download and print winter 2014 star of the north

Volume 42, Issue 2 Winter 2014

Relevant • Resourceful • Respected

2 Our Values: Artistry • Community • Excellence • Inspiration • Legacy • Renewal • SupportStar of the North • Winter 2014

Choral Music at

Wartburg

DEGREES AVAILABLE:Bachelor of Music EducationBachelor of Music Education/Music TherapyBachelor of Music in Music TherapyBachelor of Arts (Applied Music and Church Music)Bachelor of Music in Performance

SCHOLARSHIP AUDITIONS • Music scholarships up to $5,000 per year • $2,500 minimum scholarships for All-State musicians ($10,000 over four years)

PERFORMANCE OPPORTUNITIES• 14+ music ensembles• Regional, national and international tours• Private lessons and opera/musical theater

RECENT HIGHLIGHTS • NC ACDA performances in 2014 and 2012• Wartburg Choir invited to perform at the White House in Washington, D.C. in 2011• Composer residencies include Morten Lauridsen (2014), Stacey Gibbs (2013), and Ola Gjeilo (2012)

www.Wartburg.edu/Music Dr. Lee Nelson

Nate Fratzke ’14Applied Music Wartburg Choir, Ritterchor

C O L L E G E

Matthew Armstrong Dr. Karen Black

CHORAL ENSEMBLE DIRECTORS

3Our Mission: To inspire and support a community of choral musicians in our state • www.acda-mn.org

We would love to work with you on your next performance tour.www.musicfestivals.com • 1-800-331-8579

The TwelvePurPoses of ACDA

• To foster and promote choral singing, which will provide artistic, cultural, and spiritual experiences for the participants.

• To foster and promote the finest types of choral music to make these experiences possible.• To foster and promote the organization and development of choral groups of all types in

schools and colleges.• To foster and promote the development of choral music in the church and synagogue.• To foster and promote the organization and development of choral societies in cities

and communities.• To foster and promote the understanding of choral music as an important medium of

contemporary artistic expression.• To foster and promote significant research in the field of choral music.• To foster and encourage choral composition of superior quality.• To foster and promote international exchange programs involving performing groups,

conductors, and composers.• To foster and encourage rehearsal procedures conducive to attaining the highest possible

level of musicianship and artistic performance.• To cooperate with all organizations dedicated to the development of musical culture

in America.• To disseminate professional news and information about choral music.

Star of the North • Winter 20144 Our Values: Artistry • Community • Excellence • Inspiration • Legacy • Renewal • Support

ACDA of MinnesotaBoard of Directors

President �� Thomas Wm. Hassig

Vice President ��Steven Albaugh

President-Elect �� Susan Zemlin

Secretary ��Gillian Teoh-Berbee

Central District Chair ��Kathy Pauls

Metro East District Chair ��Daryl Timmer

Metro West District Chair ��Andrew Beard

Northeast District Chair ��Matt Krage

Northwest District Chair ��Shelly Wahlin

Southeast District Chair ��Elizabeth Shepley

Southwest District Chair �� Marie Flagstad

Student Representative �� Joshua Smith

Star of the North Editor ��Bret Amundson

ACDA of Minnesota StaffDirector of Development ��Diana J. Leland

Web Editor ��Tom Hale

Executive Assistant �� Barb Geier

Executive Director �� Bruce W. Becker

ACDA of MinnesotaRepertoire and Standards Chairs

Boy Choirs ��Aaron CarpenterChildren’s & Youth Choirs ��Ann SchrootenCollege and University Choirs ��Matt FerrellEthnic & Multicultural Perspectives ��Jon KopplinHigh School Choirs ��Randy Schafer Jazz Choirs ��Laura TempelJunior High/Middle School Choirs ��Sue GilsdorfMale Choirs �� Michael CullotonMusic and Worship �� Sean VogtShow Choirs �� Lukas WarrenTwo-Year College Choirs �� Karla MillerWomen’s Choirs ��Angela MitchellYouth and Student Activities ��Brandon DeanRepertoire and Standards

Coordinator ��Allan Hawkins

• • •

Star of the North Advertising RatesSize A: Inside Front Cover 8 1⁄2w x 10h ��$300.00Size B: Inside Back Cover 8 1⁄2w x 10h ��$300.00Size C: 8 1⁄2w x 10h ��$250.00Size D: 8 1⁄2w x 5 1⁄2h ��$150.00Size E: 8 1⁄2w x 4 1⁄3h ��$120.00Size F: 4 2⁄3w x 10h �� $90.00 Size G: 2 2⁄3w x 10h �� $75.00 Size H: 3 1⁄3w x 4 1⁄2h �� $50.00

Star of the North Ad and Article Submission Dates

Spring 2014 ��4/11/14Fall 2014 ��8/15/14Winter 2015 ��1/10/15

PoLICY STATEMENT oN PRoGRAMMINGRecognizing the broad diversity of cultures and beliefs by our member directors, by our singers, and by all those touched by performances of choral music, ACDA of Minnesota reaffirms its commitment to balance and diversity in programming. It is important that we, as the leading proponents of choral art in our state, actively encourage and model sensitivity to and awareness of diversity, particularly with regard to sacred and secular repertoire.

We recommend that no more than fifty percent of the literature chosen for Honors Choirs, All-State Choirs and Pick Six packets contain music with sacred text. Performances and lists pertaining to music in worship are exempt.Adopted by the ACDA of Minnesota Executive Board, January 13, 1996.

InsIDe…ColumnsPresident’s Cue ��7

Student Podium ��25

FMC Endowment Update ��30

Emerging Conductor’s Network ��31

Commissioning Corner ��32MMEA Update �� 34

ACDA-MN Schedule of Events ��41

Music & Worship �� 46

Jazz Choirs �� 48

Junior High/Middle School Choirs��50

Show & Popular Music Choirs �� 51

The Last Word, Bruce Becker �� 54feATuresSTAR PRoGRAM HIGHLIGHT:

Bethel Lutheran Church Choir ��9

GUEST FEATURES: The Hymn Festival: Highlighting a Gift, David Cherwien �� 12

Two Choices, Thomas Hassig �� 16

FRoM THE FIELD:Blessings and Benefits…The Church Choir, Shelly Wahlin �� 26

Explore the Humanities!, Kathy Pauls �� 27

o Divine Master, Andrew Beard�� 28

legACy

sTATe ConferenCe

ACDA-MN State Conference in pictures ��17LEGACY

An Interview With Robert Scholz, David Scholz ��20Candidates for Statewide/District offices ��36Minnesotans Appear at

North Central Division Conference ��40Honor Choirs ��42In The News

on-line Registration ��44 New Forms Link ��44

IN REMEMBRANCE ��52 Marcus Johnson Paul Henry Pfeiffer

hIghlIghTs

6

1717

6

20


The Star of the North is published three times a year by ACDA of Minnesota:Fall/Conference, Winter, and Spring.

Articles may be submitted to the copy editor for consideration:

Bret Amundson, SotN EditorThe College of St. Scholastica

1200 Kenwood Ave., Duluth, MN [email protected](218) 625-4983 office(206) 660-6300 Cell

Visit our website for updates: www.acda-mn.org

Advertising materials and photosshould be sent directly to:

By All Means Graphics17 Bridge Square

Northfield, MN [email protected]

(507) 663-7937

For more information on advertising contracts, rates and specifications,

please contact:

Bruce W. Becker, Executive [email protected]

(952) 270-7489

ACDA of Minnesota reserves the right to edit and

approve all submitted materials.

• • •

ACDA ADVoCACY RESoLUTIoNWhereas, the human spirit is elevat-ed to a broader understanding of itself through study and performance in the aesthetic arts, and whereas, serious cut-backs in funding and support have steadily eroded arts institutions in our country, be it resolved that all citizens of the United States actively voice their affirmative and collective support for necessary fund-ing at the local, state and national levels of education and government, to ensure the survival of arts programs for this and future generations.

Relevant • Resourceful • Respected

ADverTIser’sInDexAmerican Tours and Travel ��back cover

Augustana College �� 35Banjar, Inc �� 41Century Resources �� 14Chanhassen Dinner Theatre �� 24Concordia University �� 29FMC Endowment Fund �� 47Gateway Festivals ��3Grand Tours �� 10Groth Music �� 49JW Pepper �� 45

Lutheran Summer Music �� 31Milkhouse Candle Creamery ��3Minnesota opera �� 15Minnesota State University-Moorhead ��8

Popplers Music �� 41St. olaf Records �� 11University of Minnesota-Duluth � 14University of Northwestern �� 37University of St. Thomas �� 15Wartburg College ��inside coverWestmark Productions �� 49

Congratulations to 2013 ACDA-MN Award Recipients

Robert Peterson Macalester College and Edina High School, ret. F. Melius Christiansen Lifetime Achievement Award

Lin Warren, Hastings High School Minnesota Choral Director of the Year Award

André-Louis Heywood St. John’s Boys’ Choir

Outstanding Young Choral Conductor Award

Philip Brown, Hopkins High School Creative Programming Award


Choral music is strong in Minnesota. Last week at the Suburban East Conference Festival, I sat at a large table in the back of the auditorium at For-est Lake Area High School where I got to listen to some of Minnesota’s finest high school choirs. As choir after choir filed on stage with pride, sang intent-full music, and eagerly awaited my comments, I had one of those “choir director moments” where I was convinced that if everyone and their mother sang in choir, the world would be a better place.

While watching and listening to these choirs, I was overcome with emotion – my heart was beating fast with excitement when White Bear Lake sang orbán’s “o Mistress, Mine,” I had my “duh” face on (jaw resting on the floor) in awe of the beauty of Roseville’s interpretation of Lauridsen’s “o Magnum Mysterium,” and I felt ultimate joy working with Forest Lake on Palestrina’s “Adoramus Te.” Watching these focused groups of students beam with pride, connect with challenging texts, and sing with ultimate precision was astounding. These moments for high school musicians (and nerdy college clinicians) are life changing.

How do we encourage our singers to seek out these kinds of life changing choral experiences after they graduate from our programs? Choir directors urge their students to be “lifelong musicians.” Some of these students will go on to sing in college choir where their love and connection to music will blossom. But often, high school or college is the end of our students’ singing career. Church choirs can provide eager musicians with a singing community with which they can connect after high school and college.

The winter issue of the Star of the North is dedicated to Church Choirs, focusing on the importance of music in the worship service and the impor-tance of the church choir community. our Star Program Spotlight features Daniel Kallman and the Bethel Lutheran Church Choir from Northfield, our Guest Feature by David Cherwein highlights the history and importance of hymn singing, and our From the Field articles will explore the “Blessings and Benefits” of singing in a church choir.

This is a great issue of Star of the North. We are lucky to live in Minnesota.

BRET AMUNDSoNCollege of st. scholastica

eDITor’sremArks What is the role of

a choir in worship?

