In This Issue Beth [email protected] Other‘S Sessions and Also Made Treasurer Themselves Available to Everyone President’S Message P
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ILLINOIS CHAPTER OF THE AMERICAN CHORAL DIRECTORS ASSOCIATION Fall 2010 Volume 37, No. 1 PODIUM President’s Message with information and strategies for ILLINOIS ACDA EXECUTIVE BOARD use in the rehearsal setting and classroom. He challenged us to ReTreat 2010 marked the IL- ―get out of the box,‖ and consider President ACDA‘s nineteenth foray into the alternative methods when teaching Brett Goad summer conference experience. musical concepts and vocal tech- Hinsdale South High School—retired And number nineteen was cer- nique. Stephen also led a most [email protected] tainly a fine vintage. Our partici- interesting reading session of his pants were exposed to the teach- Past President music. Thank you Stephen. ing, wisdom and expertise from John Jost three extremely talented and di- Pearl Shangkuan was our third Bradley University verse headliners. They were: headliner. Her sessions centered a [email protected] Charles Bruffy, Pearl Shangkuan, great deal on the rehearsal process: President-Elect and Stephen Hatfield. images for choral techniques and Each of these individuals were pre- choral artistry. She also shared the Beth Best sent during all three days of the Hill Middle School ReTreat. They sat in on one an- In this issue [email protected] other‘s sessions and also made Treasurer themselves available to everyone President’s Message p. 1 during our meals and social time Tim Fredstrom together. Youth Choir Spotlight p. 3 Illinois State University IMEA All-State Repertoire p. 6 [email protected] Charles Bruffy led our Directors IL ACDA Composition Contest p. 7 Leslie Manfredo Chorus in a wide variety of reper- toire. On the podium, Charles was Interview with Terri Benz p. 8 Secretary definitely the taskmaster, demand- Joy Schertz Harold A. Decker Award p. 12 ing excellence from his singers, all Princeton High School the while interjecting his insights ACDA National Conference p.13 [email protected] Preview: IL Choir Performances and sharp wit throughout the proc- Podium Editor ess. Each rehearsal demanded a An Interview with Joel Ross: great deal of focus upon each and Kantorei Boys Choir Director p. 14 Andy Jeffrey every participant. Charles certainly Early Teaching Experiences: p. 18 Glenbard West High School provided a great deal for us to Lessons Learned Along the Way [email protected] think about in working with our Voices in the Wind: p. 20 Podium Advertising Editor own ensembles at home. ACDA National Conference 2011 Jen Burkemper Thank you Charles. Making an Impact: Opportunity p. 21 Hinsdale Central High School Abounds Stephen Hatfield, our friend from [email protected] the Canadian Northwest was a Five Core Works for Young p.22 whirlwind of activity. His four Men’s Voices sessions were most definitely thought provoking and jam packed From the Editor p.24 WELCOME Volume 37, No. 1 Page 2 Repertoire and Standards Chairs Membership Chair President’s message (continued from page 1) Sarah Smith three ―E‘s‖ of rehearsal techniques: effectiveness, efficiency and enjoyment. Pleasant Ridge School Finally, Pearl led a reading session for Music in Worship. Pearl provided nu- [email protected] merous handouts throughout her sessions as well as a plethora of ideas. Thank Middle School you Pearl. Jill Rinkel We would also like to thank the Sound of Illinois Barbershop Chorus. On Mahomet-Seymour Jr. High Thursday evening, the SOI joined the Directors Chorus in a concert in the ISU [email protected] Center for the Performing Arts. The SOI was a perfect addition to the eve- Senior High ning‘s program. Their singing was most impressive, their showmanship was Jeremy Little top notch, their professionalism was clearly evident, and their energy was be- Vernon Hills High School yond description. And if that were not enough, we were also amazed by the vocal talents of ―After Hours‖. They are from Bradley University in Peoria [email protected] and the 2010 Illinois Collegiate Quartet Champions and took sixth place in the Jazz Choirs International Collegiate Competition. You can check them out on the web Stacy Cunningham at www.ahquartet.com. Thank you Sound of Illinois. Leyden High School ReTreat 2010 is now a memory for its 120 participants - and I believe a good [email protected] one at that. Vintage number nineteen was filled with aural delights, rich fla- Female Choirs vors, and a superb finish. Sarah Graham I propose a toast to our headliners and guest choir, as well as all of our present- Illinois State University ers and participants. Cheers! [email protected] If you were unable to join us this year, perhaps consider joining us for ReTreat Male Choirs 2011, set for July 6-8. We will be returning to the campus of Illinois State Uni- Brad Holmes versity. Our President-Elect, Beth Best, will be providing more information Millikin University