Author: Luke McGinnis

ACDA Midwestern Region is honored to announce and welcome LYYRA as a Headlining Ensemble for the 2026 Midwestern Region Conference: Reflections of Us! Lyyra is the new all-women vocal ensemble from The VOCES8 Foundation and is based in the USA. Creating world-class musical experiences to inspire audiences, Lyyra seeks to redefine the genre of upper voice music in the choral landscape, highlighting the astonishing capabilities within the full spectrum of women’s singing. The sound of this bright, young group combines velvety richness alongside star-like brilliance. With a broad texture and exhilarating range of sound, the group’s talented members specialize in classical, jazz, pop, and folk music from diverse traditions and backgrounds. Reflective of music, harmony, and the night sky, Lyyra takes its name from the constellation that represents Orpheus’ famed…

This year, we saw a 20.17% increase in Honor Choir auditions since our last regional conference in 2024. Thank you to all of our teachers, sponsors, and our Honor Choir Chairs, Stephen Dean and Jordan Dollins, for encouraging students to audition for our Midwestern Honor Choirs! 2026 Conference Regrsitration begins Wednesday, October 1, 2025!

On July 1, 2025, we welcomed new state presidents across Midwestern ACDA. Please join us in welcoming them and thanking them for their service to ACDA! Illinois Choral Directors Associationhttps://www.il-acda.org/Amy Branahl, President Indiana Choral Directors Associationhttps://inacda.org/Melissa Walsh, President Iowa Choral Directors Associationhttps://www.iowachoral.org/Nick Oswald, President Michigan Choral Directors Associationhttps://www.acdami.org/Thomas Blue, President Minnesota Choral Directors Associationhttps://acda-mn.com/Mark Johnson, President Nebraska Choral Directors Associationhttps://nebraskachoral.org/Barina Buresh Crosland, President North Dakota Choral Directors Associationhttps://www.ndacda.com/Allyse Dunningan, President Ohio Choral Directors Associationhttps://sites.google.com/ohiocda.org/ocdaDara Gillis, President South Dakota Choral Directors Associationhttps://www.sd-acda.org/Janice Gilbert, President Wisconsin Choral Directors Associationhttps://www.wischoral.org/Phillip Swan, President To learn more about our state presidents, click on the individual's name.

Congratulations to our 2026 Midwestern ACDA Interest Session Clinicians!Redefining Community: Choral Music at the MarginsElena Cressy Singing by heart: Aural tradition in the Choral ClassroomElisabeth Cherland Supporting Sopranos in the Choral EnsembleChristiana Howell Evolving Landscapes: Music Education in Underserved AreasErin Colwitz & Gabriela Hristova Due Diligence: First Steps for Ethical Native EngagementThomas Goedecke & Alyssa Beltran The Intersections of Gospel and European Choral TraditionsBryon Black Unified Music: A Practical Demonstration of Music for AllZachariah Carlson-GivingUsing Technology to Enhance Student Learning in ChoirsJason HawkinsAppropriation or Collaboration? Programming World MusicAustin Norrid Más Que Ritmo: Heart and Heritage of Latinx Choral MusicEric Reyes In Her Voice: Spotlighting Female Choral ComposersHilary Apfelstadt, Alan Troy Davis, Lynne Gackle, and Mari Ésabel Valverde Standards-Based Grading in the 6–12 Music CurriculumMatthew Clark Selecting and Programming Repertoire with…