In demand as a choral clinician and guest conduc-tor, Dr. Sandra Peter has led All-State and honor choirs throughout the United States and abroad. She is an active member of American Choral Directors Association, the College Music Society, and a charter member of The National Collegiate Choral Organization. Dr. Peter has been invited to speak at national meetings of both NCCO and ACDA and several of her choirs have performed at regional ACDA conferences.

Her experience includes many years conducting church choirs of all ages, most recently serving First Lutheran Church in Decorah. She was also a founding member of the National Lutheran Choir. A native of Saint Paul, Minnesota, Dr. Peter holds degrees from Concordia College (Moorhead), Uni-versity of Arizona, and the University of Iowa.

After 22 years of teaching at Luther College, Dr. Peter joined the music faculty of Stetson University in DeLand, Florida this fall.

Engage. Support. Enhance. Enrich. Foster. ~ Sandra Peter


Cue

THoMAS HASSIGPrior lake high school

Prior lake, mn

“What’s this”?

The student was at his desk with shoulders dropped in a permanent slouch. At the top of his just returned paper, almost mocking him in bright red ink, was his score: +2.

“That is a plus 2.”

“You mean out of 20 questions on this stinking quiz, I got 2 right?”

“Yes!”

Short pause.

“Cool. Next time I’m gonna get plus 4.”

During his admittedly short academic career, the student had always been told how many wrong answers he had given, how many points he had lost. Suddenly, his perspective was flipped on its head. Instead of a minus eighteen, he was now a plus two. And now, for the first time the stu-dent had a definite, perhaps even achievable goal. Within reach, though perhaps at the moment just slightly beyond his grasp. And all because the teacher had simply and specifically told the stu-dent what had been done correctly. That student was now pointing in a positive direction instead of toward a destination of self-fulfilling frustration. A few months later, the student would actually pass the class, and with something a bit better then a D minus.

How many times do we tell our singers they are a minus eighteen? We stop in rehearsal and firmly say, “You cannot take a breath there; it breaks the phrase.” “Everyone needs to watch and take MY tempo, please.”

or, the director and choir are doing a perfor-mance post-mortem. “The final chord on this song just didn’t lock in place.” Maybe we preface those comments with, “Many good things happened, but,” and somehow we fail to communicate what those many good things were. Specific, detailed, clear communication of the good things is often

PresIDenT’smore important, to us and to our singers, than a focus on the details that missed the mark.

If you are like most people, this writer included, we are usually too general in our positive com-ments. Then we get quite specific in details of things that are not yet correct.

But our singers want to be good. They want to please their director, their audience, their parents, and their peers. They are eager to hear about what went right. They are open and vulnerable. Are our first words going to their hearts with messages of disappointment and shortfall, or pride and praise? Every day, I find myself challenged to give my singers very specific feedback, good and bad, during rehearsal. We may have begun a new piece and experienced an epic failure; perhaps we’re rehearsing a familiar song that’s just not yet ready for the stage. But in every case, something also happened that was good. The singers need to hear about the correct and good things first and last. Sandwiched in the middle will be com-ments and instruction for the problems and mis-takes. The singers are already aware of most of their mistakes and problem spots. I don’t need to remind them; I just need to give some ideas or instruction and help them fix those problems. But the singers are usually not aware that their tone was actually quite appropriate. They never noticed that those complicated rhythms were spot-on, and this is only the second day they’ve worked on that section. It never occurred to them that the tenors maintained a particularly nice open, floating tone as they struggled with the German text; or that the alto blend has really made huge improvements in the past week. “And sopranos! Wow, the sec-ond sopranos balanced the firsts so beautifully on the top of page 5 that it gave me chills! Now, let’s see what we can do to help in measure 16. Basses, what do you see as the problem at that spot?”

our culture does not tend to highlight good things; I believe that becomes a big part of our respon-sibilities. That doesn’t have to mean a Pollyanna, ‘everything is wonderful,’ sugarcoated outlook on life. Quite frankly, Princess Giselle in the movie

“minus 18” or “plus 2?”


“Enchanted” grates on my nerves with her constant, blissfully cheery disposition. (or maybe it was her ever-present naiveté� Well, that’s another column.) But it is possible to keep our feet firmly planted in reality, address the issues of wrong notes/text/rhythms/style/phrasing/tone/tempo/dynamics/fill-in-the-blank with our singers and still help them see the areas that are already correct and great. And when they start to see all the good things that are happening, they start to feel secure, confi-dent and even enjoy being in choir. They look forward to being with their choir buddies. They pull together and affirm each other. Choir becomes a place of affirmation, encouragement and potential for growth.

What a great way to build community in our choirs. Give it a try.

Minus eighteen or plus two?

Thursday, March 20, 2014Concert Choir and Percussion Ensemble performing at NDMEA

Saturday, March 22, 2014Dr. Daniel Mahraun, Dir. of Choral

Activities presenting interest session at NC-ACDA

* additional performances: 3/13 Moorhead; 3/17 Rapid City, S.D.

Minnesota State University Moorhead is an equal opportunity educator and employer and is a member of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system.

Hear MSUM...

Don’t Miss the Professional Development Opportunity of the Year…

2014 Summer Dialogue August 5-8

Concordia College – Moorhead JoAnn Miller, headliner and

Guest Conductor ACDA-MN Directors’ Chorus

See what our ACDA-MN Board of Directors And FMC Endowment Fund Committee

Have been working on for you…

Meeting minutes posted on-line at: www.acda-mn.org


sTAr ProgrAmhIghlIghTBethel Lutheran Church Choir, Northfield

DAnIel kAllmAn

our primary purpose as a choir at Bethel is to provide an anthem during the worship service. I choose music from a variety of styles, cultures and historical periods, attempting to appeal to the wide variety of musical preferences among our wor-shippers. We sing an approximately equal amount of accompanied and unaccompanied music. For the accompanied anthems, which include piano or organ, I try to involve other instrumentalists within our congregation when possible. on our current schedule for 2013-2014, we will sing with a father and son clarinet duo (the son is in the sev-enth grade), a high school horn player and cellist, adults on flute and trumpet, and an intergenera-tional brass quintet.

The purpose and responsibilities of the adult choir can encompass more than just singing the anthem, however. When the congregation is to be introduced to new music, be it a liturgy, hymn, or a litany with sung response, the choir will have rehearsed it on the previous Wednesday and prior to the service in order to provide leader-ship, sometimes even as individuals from their places within the congregation. It has always been

It has been my privilege to serve as the adult choir director at Bethel Lutheran Church in Northfield. I am currently in my ninth consecutive year, fol-lowing two earlier “terms” from 1989-91 and 1995-1999. We have been blessed with a congre-gation that sings very well and from which we have been able to maintain an adult choir of 50-60 on the roster.

I have been particularly pleased that many have joined the choir over the years who had not sung chorally since HS (which in most cases was two or three decades earlier), as well as a few folks who had never sung in any choir. We have enough experienced singers within each section (but no paid section leaders) so that the newcomers seem to feel comfortable digging into a rehearsal, even if their reading skills are a little rusty. There have also been a few in the choir who learn mostly by ear, but are eager to improve their music read-ing as we move through the year. I should add that among the more experienced singers in my choir, I currently have an equal number of St. olaf and Carleton graduates!

Bethel Lutheran Church Choir


singing of the Psalm (usually omitted from our worship now) or provide an occasional sung benediction, for instance. I hope that other church choirs will continue to do maintain these traditions. Smaller choirs who prefer singing unison, 2 or 3 part music may find this to be a useful way to involve your singers beyond the offering of an anthem.

10 Star of the North • Fall 2013

our tradition at Bethel for the choir members to sit within the congregation and come up to the front only during our anthem, although we do sometimes assemble a chamber group of sing-ers or the full choir to lead congregational singing from the front of the sanctuary. We have no choir loft or other area in which to seat the choir as an ensemble. An example of such choir leadership occurs during our annual “Creation Care Sun-day” in April when we lead a sung litany with congregational response, which focuses attention on God’s gift of the earth and our responsibility to be good stewards of all of creation. We often take a moment to teach the sung response to the congregation before the service begins so as not to impede the worship process and flow.

Because of the way our service is structured, we almost always sing our anthem during the offering. When possible, the text for the anthem is connected thematically with the scripture lessons or sermon, which have been heard earlier. We have started to include the text of the anthem in the bulletin to make that connection easier for the worshiper. If our sanctuary were configured differently and our service format more flexible, I would gladly make use of the choir more often, to lead the

our Values: Artistry • Community • Excellence • Inspiration • Legacy • Renewal • Support

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6261• He Never Failed Me Yet – Robert Ray, Jensen 44708014• Psalm 84 (Cantique de Jean Racine), Gabriel Faure (ed.

John Rutter), Hinshaw Music, HMC 933• Now We Await Your Coming, Lord/Veni Emmanuel –

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11our Mission: To inspire and support a community of choral musicians in our state • www.acda-mn.org

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DAVID CHERWIEN Cantor

mt. olive lutheran Church, minneapolis

People in the choral world are surrounded by an amazing gift, and often might not even know it.

Each week, all around the world, thousands upon thousands of choirs form in all shapes, sizes, cul-tures, and genres in a variety of venues ranging from the outdoors to small churches to large cathedrals. The singers are mostly not professional musicians but, nevertheless, they sing in public. In doing so, they give voice to a common tone that expresses something deep within them: their faith. This is remarkable, as they make this music happen with no rehearsal per se, and most of them do not sing anywhere else in their lives. These choirs are congregations singing hymns together.

Singing hymns is truly a deeply cherished activity for a lot of people. Those who have experienced hymn singing say there is nothing like it and look for the opportunity to sing together. Being par-ticipatory, hymn singing is quite different from any concert or recording. Hymns come from the soul and body of individuals and groups. Without people singing, they make little sense. But for peo-ple to let go of inhibition and sing full voice in an impromptu choir of 100 or even 1,000 is an amaz-ing release of emotion and energy!

It is interesting to note that recent articles and lectures have suggested that a trend in concert

programming – including choral events – is to include audience participation. People come away from such events with a stronger sense of hav-ing experienced something meaningful. People are attracted to this! Hymn singing is an effective way to invite participation.

So, what is a hymn?Structurally hymns are unique. They are poetry set to music for community in song. Perhaps out of practicality for large groups, with no rehearsing, hymns are often strophic (many verses sung to one shorter melody). They are not too complex rhythmically or melodically. Melodic structure can even include repetition such as an AABA form. If sung in harmony, the settings often are in a pure, uncomplicated four-part texture. The poetic texts are able to survive multi-faceted interpretations and repeated use. The strophic repeating melo-dies encourage the creativity of the music leaders, not unlike the creativity of jazz ensembles as they explore harmonic and rhythmic complements to a given melody as it continuously recycles.