concerning ReTreat 2011 at a later date. [email protected] Two Year Colleges Brett Goad Philip Spencer IL-ACDA President Joliet Junior College [email protected] Music/Worship Jeff Hunt Baker Memorial UMC, St. Charles [email protected] Show Choir Co-Chairs Mark Meyers Waubonsie Valley High School [email protected] Volume 37, No. 1 Page 3 Reper- toire and Stan- dards Chairs continued Church Youth Choir Spotlight College /University Karyl Carlson Youth Choirs in Our Church Music Programs Illinois State University Many choral directors and worship leaders envision choral experi- [email protected] ences for their junior and senior high youth that are not only successful musi- Composition cally, but also spiritually meaningful and an exciting addition to existing mu- Lee Kesselman sic offerings. Whether you are looking to start a youth choir in your place of College of Dupage worship or already have one and are seeking more ideas and a fresh perspec- tive, the following considerations are essential for creating choral experiences [email protected] that address the musical, physical, social, emotional and spiritual growth and Children’s Choir development of adolescents. Ron Korbitz Brookdale Elementary School Vision—Purpose—Goals [email protected] It is easy to generate a list of reasons as to why youth choirs do not work—kids are busy and already do not have the time to commit to existing Community offerings at church; they do not have the talent or discipline to truly lead mu- Steven Szalaj sic in worship; some fear that choir might take away from the youth program McHenry County College and Voices in general; numbers and interest are small; budgets are tight and new funding in Harmony requests are unimaginable; and the list continues. These excuses, however, do [email protected] not relieve us of our responsibility to create successful and active music mak- Ethnic ing experiences for the youth of our congregations. Elizabeth Zobel Choral conductors must begin with an understanding of who we are as Blackburn College leaders. Identify your strengths as a musician and for working with young people, and honestly address you concerns and weaknesses. Then consider [email protected] the strengths of your congregation, youth education, and music programs. Youth/Student Who are the leaders? What is the experience (or inexperience) level of the Mary Lynn Doherty teenagers involved? What are the expectations of the kids, parents, and con- Northern Illinois University gregation for this ministry? Teenagers participate in youth choirs for various reasons. They enjoy [email protected] the challenge of preparing and singing a varied repertoire of music. They IMEA Representative grow from serving as leaders in worship as their spiritual understanding deep- Rick Murphy ens. They thrive on the social community created within the ensemble and University Lab High School the mentorship of the adults involved. For some, youth choirs may begin life- [email protected] long involvement in music and service. It is for all of these reasons and more that we make the effort to create meaningful musical experiences of spiritual Webmaster and personal growth. Many leaders find creating a mission statement or list Jason Hawkins of goals for the youth choir helpful in creating a strong sense of vision and Plainfield North High School direction that is easily shared with others. [email protected] Scheduling Historian Teenagers are busy! There is no conflict-free time to schedule youth Bob Boyd choir rehearsals. Search for rehearsal times that are easily connected to youth Northwestern University group meetings and other services. Be sure to reevaluate the rehearsal sched- [email protected] ule as needed in conjunction with parents, kids, and church staff. There are many benefits to singing frequently in services, but be sure to find a balance between motivation and overload. Most youth choirs do not IL-ACDA District Chairs Volume 37, No. 1 Page 4 District 1 Diane Marelli Riverside Brookfield High School Youth Choir Spotlight (continued from page 3) [email protected] sing often enough. I have found it is when we are the busiest and have the District 2 most to learn and sing that we do our best. Some choirs perform every week Michael Zemek or every other week, but be realistic. If you can only manage once a month or Augustana College at holidays, then that is what works for your community. Do not forget to [email protected] consider settings outside of the worship services such as hymn festivals, so- cial gatherings, and service outings. District 3 Debbie Aurelius-Muir Recruitment Olympia High School There are no secrets or gimmicks to recruitment, just tried and true [email protected] techniques of gentle persistence. Here is a short list of techniques to try. District 4 Plan for a good product and worthwhile rehearsals. We all want to be part of something exciting and visible. We also want to be nurtured and fed Erin Stegall and not have our time wasted.