News

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…

The 2026 Midwestern ACDA Honor Choir Auditions open this month! The 2026 Midwestern ACDA Conference gathers four honor choirs for students from grades 6 to 12. This opportunity brings students together with passionate and talented peers from across the Midwestern region in a supportive choral community. Singers will be transformed through an experience with diverse and inspiring conductors from across the United States. View all of the audition materials here. Are you planning to have students audition for your Region Honor Choirs? If so, there are some critical updates to the application process that warrants your immediate attention. We’ve gone through another update since the 2025 National Conference. We want to ensure you can navigate the system without any hiccups. To have a successful application process, you need to start…

HELP NEEDED: Midwestern ACDA needs your help as we create an amazing Honor Choir experience for our region. Our Honor Choir Coordinators, Stephen Dean & Jordan Dollins, are seeking ACDA members who can serve as screeners for the 2025 MWACDA Audition process. To be considered, applicants must: - Be a member of the American Choral Directors Association (ACDA) - Must have a minimum of three (3) years of teaching experience - Currently teaching or have taught the grade level for the respective Honor Choir you would like to screen within the last three (3) years. Those who are selected to screen applications must have the ability to give full attention to approximately 100-150 applications during the September 26-October 24, 2025 timeframe, listen to all applications, and complete the screening rubric for each…