So, why are hymns cherished?Hymns are often sung at heights of emotional expe-rience when people turn to their faith for strength. This might help explain why they are so cherished. In our worst human experiences, such as grief or loss, a strong sense of strength, hope, and healing wells up through communal song – so powerfully evidenced by the large body of Spirituals created by African Americans in slavery. Conversely, often a song is used at moments of high celebration, such as at birthdays. Similarly, at funerals hymns are etched deeply in the memory banks. In addition, sung words stay firmly in the memory, even in cases of severe mental incapacity. Most of us know first-hand the power of sung memory, having learned the alphabet with the help of a song. Along with the memory of the words, we re-experience the sentiments that came with the earlier experiences. Hymns bring us more than the words alone. Hymns can bring together the collective experiences and sentiments for any of us whether in individual use or groups singing together.

guesT feATureThe hymn festival: highlighting a gift


Even in this age of amazing access to recordings, playback capabilities, and the entertainment industry, par-ticipatory hymn singing is still alive and well. one might think it would become a thing of the past. Alice Parker, when asked if she was wor-ried about hymn singing in the age of entertainment evangelism in the church confidently shouted, “No! Hymns will never disappear. God can even put a flower in a desert.” Alice Parker also proposed that in addition to hymn singing remaining a vital human activity, it is likely that the type of hymns that will not dis-appear in the future are those that come out of human experience. This is different from the songs of com-mercialism that try to convince us of the need of something we do NoT have within. Now, decades since the height of the church’s quest to be entertaining (even named “Entertainment Evangelism,”) hymn singing has not gone away. Experiences win!

So, why hymn festivals?At Mount olive Lutheran Church in south Minneapolis around fifty years ago, a well-known organist, Paul Manz, developed a musical program structure. In his early years at Mount olive, Manz regularly offered recitals at the church, and almost always included a hymn or two. For those hymns, he would improvise introductions that interpreted the text, do creative things with the accompaniments, and use alternating groups to sing individ-ual stanzas, such as men or women, or the choir with a special arrangement. Manz might also improvise an interpretation of a stanza and its meaning on the organ instead of the stanza being sung by any group.

People were so drawn into this that Manz gradually replaced all of the recital literature with participatory hymns and added brief spoken words between the hymns, which might have been scripture verses or quotes from authors of published books. Thus emerged the “Hymn Festival.” During most of his active career, Manz travelled the world offering such hymn festivals – as many as sixty in one year – almost always drawing capacity crowds.

Now, fifty years later, many other musicians use this format for musical events and continue to call them hymn festivals. Hymn festivals are offered all over the country, and quite a few musi-cians are invited to travel to offer them, similar to performers of concerts.

Unlike an informal “hymn sing” with little preparation, hymn festivals are highly prepared events. There are special arrange-ments for the choir to sing, sometimes elaborate instrumen-

tation for which arrangements are required, and improvisa-tions to prepare. In addition, spoken reflections are selected to draw the participants into the texts and music even more deeply. The event usually follows a flow, a string of thought that moves through the singing and speaking. People often leave having experienced and participated in a journey, perhaps feel-ing changed. This is different from having just heard a concert, having liked or disliked the literature or performers.

So, what’s new?Through my own experience as a touring hymn festival organ-ist and as director of both a church choir and a major choral organization, I have discovered new possibilities for hymn festi-vals. Most notably, the National Lutheran Choir and I have tried to expand the hymn festival structure. In addition to the hymns, related arrangements, and anthems, we weave advanced choral literature in and through the flow. For example, one can hear Duruflé’s “Ubi caritas” as an introduction to the hymn “of the Father’s Love Begotten” (a fourth-century text set to an thir-teenth-century plainsong chant). or one can experience a four-part Bach chorale setting followed by a very contemporary organ improvisation depicting the crucifixion. The choral literature, like everything in such an event, is chosen to deepen the flow of the entire program, either serving as commentary on what was sung before or leading to what happens next.

The variety of musical expression is broad, ranging from African drumming to Gregorian chant. The choral music of Eric Whit-acre can lead to a wild piano-led, Gospel-flavored “Blessed Assurance.” There is nothing static about such hymn festivals. The variety is intended to engage rather than entertain.

A hymn festival of this kind is going to be offered by the National Lutheran Choir and over 200 area church choir singers on Feb-ruary 23, 2014, at Central Lutheran Church in Minneapolis. The general public will serve as one of three levels of choirs:


1. The congregation singing hymns under my leadership at the organ;

2. The Massed Choir made up of church choir singers con-ducted by Mark Sedio, Cantor of Central Lutheran Church; and

3. The National Lutheran Choir under my direction.

The congregation will sing hymns many know and love: “Praise My Soul the King of Heaven,” “Praise to the Lord,” “Children of the Heavenly Father,” “Jesus, Priceless Treasure,” “Built on a Rock,” “Softly and Tenderly Jesus is Calling,” and “Let All Things Now Living.”

The massed choir, in addition to hymn stanza arrangements, will sing choral comments such as “I Was Glad” (Hubert Parry), “Christus Paradox” (Alfred Fedak, with the tune for “Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence”), and a surprise arrangement of the “Toccata” from the Fifth Symphony for organ (Charles Marie Widor, arranged for choir and brass by David Wilcocks).

The National Lutheran Choir will sing “Ubi Caritas” (Paul Mealor), “Thy Truth Within” (Leland Sateren), the motet “Jesus, Priceless Treasure” (J. S. Bach, with the congregation singing the four-part chorale movements), “Sancto, sancto, sancto” (arr. Mark Sedio), F. Melius Christiansen’s “Built on a

Rock” (arr. M. Melius Christiansen), and “Lord, God, You Have Called Your Servants” (Aaron McDermid, commissioned by the National Lutheran Choir in 2002).

In addition, the three levels of choirs will be assisted by a brass quintet, the Casavant organ at Central Lutheran Church, Afri-can drums, Latino guitars, and rhythm instruments.

This event will celebrate the tremendous gift of hymn singing that happens each week throughout the world.

For those of us working in the choral world, recognizing the value of this weekly singing is vital. When hymns are sung, they become a part of the living ecosystem which feeds our choral rosters. It’s a non-judgment all-inclusive form of singing that can awaken individual voices through singing hymns at church, which can lead to singing in a church choir, which in turn can lead to a lifetime of choral singing in one of the many groups such as the National Lutheran Choir.

Hymn singing truly is an amazing gift. We choral directors need to pay attention!

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Conducting

Bachelor of Arts in Music Master of Music

Music EducationJazz Studies Performance

Theory & Composition

Dr. Tina Thielen-Gaffey, DMAAssociate Professor of Music, Director of Concert Chorale & Vocal Jazz

Dr. Stanley Wold, DMAProfessor of Music,Director of Choral Activities

YOUR�INNER�MELODYDISCOVER

DEPARTMENT MUSIC of

SM

d.umn.edu/musicLearn More at:


MUS0830414

AT THE UNIVERSITY OF ST. THOMASCHORAL MUSIC

Master of Arts in Music Educationchoral ° instrumental ° kodály ° orff

piano pedagogy

Certificate Programskodály ° orff ° piano pedagogy

Undergraduate Majors ° music education °

° performance °° liturgical music ° music °

° music business ° Ed.D. in Leadership

concentration in music education

Audit/workshop, nondegree and degree rates available

Summer professional development opportunities for practicing choral music educators

Undergraduate Audition ScheduleFeb. 22 and March 1, 2014

(800) 328-6819, Ext. 2-5874 | www.stthomas.edu/music | [email protected]

College of Arts and Sciences

Dr. Angela Broeker, director of choral activities

For more information:mnop.co/campor call 612-342-9573

Keep singing in the summer!Children’s Chorus CampJune 9 – 11, 2014Children ages 8 –13

Summer Opera CampJune 15 – 20, 2014For teens ages 14 – 18

NEW for 2014!

Opera Artist +June 15 – 20, 2014A unique experience for undergraduates in vocal performance and music education to diversify your skills. Work with Minnesota Opera vocal coaches and discover opportunities in: Teaching Artistry, Creative Aging, and Collective Impact.

Summer Opera

Camp

Auditions Thursday, April 24, 6 – 8pmSaturday, April 26, noon – 3pm


Each of us has two distinct choices to make about what we will do with our lives.

The first choice we can make is to be less than we have the capacity to be…to be less, to have less, to read less and think less, to try less and disci-pline ourselves less. This is the choice that leads to an empty life. This is the choice that, once made, leads to a life of constant apprehension, instead of to a life of wondrous anticipation.

Each of us has two distinct choices to make about what we will do with our lives.

The first choice is to be less. What is that other choice? To do it all! To become all that we can possibly be, to read every book that we possibly can, to learn as much as we possibly can. To give and share as much as we possible can, to strive and produce and accomplish as much as we pos-sibly can.

All of us have the choice…to do or not to do, to be or not to be, to be all, or to be less, or to be nothing at all.

Like a growing tree, it is a fabulous challenge for us all to stretch upward and outward to the full measure of our capabilities.

And while you’re at it choose excellence. No one looks back after 30 years and remembers that mediocre English project they did in middle school. People don’t recall with fondness the time they put an average amount of effort into a so-so

term paper and got some kind of a grade. Memo-ries, lifestyles, habits and careers are built on your choices. Choose excellence! Choose to do the best. Choose the kind of memories you are creat-ing for yourself and choose challenging and excel-lent memories.

Parents and community, we absolutely must do everything we can to present challenges and opportunities that open up avenues of excellence for these students. our future, our culture, our way of life will not be sustained by mediocrity. There are so many HUGE challenges facing our society in the next 30 years. Change is accelerat-ing daily. We won’t survive unless we raise the next generation equipped and ready to strive for excellence.

We need to do all that we can, every moment that we can, and be the best that we can for as long as we can. Huge challenges are outgrowths of smaller challenges. Smaller challenges create big-ger challenges. The way we are taught to handle small challenges, the way we are challenged to strive for excellence in small issues, is the way we will handle large challenges: either with mediocrity or with excellence.

Each of us has two distinct choices to make about what we will do with our lives. Choose excellence. Mediocrity won’t solve problems of terrorism, or energy shortages, or climate change.

Each of us has two distinct choices to make about what we will do with our lives: be less or be more.

guesT feATureTwo Choices

THoMAS HASSIGPrior lake high school

Change of contact information? Contact Bruce W. Becker, Executive Director

[email protected]

ACDA National Conference February 25-28, 2015

Salt Lake City UT


ACDA-mn sTATe ConferenCenov 16-18, 2012

1. Kate Larson, Mound Westonka High School2. André-Louis Heywood, 7-8 Boys’

Guest Conductor3. State 7-8 Boys’ Honor Choir4. MN Choral Director of the Year Recipient

Lin Warren with family5. State 7-8 Girls’ Honor Choir6. FMC Award Recipient Robert Peterson and

Edina District colleagues

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2014 sTATe ConferenCe

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7. Elementary clinician Linda Berger8. MS/HS Technology clinician Scott Lipscomb9. Philip Brunelle presents Philip Brown with

Creative Programing Award10. SCSU Student Volunteers11. Minnetonka HS Treble Choir in

Clinic Performance12. Mound Westonka HS Concert Choir in

Clinic Performance

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13. McNally Smith Contemporary Vocal Ensemble14. Jane Ramseyer Miller and One Voice15. Minnesota Valley Women’s Chorale 16. State 4-5-6 Children’s Honor Choir17. Grade 12 Select Women’s Choir18. Headliner and Clinician Edith Copley19. 2013 Award Recipients –

Heywood • Peterson • Warren

Special thanks to Joel Green, Litchfield High School, for serving as our official ACDA-MN State Conference photographer.

