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The American Choral
Directors Association
Founded in 1959, the
American Choral Directors Association (ACDA) is a nonprofit
music-education organization whose central purpose is to
promote excellence in choral music through performance,
composition, publication, research, and teaching. In
addition, ACDA strives through arts advocacy to elevate
choral music's position in American society.
Membership
ACDA membership
consists of choral directors who represent more than one
million singers across the United States. ACDA members teach
choral music in public and private schools - kindergarten
through senior high school - and at the college and
university levels. They conduct a variety of choral groups,
including boy choirs, children's choirs, men's and women's
choruses, junior and senior high school choirs, college and
university choruses, ethnic choirs, vocal-jazz ensembles,
and symphony choruses. They also conduct choirs in their
communities and in their places of worship. Membership is
established by submitting a membership application and
annual dues.
Organizational Structure
ACDA is divided
into seven
geographic regions/divisions,
as well as fifty state
chapters,
each with its own conferences, newsletters, festivals,
clinics, and workshops. Whether at the National, Division,
or State level, ACDA is structured so that its members can
easily involve themselves in the organization's activities.
Conferences
ACDA offers
conferences at the State, Division, and National levels.
National conferences are offered in March of odd-numbered
years; the seven Division conferences take place in February
and March of even-numbered years. Through concert
performances by accomplished choirs, educational clinics by
leading experts, and exhibits by music-industry
representatives, ACDA offers its members a diverse and
practical forum in which to develop their skills and
professional knowledge.
Choral Journal
The official publication of
the American Choral Directors Association is Choral
Journal .
This national publication, issued monthly, contains articles
and columns of a scholarly and practical nature in addition
to reviews of newly released CD recordings, books, and
printed music. Choral
Journal is
a benefit of membership in the American Choral Directors
Association. Subscriptions are available to libraries.
Advertising space is available as well.
Committees
ACDA has numerous
national committees engaged in advancing the choral
profession in its many facets. The committees work in
several areas of the choral profession, whether through
establishing high performance standards, recommending
quality choral literature, encouraging research in choral
studies, or advocating the importance of choral music in our
society.
Repertoire and Standards
ACDA establishes and
maintains the highest of choral standards and recommends
quality choral literature through the thirteen Repertoire
and Standards (R&S) Committees. This national structure is
replicated in every Division and State chapter through the
organization.
Publications
ACDA has several publications
including Choral
Journal,
Division newsletters, State newsletters, and the monograph
series. All of these publications are intended to educate
and inform the members of the association.
Location
ACDA's national
headquarters is centrally located in the downtown Arts
District of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Office hours are
8:00am - 5:00pm Monday - Friday. Click
here for
complete contact information and a staff directory. |
