMEC in San Jose on Thursday, ING, LOATHES PLUMBING Composition Scholarship at ECCO; February 16 through Saturday, February 18. REPAIRS, AND IS A DIE-HARD • the addition of Deke Sharon to our board The band and orchestra portion continues as the first R&R Chair for Contemporary with their All-State performances on Sunday, FAN OF THE 2014 WORLD A Cappella; but many of us have church jobs, so we’re CHAMPION SAN • improving our communication through done Saturday evening. Look for more information as we get closer. FRANCISCO GIANTS. Cantate, e-mail blasts, timely information on our website (www.acdacal.org), and Here’s to a great Fall! Make great music the soon-to-debut California Choral and even better memories! Directors YouTube channel; and LEADING THE WAY CANTATE • VOL. 28, NO. 3 • FALL 2016 • 5 letter from the editor: VARIATIONS his isn’t the column I intended to write. disease was back and the future was grim. TI left the summer conference at ECCO In fact, he’d only been listening to the with a list of topics in the queue, ready to pick first movement of the St. John Passion, and one and tackle it after I’d returned from a he wanted to compare notes about Bach’s week at home to see my parents as my father crafting of its masterfully portentous opening recovered from surgery. phrase. I laughed, and I told him not to ELIZA RUBENSTEIN IS THE Change of plans: The week became a scare me like that again, and we talked about month. Recovery became loss. The topics on ostinati and suspensions and the peculiar DIRECTOR OF CHORAL my list became unimportant.