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Our Values: Artistry • Community • Excellence • Inspiration • Legacy • Renewal • SupportStar of the North • Fall 201320 our Values: Artistry • Community • Excellence • Inspiration • Legacy • Renewal • Support

legACy:By David Scholz

It’s a bit of an odd thing to write a legacy article on one’s parent. For me, “legacy” implies that the person in question is out of the business – that we are only remembering what their importance was to the choral world. But in this case, my father is still relevant on a daily basis to what I do – to who I am as a person, a teacher, a conductor, and a musician. There is no stronger bond than that between a parent and child; even more so when the parent and child have chosen the same profes-sion, so to honor my father in this way is special experience for me.

over the course of his career, Dr. Bob (as he was affectionately known by his students and col-leagues) touched the lives of thousands of students and singers. His influence came in many different forms – as a conductor, a composer, an arranger, a colleague, a friend, a mentor, a teacher, and as a husband and father. His was not perhaps the flashiest of careers – there was not a plethora of All-State Choir gigs, not an abundance of record-ings or convention appearances. But this gentle, intelligent, thoughtful, dedicated man and musician lived a life that was dedicated to many things – to his students, his colleagues, his profession, his family, and his god. And for me, this is what I find most impressive about my father. He was not concerned about his own importance. He went through life being more concerned about what he could offer to others.

Many of the attributes he had were largely unsung (no pun intended). The music department at St. olaf still sends him programs to proofread, for instance – and if there is a thankless job, that is certain one of them! His knowledge of choral lit-erature, music history, music theory, his ability to look at a score and draw thoughtful interpreta-tions off the page, his command of gesture, musi-

RoBERT SCHoLZ

An InTervIew wITh roberT sCholz

cal and emotional communication with his choirs – they were all amazing – but all in an unassuming and selfless manner.

Here is perhaps the gist of what I want to say about my father. I strive to be the man that he was and is; I want to be as good a musician, a conduc-tor, a scholar, a colleague, a teacher, a husband, and a father. The bar has been set high; I only hope that I can say in the end that he is proud of my accomplishments and of who I am.

But enough of the platitudes! I’m fairly sure that I’m in the will already, so here are some histori-cal facts, thoughts, reflections and remembrances from the man himself…

David Scholz: Tell me about some of your earliest musical experiences, the instruments you studied, and teachers that affected your life as a young person.Robert Scholz: The earliest memories of music are singing hymns in church and hearing 78 rpm recordings and piano practicing by my mother. I began piano lessons in second grade and played for many school and church occa-sions. When in high school, I studied piano with Robert Reuter at Chicago Musical College of Roosevelt University (Chicago). He became my organ teacher during summers of 1957-1961. I continued piano at St. olaf College and even-tually studied harpsichord at the University of Illinois.

I sang in choirs at the St. John’s Lutheran Elemen-tary School in Chicago, which sang mostly for church services. In high school at Luther North, I sang with the choirs for 4 years. My director was Gerhard Schroth, who was the main inspiration for my interest in choral music. Schroth also directed


the Chicagoland Lutheran Choir, NBC productions, and vari-ous church choirs. He was a friend of the Christiansens and introduced me to St. olaf College. He programmed high-class music and demanded excellence, but always with respect for the singers. He mixed some show tunes and folksongs into the repertoire, which featured sacred music. He also introduced us to my first major work, Faure’s Requiem (accompanied on organ by a young Paul Manz.).

DS: Obviously St. Olaf College has been an important part of your life for many years – as a student, alumnus, professor, and professor emeritus. Describe how that close relationship with one institution shaped who you became as a musician and teacher.RS: I responded to the type of music performed as part of the tradition, but I also aimed to program music that would add and contrast to the tradition, including major works with orchestra. The emphasis on singing and rehearsing with excellence and focus was influential. Blend and good intona-tion and an expressive and spiritual performance were also important. Choral tone and line were other emphases.

DS: Talk about some of your favorite (or most memorable) experiences as an undergraduate and graduate student. What was it like singing under Olaf Christiansen? How was your graduate school cho-ral experience different from your time at St. Olaf?RS: At St. olaf, I remember fondly per-forming the Mozart Requiem with the Chapel Choir and orchestra under Ken-neth Jennings. The St. olaf Choir tours were also special experiences during the three years that I sang with that group. olaf was an imposing person, elegant in appearance. He had intense blue eyes and thick, white hair. He was athletic,

too, but not very talkative in rehearsal. You had to watch his face and eyes for approval. In graduate school, the highlights of music per-formance were the Bach St. John Passion, and prepar-ing and performing Josquin motets and the Missa Ave Maris stella under the direc-tion of George Hunter. He brought those period pieces to life with expres-sive shaping and inspiration. In contrast to St. olaf, with its emphasis on polished

performances, the University of Illinois’ focus was on getting acquainted with a wide variety of choral literature.

DS: Tell me about your student teaching experi-ence in St. Cloud, MN.RS: The vocal education majors at St. olaf in 1961 formed a large class, so some of us were sent to practice teach a lot farther from St. olaf than usual, including my being placed at St. Cloud Tech with Ames Dahl as my mentor. Ames was another great example of a caring teacher and gentle musi-cian. I arrived during August faculty meetings and he and I read through the music he had collected over the summer. Ames expected me to be ready to teach – sometimes with a day to prepare and sometimes “on the spot.” Some interest-ing coincidences were that my father had attended St. Cloud Tech, and later you were the choral director at St. Cloud Apollo High School.

DS: Since this article is about “legacy,” what would you say is the most important aspect of your legacy; for example, the number of students in your choirs, the development of love of sing-ing for your choirs, the literature you conducted, classes you have taught,


intervals accuracy, tuning chords) and vocal flexibility and control were also important. By the singing of a short song, I hoped to determine something about the singer’s expres-sive sense and diction. By the end of the audition, I usually assigned them to a voice part.

There were four of us auditioning many of the same singers. Since each group had its own auditions, the student could choose which he or she might want to experience. The St. olaf Choir auditions were first and Cantorei and Chapel Choir were later. The Early Music Singers could also be in one of the three larger mixed choirs. If the directors of Chapel Choir and Cantorei chose the same singer, they would consult as to the student’s and choirs’ needs. Trust and good will were impor-tant.

DS: The groups at St. Olaf were not always the same as they are now. Tell me a bit about the various groups and how they progressed and changed over the years since you began your tenure at St. Olaf.RS: Under Kenneth Jennings, the St. olaf Choir expanded its repertoire to include accompanied pieces and secular texts. The singing tone became more free and expressive – some-what like art song interpretation. Under Anton Armstrong, the choir developed a somewhat darker tone and more Afri-can-American and “World Music” repertoire was sung.

The Chapel Choir under my direction continued its tradition of performing larger works such as Brahms’ Requiem, as well as the a cappella literature that was a staple of the choirs at St. olaf.

Cantorei began as Campus Choir. Its directors included Alice Larson, John Ferguson, and myself. The choir sang literature that was fairly evenly divided between sacred and secular texts. Under John Ferguson, it eventually sang more hymn-oriented repertoire.

The Early Music Singers began as Repertory Singers under F. Marian Walker. They sang a wide variety of music. Under Ger-ald Hoekstra, they focused on historical place and cultures.

Chamber Choir was comprised of all first-year students. The also sang a wide variety of literature, both accompanied and a cappella, sacred, and secular.

The Manitou Singers is the choir comprised of first-year women only. I remember that Alice Larson liked a rich, mezzo sound. Sigrid Johnson emphasized a lighter mixture, but continued the strength and fullness of sounds. Under Sigrid, the literature selections expanded and became more complex.

When I arrived, at St. olaf as a teacher, the Viking Men’s Chorus had almost disappeared. I changed it to an all first-year group instead of having it be comprised mostly those men who didn’t

compositions, and work with ACDA events such as the formation of Summer Dialogue and the Men’s Chorus Festival.RS: I hope that encouraging and inspiring people to love to sing, to participate in choirs, and to make music together will become part of my legacy. on average, I taught 160 to 250 students annually – in choirs and in voice lessons – for 40 years and I had the opportunity to teach them about music and singing. In addition to the choirs, I had voice students, conducting and choral literature classes, and students from the Master of Sacred Music program at Luther Seminary.

I published a fair number of choral pieces, both a cappella and accompanied. Several have had widespread performances, including tour programs and TV Christmas specials. Many have been sung on the St. olaf Christmas Festival. My edition of the Pachelbel Magnificat in B-flat is the sole publication of that 25-minute predecessor to the famous Bach Magnificat in D. I hope this will receive more public performances in the future. I believe I have introduced American audiences to new litera-ture such as the Britten World of the Spirit, Carter’s Magnifi-cat, and Mathias’ Ave Rex. other masterworks, both short and extended, were part of the repertoire I programmed as well. I believe that my students were exposed to some of the best of artistic literature.

Perhaps the most notably significant contribution I made regard-ing performances were the five presentations I conducted of the Britten War Requiem between 1970 and 2005 with the St. olaf choirs and orchestra. In 1990, if you remember, every member of our family was involved in the performance of the War Requiem. I led the performance from the podium, your older sisters Miriam and Maria played in the orchestra, your mother directed the children’s choir, including your younger sisters Wendy and Carol, and you sang in Chapel Choir as a high school senior.

In the area of voice teaching, I have gained the reputation for working on the light mechanism (especially with tenors), in order to both free and focus the production and tone.

In ACDA, my choirs have appeared at state and regional con-ventions, and I helped establish the Summer Dialogue and Male Chorus Festival. At St. olaf I was involved in the founding of the High School Summer Music Camp and the Conferences on Worship, Theology, and the Arts.

DS: What did you try to accomplish in auditions for your choirs? What did you listen for, or what was most important to you? What was it like having to form a choir with three other choral directors auditioning many of the same students?RS: I tried to discover as much about the singer as possible in ten minutes. In addition to general character traits (such as responsiveness, attitude, enthusiasm, shyness, etc.), I listened for vocal quality and range. Musicianship (ear, pitch memory,


“make” one the mixed choirs. The literature became more demanding, and I could work on developing the men’s voices.

DS: How did you balance home life with your work life?RS: Not well. I was caught up in the old-fashioned cultural stereotypes of division of labor for men and women. My wife, Cora, was fast and talented in many ways and worked outside the home as well. My load at St. olaf was heavy, so I did not spend a lot of time with the children. My sabbaticals, how-ever, included the whole family on a trip to Maine and several trips to Europe.

DS: Were there composers or specific pieces that you revisited at different points in your career, and did your interpretation of their music change over the years?RS: out of the choral-orchestral literature, the most repeated were the Britten War Requiem (5 times), followed by the Brahms German Requiem, and the Bach Passion According to St. Matthew. My interpretations did not change much over the years. The Bach was a little more in the Baroque style (bow-ings, etc.), but still had to be cognizant of the large performing groups that I conducted. That was true for my interpretations of shorter Renaissance and Baroque pieces as well. I felt that many students should experience those works, which put pres-sure on the balance between that and historically informed per-formance. In later years I tended to program more major works that used the full symphony orchestra. I scheduled American music, of course, but also had the choir sing German and other European music and quite a few English anthems, motets, and service music by Wood, Finzi, Stanford, Vaughan Williams, Brit-ten, and others.

DS: Who were some of the conductors and choirs that influenced you most over your years as a conductor?RS: Conductors that influenced me included Gerhard Schroth, Kenneth Jennings, olaf Christiansen, George Hunter, Helmuth Rilling, Robert Shaw, and my colleagues at St. olaf and in Minnesota. Influential choirs included the Lutheran schools such as Luther College and Concordia, the University of Illinois Chamber Choir, Robert Shaw Chorale, Kings College, Clare College, Monteverdi Choir (John Gar-diner), the Swedish Radio Choir, and St. Jakob’s Choir (Gary Graden).

DS: When you started your career, ACDA was not a well-developed organization. How do you view the progression of ACDA over the course of your time with the organization?RS: ACDA began as a contrast to the philosophy and con-ventions of the MENC. It placed more emphasis on the col-lege level of literature and performance. Gradually ACDA has become more open and encouraging to other kinds of choirs, too, such as community, professional, children’s, high school, and church choirs. At conventions and workshops, courses and repertoire sessions have become more numerous. More African-American music appeared, then more programs with dance and movement, and now “world” music. The Choral Journal has certainly become more professional and scholarly over the years.

DS: In your opinion, what importance does ACDA have in the development of young teach-ers/conductors?RS: ACDA helps young teachers/conductors through con-tinuing education at conventions and sponsored workshops. It forms a community of support and sharing of ideas about singing, literature, and teaching methods.


DS: Tell me about your teaching of solo voice? What did you enjoy about that as compared to your choral teaching?RS: About half of my teaching load at St. olaf was voice lessons. I taught beginners as well as others who later had careers as soloists. I myself had eight years of voice lessons. My philosophy is that both solo and choir voices are the same voice, but are also very flexible. For example, the kind of resonance and size of vibrato are partly a matter of choice. Also, students, especially those who would become teachers, should understand the voice intellectually, but experientially as well. By teaching solo voice, I learned a great amount of new music. It also gave me a chance to vocalize one person rather than aim at what might be needed for a whole group in choral warm-ups. This helped me to be cognizant of the choir as individuals even when working on blend, vowel color, and diction.

DS: What do you think are some of the most important contributions you made to the choral profession in MN and the US over your career?

RS: My choirs were heard by many because of the Christ-mas Festival radio and TV programs (and CD’s). My students from St. olaf are teaching and directing all over the country. Many of the singers in my choirs have continued to sing after college in their church, community, and professional choirs. They share their love of music and the choral art, some of which they learned from me, and my ACDA colleagues.

I hope that some directors will program my compositions that are published and music of other composers that I introduced. In any case, a focus on quality literature sung beautifully and expressively is a goal I promoted.

My development of the Viking Male Chorus as a group of young men learning to sing well has become a model for other col-leges. The vocal training of the recently “changed voice” and the programming of appropriate music are part of my legacy.

But in the end, I would repeat what I said earlier on – I hope that encouraged and inspired people to love to sing, to partici-pate in choirs, and to make music together.

952-934-1547 • C h a n h a s s e n D T. c o m • 800-355-6273

ON THE MAIN STAGE

Opens February 28!

Somewhere under the sea and beyond your imagination

is an adventure in fantasy.

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ACDA-Feb2014Mermaid_Layout 1 1/9/14 1:52 PM Page 1


sTuDenT PoDIumHappy New Year!

First of all, I thought this year’s Fall Conference was outstanding!

A few peers and I were able to volunteer with helping the Honors’ Choir students get awake and registered in the mornings, and also were able to see these young singers put on some amazing concerts in the evenings. In the two years that I’ve been to the Fall Conference, I’ve been blown away by the sound these choirs make, and this year we were able to see the students’ warm-ups early in the morning, then marvel at how beautiful they sounded later that night.

The sessions offered this year were particularly enlightening. I loved the techniques and strategies we learned from Edith Copley’s student conduct-ing seminar, and the dialogue-style session we had with Bret Amundson about being “The only Guy in the Room,” with some great insight for males directing all female ensembles, and vice versa. This year, I even learned a little more about something

truly amazing already happening in my own choral family at St. Cloud State University: Her Story Her Song. As someone who sees this concert every year, learning about its origins from Mary Jo Bot, Marcelyn Smale, and the rest of the Her Story Her Song board brought the meaning of this event to a whole new level.

I was extremely happy to see the amount of future choir teachers who attended the conference this year, especially the number of students from Con-cordia College! I feel extremely fortunate that a chapter as big as ACDA of Minnesota still works hard to keep student memberships and confer-ence registrations so affordable.

These kinds of events are more than beneficial to students interested in a career in music education, and were a great boost for me to finish the semes-ter strong, and keep looking ahead to this world I want to be a part of. I’m starting to get really excited for March’s regional conference, and can’t wait to see you all there!

JoSHUA SMITHStudent RepresentativeState Board of DirectorsSt. Cloud State University

2013 Fall Conference Reflection

ACDA-MN STATE 9-10 HIGH SCHOOL

HONOR CHOIR CONCERTS

Thursday, February 13, 2014

9-10 Women’s Choir Julia Fahey, guest conductor

9-10 Mixed Choir Allen Hightower, guest conductor

Central Lutheran Church • Minneapolis (MMEA Mid-Winter Clinic event)

ACDA NATIONAL AWARDS FOR EXCELLENCE

Star of the North Newsletter 1991 • 1997 • 1999 • 2003 2005 • 2007 • 2009 • 2011

ACDA-MN Website 2011

Hybrid Website and Newsletter 2013


“Music isn’t just a pleasure, a transient satisfaction. It’s a need, a deep hunger; and when the music is right, it’s joy. Love. A foretaste of heaven. A comfort in grief. Is it too much to think that perhaps God speaks to us sometimes through music? How, then, could I be so ungrateful as to refuse the message?” – orson Scott Card

The message of music speaks to us in varying ways and places. The medium of music touches the soul and brings awareness of what is being spoken to on a different level; it can reinforce what has been or is going to be spoken. The addition of the church choir to the worship service enhances the worship by making the words of the service come alive in a different medium. By incorporat-ing another auditory sense, music, with its melody, harmonies, and rhythm, helps the listener become more “in-tune,” so to speak, as to what is being proclaimed in the service.

But that isn’t the only important aspect of music and the church choir. The benefits of having a church choir are many. A church choir can give people a sense of belonging to a group with a common purpose – a sense of community. Choir members are given a chance to sing and share. They share a common goal. They feel needed and included in a group that accepts them as they are and appreciates their talents.

We all have a need to belong. Choirs can satisfy that need. For those who worship alone, becom-ing a part of a church choir can help them feel a part of the church community. It gives them a place to receive spiritual and emotional support while working together toward a common goal.

The church choir literature enhances worship and puts to music words from the scriptures. These words come to life in song and many times “stick in your head.” But just as important is the lasting effect the songs have on the congregation. Church choir members share their talent which in turn brings many blessings and much joy to the listeners.

Singing can also have a positive effect on the health and welfare of the individual choir members. Sing-

ing energizes a person while at the same time creates a calming effect, leaving individuals with a sense of peace. Focusing on the music helps a singer forget whatever may be troubling them and center their thoughts on the words of the music. Singers can focus on giving a gift to those around them – that gift being music. Not only is music an emotional release, but it also may have physical benefits. Choir members may develop better pos-ture and using better breath support, increase the oxygen which helps with blood flow throughout the entire body.

In the town where I currently reside, there has been a choir at the Lutheran church since 1923. It is still very active today. When conversing with the choir director, Elaine, I asked her what motivated her to keep directing after 34 years. She replied, “of course, my faith in a god who is worthy of our praise, my love of music and my belief in the positive mental, emotional, and physical benefits of singing. Most certainly I am motivated by my very faithful members, who diligently come for rehearsal every Wednesday night. They willingly leave the comforts of their homes to sing, share and give God the glory – they are my energizer bunnies who keep me seeking new ways to make choral music come alive at Concordia Lutheran Church.”

The church choir can also be the core group that promotes a larger community choral event. one such event in which I had the pleasure to participate in was the performance of various selections from Handel’s “Messiah.” Community members were invited to four scheduled rehearsals conducted by a voice instructor and organist from a nearby college. The core choir’s church was the venue and singers from the surrounding area participated. The church was full and the chance to perform such a historical choral work in our small community was fulfilling for the audience and performers alike.

The benefits of a church choir to the church itself, its members, and the community are many. As musicians, may we continue to support and lift up those whose share their musical talents and time in the church choir!

from The fIelD

shelly wAhlInnorthwest District Chair

fertile-beltrami Public schools

Blessings and Benefits…The Church Choir


Each year, NEH (National Endowment for the Humanities) offers tuition-free opportunities for school, college, and university educators to study a variety of humanities topics. Stipends of $1,200-$3,900 help cover expenses for these one-to-five week programs. NEH funds a wide variety of pro-grams that can help you expand your humanities knowledge, engage in concentrated research, or improve your classroom teaching.

There are Summer Seminars & Institutes for Col-lege and University teachers. Here, attendees spend between two to five weeks on in-depth study of a humanities topic.

Also offered are Summer Seminars and Institutes for School Teachers. These attendees spend between two to five weeks on in-depth study of a humanities topic.

My experience has been with the Landmarks of American History and Culture workshops for School Teachers. These one-week programs give participants direct experiences in the interpreta-tion of significant historical and cultural sites, and the use of archival and other primary evidence. Each workshop seamlessly incorporates the arts and culture of the area as great interdisciplinary tools for your classroom.

Workshops that I have attended are: “The Most Southern Place on Earth: Music, History and Cul-ture of the Mississippi Delta,” “Duke Ellington and American Popular Culture,” “Contested Home-

lands, Knowledge, History and Culture of Historic Santa Fe,” and “Sailing to Freedom, New Bedford and the Underground Railroad.”

Your fellow classmates are teachers, just like you, from every discipline, from every state. The instructors are top-notch and the knowledge and resources they share with you are so inter-esting that you’ll want to incorporate them into your curriculum. The culmination of the week has the teachers submitting lesson plans or projects; something that will bring what you have learned, alive in your classroom.

The qualifications are light. Draft a one-page paper on reasons why you’d like to attend the NEH workshop and how it will impact your teaching. Acquire two recommendations from administra-tion or peers and get your resume up-to-date. You can sign up for up to two workshops, but can only attend one. If you are selected, they will con-tact you with more information.

The on-line site is www.neh.gov the National Endowment for the Humanities home page. Here, look under grants for the Summer Seminars and Institutes for teachers. When you find a workshop that interests you, click on it and it will take you to each individual workshops homepage. Deadline is the beginning of March. There are new and differ-ent opportunities every year. Check it out! Educa-tion, enjoyment, and travel are within your grasp!

from The fIelD

kAThy PAulsCentral District ChairEden Valley-Watkins

schools

explore the humanities!

2013 ACDA-MN State Conference November 21-22, 2014

St. Andrew’s Lutheran Church, Mahtomedi Application for Concert or Clinic

Performance – June 1, 2014

2014-15 STATE HONOR CHOIR CONDUCTORS

4-5-6 Boys’ – Mark Johnson 4-5-6 Girls’ – Kari Douma 7-8 Boys’ – Andrew Last

7-8 Girls’ – Bret Amundson 9-10 Women – Shelly Winemiller

9-10 Mixed – Matt Mehaffey


“...O Divine Master, Grant that I may not so much seekTo be consoled as to console;To be loved as to love.For it is in giving that we receive…” – St. Francis of Assisi

...O Divine Master, Grant that I may not so much seek To be consoled as to console

At First Presbyterian Church of White Bear Lake (FPC-WBL), the choir is more than just a singing group; it is a community of support. This support is built through traditions that provide the choir opportunities to connect with one another. The first tradition can be seen every Wednesday night at 6:00 when our church community gathers for a meal together. Choir members share stories from the week in a casual environment before singing together at our weekly rehearsal. The second tra-dition has been to have choir members share per-sonal stories with one another. In the spring, sing-ers are given 5 minutes to talk to the choir about a given topic during a rehearsal. The topics have included: “Why did you begin singing and why do you continue to do so?”; “What song that you sing (current or in the past) has moved you?”; and this year we will ask, “What will you look back on in life and be proud of?” Finally, our last important tradition is to pray at the end of rehearsal. This helps to keep our focus on why we are singing – to honor God through music and to support one another.

All of these connections add to the feeling of fam-ily as a choir. I frequently see choir members shar-ing cards of joy or condolence with one another. They keep one another in prayers throughout the week and often check in with one another on Sun-day morning before rehearsal. This choir commu-nity offers consolation to its members similar to

any choir where the members make a great con-nection with one another. This encourages singers to be vulnerable and trust one another both in the choir and in their everyday lives.

...O Divine Master, Grant that I may not so much seek... To be loved as to love

one trend that I have noticed while conducting church choir is that people continue to sing for many different reasons. Some of the most touch-ing stories are from some of the newer choir members who have waited for years before join-ing a choir. Take the story of Sue, a tenor at FPC-WBL. Below is a portion of an email she wrote to me after I reminded the choir that all singing is valid and it is much more important to encourage anyone to sing than it is to criticize those who sing out of tune:

“...I especially want to thank you for the statement you made a few weeks ago referring to how to encourage and welcome all people to choir. You actually hit the nail on the head with me, I was told my whole life that I did not know how to sing and that, “Sue, you couldn’t carry a tune in a bucket if you tried and you never will.” I know this sounds silly at my age, but when I was in grade school, my teacher had me lip sync when we had any kind of music program. It is hard to believe that has stuck with me my whole life but it has and I wanted you to know how close to home the statement you made hit me and I thank you for your understand-ing…”

While I seek excellence with my church choir, I try to strike a balance and continue to honor all voices. I realize through stories like Sue’s that choir is a place where we must love every singer whether they are ready for The Met, or have just rediscovered a passion for singing. This continues in my philosophy that I will never ask anyone to leave the choir due to vocal issues or age. I believe

from The fIelD

AnDrew beArDmetro west District Chair

osseo high school

Since 1997… Your gifts to the FMC Endowment

Fund have supported 221 Minnesota choral directors with scholarship awards totaling over $135,500!

To print Star of the North Click the .pdf version to print entire issue or click the print icon on top of

each page to print per page


that the spirit anyone brings to the church choir is more valuable than anything their voice could harm, especially if their heart is in the right place. Finally, I have realized the power of vocal music teachers in the public school system. It has taken years for Sue to find her voice again after years of being afraid because of a comment a music teacher once made. I work hard to make sure that I never take away the gift of song through making such a terrible comment.

For it is in giving that we receive…

Directing a church choir has brought joy into my life in ways I never realized it would. Choir direc-tors give time, energy, and resources to help their choirs succeed. A church choir is no different. The most beautiful gift I have been given is the chance to see that the impact of singing on a life never ends. I am able to leave my senior high choir on Wednesday afternoon to work with singers who have sung in a church choir since before my par-ents were born. The 90-year-old soprano who cannot drive at night is still being touched by the power of music as much as the 15-year-old tenor who doesn’t have his license!

I believe that conducting a church choir keeps me grounded in my teaching job by giving me a life-long perspective. I realize that singing will not be the career of many of my students, but that many of them will continue to be touched by music throughout their lives. I am amazed by the dedi-cation of many in my choir who are older than 80 and who come each week out of no obligation other than the power of song. I see how these singers bring God into their music and their lives through singing in the choir and I am honored to be a part of that experience.

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ACDA-MN Annual Elections

March 2-17

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fmC enDowmenT funD uPDATe

DIANA J. LELANDDirector of Development,

f. melius Christiansen Endowment Fund

Greetings from the F. Melius Christiansen Endow-ment Fund Committee! 2013 was another excellent year for ACDA-MN’s endowment fund as $46,707 was donated to support Minnesota choral music. We are most grateful that ACDA-MN (138) mem-bers contributed $22,014 to the FMC Endowment Fund this past year. Non-ACDA members (161) donated $19,968 in 2013. In addition, 16 corpora-tions and foundations contributed $4,725 to our endowment fund. We are very fortunate to live in a state where 315 donors supported choral music excellence during 2013.

During 2013 the following F. Melius Christian-sen (FMC) Endowment Fund scholarships were awarded:• One (1) – Graduate Study Scholarship • Two (2) – ACDA National Conference

Scholarships • Nine (9) – Student Collegiate Con-

ducting Project Scholarships – during Summer Dialogue

• Seven (7) – Summer Dialogue Scholarships

Names of 2013 scholarship recipients can be found at: acda-mn.org/past-scholarship-recipients

For 2014, the following FMC Endowment Fund scholarships have recently been awarded and will be used by the following ACDA-MN members:• Seven (7) – ACDA North Central

Division Scholarships to attend the 2014 Des Moines, IA Conference were awarded to: Andrew Beard, Kayla Krizek, Sam Fouts, Meghan Hanna, Nicholas Hollerman, Tucker Moore and Erin Schmidt

• One (1) – World Symposium on Choral Music Scholarship to Seoul, South Korea (August 6-14, 2014) was awarded to: David Mennicke

Congratulations to the most recent scholarship recipients! Since 1997, 221 Minnesota choral direc-tors and student ACDA-MN members have been the recipients of $137,500 in scholarship awards.

Please consider planning for a special gift that will make a lasting difference for the future of Min-nesota choral music and assist ACDA-MN with sustaining its LEGACY. Designate the F. Melius Christiansen Endowment Fund as a beneficiary in your will or estate plans. The following statement will ensure that your gift is appropriately directed:

I bequeath ____% of my estate (or a specific fund) to the FMC Endowment Fund of the American Choral Directors Association a 501 (c)(3) non-profit cor-poration located at 12027 Gantry Lane, Apple Valley, MN 55124

A bequest and estate planning form is available at:www.fmcendowment.org/sites/default/files/BequestEstatePlanningForm.pdf

Thank you for your extraordinary support of ACDA-MN’s FMC Endowment Fund which affords many ACDA members professional development opportunities through our annual scholarship awards program. We are most grateful for your continued generous donations.

May you enjoy excellent health, much happiness and special musical moments throughout 2014!

LSM IS AFFORDABLE! Merit, need-based, and match grant assistance is [email protected] | 888-635-6583 | www.lutheransummermusic.org

Encourage your students to APPLY TODAY! Applications received by March 30 are eligible for an additional $100 tuition discount.

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Encourage your students to APPLY TODAY! Applications received by March 30 are eligible for an additional $100 tuition discount.

Dr. Andrew Last2014 LSM Choir Conductor

ACADEMY & FESTIVAL

lutheransummer

musicJUNE 22 – JULY 20, 2014

A musical training and performance program held on the campus of Luther College, Decorah, Iowa

for CHOIR, BAND, ORCHESTRA, PIANO, COMPOSITION and PIPE ORGAN students

Grades 8 - 12

The Emerging Conductors Network (ECN) had a meeting at the November Conference, which served as a round table discussion to help mold the future of ECN meetings. There were around 25 students and young conductors present at the meeting. Many of the ideas presented focused on increased accessibility to sessions (right now all have been metro-centric). Also, members of the ECN are interested in continuing to see ses-sions focused on building a choir instead of per-formance-based presentations. We hope to have

Emerging Conductor’s Network

ANDREW BEARDosseo high school

osseo, mn

some focused ECN sessions at this year’s Summer Dialogue as well as next fall a the fall conference!

Keep up to date with ECN happenings by joining the facebook page “ACDA-MN Emerging Con-ductors Network.” our meetings for the rest of the year will be: February 1st from 10:30-2:00 at St. Michael/Albertville HS with the topic of Rep-ertoire Discussions and Programming; March 8th from 10:30-2:00 at Hopkins High School with the topic of Instructional Strategies; and on May 16 at 5:00pm we will meet for happy hour to reflect on the year!


Minneapolis Public Schools recently commis-sioned two local artists, hip-hop artist/writer Dessa and composer Jocelyn Hagen, to collabo-rate on a work for mass choir and orchestra to be premiered April 27 and 28 at the Convention Center. Tesfa Wondemagegnehu, the new Assis-tant Artistic Director for VocalEssence, takes some time to interview the duo on this work-in-progress.

Tesfa: I’m excited about this project for a num-ber of reasons. one of my passions is that I want kids to be inspired about music, period. Whether it’s classical or pop, if they are inspired by music and excited about it, it can have a lasting impact. I’m speaking from experience, from growing up on the inner city streets of Memphis, and I know how music changed my life. I think it’s great that y’all are collaborating together. This is really excit-ing for the Twin Cities.

How did this project come to fruition, and how have you collaborated in coming to a singular vision for this project?

Dessa: I received an email, out of the blue, from a man named Calvin Plocher Keasling, whose email indicated that he worked for the Minneapolis public school system. He described a commission project for an original collabora-tion between a composer and someone from a different field. I work in hip-hop and pop music, and I really liked the idea of creating something in that kind of permeable genre. I liked the idea of working outside my comfort zone, having the chance to collaborate with a composer and hear-ing a piece live with so many voices. In rap music, it’s just a few performers at almost every show, so I was really excited by the idea, and it was easy to say yes. And then I had a chance to meet Joc-elyn, and become familiar with her works. Arriv-ing at a singular vision on this project has been less about intellectualizing a shared goal and more about learning by doing. We ended up honing our ideas and identifying our objectives by sitting at a piano, singing together, or listening together on Finale as the notes come together. This piece, for me, has been informed by the process, as opposed to an intellectual statement of purpose.

Jocelyn: That was a really great way of describ-ing it: the idea of “jump in and start creating.” That’s recently been my philosophy. I tend to get my hands dirty with the materials first, feel what I’m working with, and then go from there. That’s typical of my process, but it’s fun inviting someone into that process as well. I’ve never had another musical collaborator like this before. I’ve collabo-rated with choreographers, conductors and per-formers, but never with another artist at the com-positional level. And that’s been fun, and it takes quite a bit of the pressure off, too. If I don’t have an idea for what should happen next, chances are Dessa will.

Tesfa: To hear you both talk about it makes me even more excited! It sounds like a process that’s been formed and developed through experience. And I can tell you, from being a classroom teacher, that’s the way we want our students to learn: by doing. Not just sitting around and talking about it.

Dessa, this question is for you. Before this project, what experience, if any, have you had with classi-cal music, and more specifically, choral music?

Dessa: I think that my experience with play-ers in the classical realm has been limited to sec-tional experience. At my big shows, like when I’m releasing a CD, oftentimes I’ll see if I can’t wrangle up a string quartet, or pull some favors to see if some of the Twin Cities best female vocalists will join me on stage to perform a piece that has a lot of dynamic harmonies. It’s been an aesthetic I’m attracted to. I love layering voices. But usu-ally I’m limited, by virtue of expense, to using my own instrument. So I’ll sit with my laptop and multitrack, layering my own voice two or eight or even twelve to fifteen times to get the desired effect. That’s nice because I take direction from me really well. on the other hand, I’m limited to that singular instrument, a low register alto. I don’t truly have access to those clear-ringing soprano notes when I’m the only singer at my disposal.

Tesfa: Jocelyn, what difficulties have you faced composing music that fuses several musical styles/genres into one product?

CommIssIonIng Corner

TESFA WoNDEMAGEGNEHU

DESSA DARLING

JoCELYN HAGEN


Jocelyn: Well, there’s a difficulty in creating a popular sound in classical, notated form. When Dessa and I are singing together, we are singing in a natural and popular style, and translating that to the page can be very tricky because we tend to sing with a lot of syncopations added in. As you know, Tesfa, when you see lots of rhythmic syncopations on the page, that can be hard to read, especially for younger voices. For music readers who are just learning to read notes and rhythms, it can be overwhelming to see lots of syncopations in the score. So trying to keep that to a minimum, while keeping the popular style, is a challenge and a compromise.

Tesfa: What have you found to be pretty easy about this compositional process?

Jocelyn: Because I’ve been a fan of Dessa’s work and lis-tened to her music for years, I know her style, and her musical and vocal tendencies. So that all feels very natural once we start improvising, and a lot of fun.

Tesfa: Dessa, do you see yourself venturing into other “clas-sical” collaborations like this in the future?

Dessa: I do. Already I’ve learned a lot. I would echo Joce-lyn’s sentiments, that for me this has been a learning experi-ence, about syncopations particularly! Because I am such a fan of syncopations, so much so that I don’t even realize when a line has been syncopated. So, listening to Jocelyn and learning what’s doable makes me excited, so that in another project, I can push limits. I’m excited to see what can be done and what can’t be done, and see how these musical styles fuse well, and when and why. And when they don’t work, why don’t they work? I’m looking forward to better understanding the world of classical music. I’m looking forward to doing a bit of study after our collaboration is complete so that in my next collab-orative venture I can be an even more informed contributor.

Tesfa: Fantastic. I was a school teacher for five years, a high school choir director. I know first-hand the impact that music can have on young souls. So I want to ask both of you, how do you envision projects like this impacting music educa-tion programs across the country?

Jocelyn: I think that anything that music teachers can do to bring the idea across that music is a living art and that peo-

ple are creating it now is really wonderful. It’s not just dead white guys! Here are these people trying new things, and in the classical realm. I think we’re used to hearing about and seeing what popular musicians are doing nowadays, but what is happening in the contemporary classical world is not nearly as public. With this collaboration, the students see popular and the classical music coming together. This doesn’t happen very often. It’s a pretty unique collaboration, and I’m proud of Calvin Plocher Keasling and Minneapolis Public Schools for having the idea and putting it together. I think these students are going to experience something that not many students get a chance to experience.

Dessa: Well said, and I think, to be totally honest, it’s too soon for me to know! I think I’ll know more April 27. I look forward to working with students and seeing where the enthusiasm lies.

Tesfa: I think it’s incredible that someone like Dessa, who’s extraordinarily talented, to join into a project like this. Do you think something like this could be duplicated and used across the country and have some impact on student learning and retention?

Dessa: That’s interesting. I tour maybe 3-4 months of each year, so timing can be a challenge. And some of the collabora-tive ventures that happen in Minneapolis can be challenging to execute elsewhere because Minneapolis is an unusually collab-orative and genre-permeable market. In a lot of other places in the country, it’s very difficult to have a three-act bill where each act hails from a different genre. We do that in Minneapolis a lot. Musicians like Jeremy Messersmith and Adam Levy both work with classically trained musicians frequently. We have a lot of willingness to reach across the aisle, a lot of patient classical artists and popular artists. Minneapolis does this exceptionally well. Can this be duplicated? Yes, if you have a willing commu-nity of artists.

Tesfa: Wow. I can tell you that you are meeting the stu-dents where they are, and you will lead them to greater things. I’m excited to be included on this conversation. It’s great to see projects like this happening.

Join the ACDA-MN community on the ACDA-MN Facebook page

visit www.acda-mn.org to connect with your colleagues

2014 Student Symposium ACDA-MN State Conference

Friday, November 21 St. Andrew’s Lutheran Church, Mahtomedi


Happy New Year and greetings from MMEA!

Thank you ACDA-MN for such an incredible state conference! The tribute to Alice Larson and wom-en’s choirs was especially moving, and I am grateful that so many wonderful young women were fortu-nate to experience the Grade 12 Select Women’s Choir. Each successful convention is the culmina-tion of endless hours of planning, preparation and people power that often goes unnoticed. Know that the ACDA-MN State Conference was hugely successful and greatly appreciated by all attendees: ACDA-MN members, MMEA colleagues, Honor Choir participants and their families/friends. We are so blessed by the rich heritage and tradition of choral music in our state and are especially thank-ful to the founders and leaders of this organization and their vision and commitment to excellence in choral music.

The primary responsibility of the MMEA Cho-ral Vice President is All-State Choir. I am beyond passionate about this program and know that the All-State choir members, conductors, and sec-tion coaches experience life-changing moments, renewal, and a better understanding of the impor-tance this art form because of the MMEA All-State experience.

RECoRDED AUDITIoNS 2014: Change is hard; the audition process has changed and we all must move forward. The 2014 MMEA All-State audi-tions have changed significantly and I strongly encourage all high school choral directors to spend time on the MMEA website educating themselves about the changes in the audition process. These

changes have been implemented for many reasons with the most exciting being that MMEA All-State ensembles will now be completely inclusive to ALL music programs in the state. This is incredibly exciting and will finally culminate in what we aspire to be: a truly ALL-STATE program by affording the opportunity for greater participation throughout the state of Minnesota. In addition, these changes offer greater consistency in scores and lower costs for auditions and camp costs. The good news for ACDA-MN members is that members are likely familiar with oPUSEVENT, the website for MMEA All-State auditions, as it is the same site used for all ACDA-MN Honor Choir auditions.

It has been said that we are moving from an imper-fect system to an imperfect system. MMEA values your opinions and comments and as we transition to this new audition format and hopes to provide you with as many resources as possible to make this a positive experience for you and your stu-dents. The February MMEA Mid-Winter Clinic will offer sessions to aid in the best ways to record and submit auditions, troubleshoot technology issues and provide support. If you have questions or need guidance to navigate the process, please contact MMEA at [email protected]�

Thanks to all who have offered insights and support to this new process. MMEA is excited to experi-ence the results that will come from this change and hopes that it will open doors for greater par-ticipation in the overall MMEA All-State audition process.

mmeA uPDATe

MELAINE KJELLBERG Andover High School

Andover, MN

Explore On-line Benefits for Members Log-in at www.acda.org and explore the following

exciting and relevant resources:

ChorTeach • ChoralNet • ACDA Radio • First Listen The International Journal of Research in Choral Singing

Choral Journal • State, Division and National Conferences • Social Media – Facebook Group • LinkedIn

Network with peers and colleagues all across the country!


JUNE 8-13, 2014 • SIOUX FALLS, SD

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2014 SUMMER DIALOGUE HEADLINERS

Jonathan Reed, Michigan State University Conductor – MMEA All-State Men’s Choir

Brad Holmes, Millikin University Conductor – MMEA All-State Mixed Choir

Mary Kay Geston, Great River Chorale Conductor – MMEA

All-State Women’s Choir

JoAnn Miller North Dakota State University

Conductor – ACDA-MN Directors’ Chorus

August 5-9 Concordia College – Moorhead

Star of the North State Newsletter Relevant • Resourceful • Respected

Our Values Artistry • Community • Excellence

Inspiration • Legacy • Renewal • Support


sTATe seCreTAry

CAnDIDATes for sTATewIDe AnD DIsTrICT eleCTIons

Katelyn Larson was born and raised in Stillwater and graduated from Stillwater Area High School in 2007. She received her B.M. degree in Vocal Music Education from St. olaf College and began teaching at St. Francis High School in the fall of 2011. Now in her third year at St. Francis, Kate-lyn enjoys teaching the freshmen women’s choir, advanced women choir, and giving

private voice lessons to 9th through 12th grade students. Dur-ing the summer, Katelyn is the vocal director for the Stillwater Community Theater musical and teaches private voice lessons. Katelyn is thankful for the rich educational experiences she’s had thus far, and is looking forward to pursuing her master’s degree in the near future.

What has ACDA-MN meant to my professional career?over the past three years, ACDA-MN has played a significant role in my development as a music educator. Ever since my first dialogue experience, I have felt like a true member of the orga-nization whose experience is valued and success is encouraged. I’ve started to establish a network of colleagues with whom I can share ideas and experiences, and that is of immeasurable worth. At the heart of teaching and learning lies relationships, and ACDA fosters this so well through its mission to build com-munity. Many of the relationships I’ve formed have turned into mentorships and friendships, both of which serve me daily as I continue to grow in this profession.

Another major impact that ACDA-MN has made on my pro-fessional career is that it has given me an overwhelming desire to follow in the footsteps of the superb music educators who have paved the way before me. Minnesota’s choral heritage is so unbelievably rich thanks to the devoted leaders who have formed it into what it is today. With every passing year, I am reminded more and more of our individual and collective responsibility to uphold that heritage.

What do I hope to personally offer this organiza-tion as State Secretary?It would be such an honor and a privilege to serve as the ACDA-MN State Secretary. I am a people-person by nature, and I believe that my communication and personal skills could be of

great benefit to this organization. I would really enjoy interacting with ACDA members about upcoming events and making sure that information gets passed along clearly and efficiently. I would also enjoy contributing fresh ideas when it comes to community building and increasing involvement. I have excellent organiza-tional skills, a strong sense of commitment, and an undying work ethic to offer as the State Secretary. Most importantly, I have the desire and motivation to see ACDA-MN thrive in promoting the development of excellent choral musicians, directors, and teachers in the state of Minnesota.

Currently in her 11th year of teach-ing at Lake Middle School in Woodbury, Gillian Teoh-Berbee has been a lifelong music lover. In 2002, she earned her B.M. in vocal music education from St. olaf College; in 2012 she completed her M.A. in music education with a choral concentration from the University of St. Thomas with a thesis entitled “Chinese Folk Songs for Middle School Choirs.”

After briefly teaching in the Prior Lake-Savage school district, she moved to her current position teaching sixth, seventh, and eighth grade choirs in Woodbury in 2003. In addition to attend-ing State and North Central ACDA conferences, she has been an active volunteer with the state 7/8 honor choirs and the middle level North Central ACDA honor choirs. In 2013, Ms. Teoh-Berbee was appointed to fill a vacancy for the secretary of ACDA-MN. outside of work and volunteering with ACDA, Ms. Teoh-Berbee has continued to sing in choirs and currently sings with Magnum Chorum.

What has ACDA-MN meant to my professional career?Joining ACDA-MN was the best choice I made as a young cho-ral director! It is like an extended family--we gather for large functions like Summer Dialogue and the Fall Conference every year, and you always feel welcome and supported by ACDA-MN members from all across the state. We all help each other to grow by sharing ideas, challenging one another, and helping whenever needed. In between those large gatherings, the wealth of wisdom in ACDA-MN is always available, and support and is always there for one another. This wonderful choral family is

37Our Mission: To support and inspire a community of choral musicians in our state • www.acda-mn.org

the best group of advocates for the continued development and growth of our profession!

What do I hope to personally offer this organiza-tion as State Secretary?If elected State Secretary, I want to be able to give back to ACDA-MN, the organization that has helped nurture me as a choral conductor. I hope to serve our organization by continu-ing to streamline communication so members can stay up to date with all of the developments in ACDA-MN. I am person-ally a very detail-oriented and organized person who is always learning new things. With all the technology currently available to us, I hope to increase the transparency of our organization and make information available at a faster rate for all members.

ACDA-MN AWARD NOMINATIONS F. Melius Christiansen

Lifetime Achievement Award Minnesota Choral Director of the Year Award

Outstanding Young Choral Director Award

Due on June 1, 2014 Nominations forms available at:

www.acda-mn.org


CenTrAl DIsTrICT ChAIrLucy Oehler teaches fifth grade gen-eral music and sixth through eighth grade choir in the Brainerd School District. She spent the previous two years teaching 4th-6th grade choir, K-6 Elementary Music, and directing the orchestra for the high school musical in Aitkin. Lucy graduated magna cum laude from Concordia College in Moorhead in 2011 and served on the ACDA student chapter board for three

years while at Concordia. Lucy is currently pursuing her mas-ter’s in Curriculum and Instruction with an emphasis in Kodaly through Minnesota State University Moorhead. Lucy is an active member of the Legacy Chorale of Greater MN, ACDA, NAFME, and enjoys teaching piano lessons in the community.

What has ACDA-MN meant to my professional career?ACDA allows choral advocates to come full circle, providing links in circles of educators, students, musicians, community mem-bers, technology, new ideas, and more. I’ve enjoyed chances to take in my surroundings at inspiring state, regional and national conferences; educational meetings with the Emerging Conduc-tors Network; personal experiences of the lover of choral music shown by the F. Melius Christiansen Fund; and connections with mentors, coworkers, and peers in ACDA during college and my formative years teaching. As I continue growing and learning as a teacher and ACDA member, I am compelled to transition from learning in this community to giving back through service—the next step in a love of lifelong learning!

What do I hope to personally offer this organiza-tion as a district chair?As the Central District Chair, I would represent the small towns and growing communities across the mid-state area, aiming to connect near and far. This could come in many ways: providing ways to share resources, sharing contact information between teachers, creating forums to discuss experiences, scheduling Skype conferences for our choirs to share, carpooling to ACDA-MN events, or hosting get-togethers of our own. ACDA-MN is a community moving forward in the twenty-first century, and I look forward to growing and connecting with others.

Nate Raabe graduated magna cum laude from Luther College in the spring of 2010. He went on to teach 7-12 grade vocal music at Chatfield Public Schools. While in Chatfield, he also co-conducted the Chatfield Community Choir and St. Mary’s Church Choir. In 2012, Raabe took the position of 7-12 grade vocal music director at Dassel-Cokato Public Schools where he currently teaches. He is also

the vocal director for the annual fall musical and conductor of Chamber Choir, a select extra-curricular ensemble. Singing experience includes one season with Choral Arts Ensemble of Rochester and is currently in his second season with Magnum Chorum in the Twin Cities.

What has ACDA-MN meant to my professional career?ACDA-MN has been a source of support and growth for me professionally through a network of caring and passionate music educators who continually strive for excellence in the choral art. I have gained invaluable advice and guidance from master teach-ers and conductors at all levels thanks to the various opportuni-ties provided by ACDA-MN.

What do I hope to personally offer this organiza-tion as a district chair?I would like to act as a conduit for young educators to express their ideas and concerns so that ACDA-MN may further serve and support them in their first years of teaching. I would like to help expand our reach to educators who may not be tak-ing full advantage of all that ACDA-MN has to offer. I hope to contribute in any other way that I can to continue moving the organization forward.

STATE DUES REMINDER Add $15 to Active, Life and Retired membership categories when renewing your membership with the ACDA national office.

39Our Mission: To support and inspire a community of choral musicians in our state • www.acda-mn.org

Kristin Kivell has been teaching vocal music for 14 years in a variety of settings. She has taught middle school in Northfield and Lakeville, elementary in Cannon Falls and is currently teaching grades 5-12 in the Tri-City United School District in Mont-gomery. outside of the work day, she has been a member of I Cantanti and Le Donne chamber ensembles, volunteered as music director at the local theater and

conducts two children’s church choirs. Kivell received her BA in Vocal Music Education from Gustavus Adolphus College and spent three years in the Music Education masters program at St. Thomas University.

What has ACDA-MN meant to your professional career?Having a strong and local organization, such as ACDA-MN, has been inspiring and a wonderful source of support for me throughout my career. Attending Summer Dialogue and State Conference provides new learning opportunities and a great network with colleagues. Gathering with other talented and successful musicians is a source inspiration that is important to me�

What do I hope to personally offer this organiza-tion as a district chair?As your Southeast District Chair, I hope to provide the same support to other choir directors in my district. Choral Direc-tors often work solo in their department and I will do my best to provide a network for all the directors to connect with one another and share ideas and suggestions. As a district chair, I will also dedicate my time to the ACDA-MN board’s mission to inspire and support the community of choral musicians.

Beverly Cashman is a graduate of the College of St. Teresa, Winona, MN and has taught K-12 vocal/classroom music most of her career, spending early teach-ing positions in owatonna and Faribault. For the past sixteen years, she has taught k-12 students at Medford Public Schools. In addition to her school duties, she has taught piano and voice lessons in the com-munity, as has served for over forty years as a church choir director.

outside of school and church music responsibilities, she has served on church counsels, a local Food Shelf board, and on the owatonna Human Rights Board and has enjoyed emceeing many community events. In 2000, she was the recipient of the owatonna Business Women’s “Woman of the Year” award.

Personally, I have enjoyed all aspects of life in raising five children and enjoy spending time with my two grandchildren.

What has ACDA-MN meant to my professional career?ACDA has provided me with annual opportunities to visit and connect with teachers that teach in small, rural communities like mine…all grade levels, no accompanists, etc. It is a great boon to have the chance to say, “How do you do this?” or “What did you do this year that really worked well?”

I enjoy being exposed to new practical ideas presented from various speakers, and master conductors. In addition, I appreci-ate being exposed to new music styles and genres, that ACDA-MN has offered.

What do I hope to personally offer this organiza-tion as a district chair?I would look forward to being more involved with this organiza-tion.

souTheAsT DIsTrICT ChAIr

Change of address or phone number? Contact Bruce W. Becker, Executive Director

[email protected]

Haven’t been receiving The Daily Beat? Contact Bruce W. Becker, Executive Director

[email protected]


HEADLINING CONCERT Cantus Friday, March 21, 8:00 pm – Des Moines Civic Center

AUDITIONED CHOIR CONCERTSEastview High School Concert Choir Greg Douma, conductorThursday, March 20 9:30 am – St. Ambrose Cathedral

The Gustavus Choir – Greg Aune, conductor Friday, March 21, 11:00 am – St. Ambrose Cathedral

Princeton High School Concert Choir Mark Potvin, conductor Friday, March 21, 10:30 am – St. Ambrose Cathedral

University of St. Thomas Chamber Singers Angela Broeker, conductor Friday, March 21, 3:30 pm – St. Ambrose Cathedral

University of Minnesota-Duluth Lake Effect Tina Thielen-Gaffey, conductor Friday, March 21, 7:30 pm – Des Moines Civic Center

MUSIC AND WORSHIP EVENTChoral Diversity in Worship Music Jerry Rubino, Coordinator Saturday, March 22, 8:30 am – St. John’s Lutheran Church

VOCAL JAZZ EXPERIENCE DAYApple Valley High School AVHS Singers Bill Blatzheim, conductor

Buffalo High School BHS Singers Michael Walsh, conductor

University of Minnesota-Duluth Lake Effect Tina Thielen-Gaffey, conductor

Friday, March 21 – Drake University Sheslow Auditorium

Minnesotans Appear at North Central Division ConferenceDes Moines IA • March 19-22, 2014

INTEREST SESSIONS

Thursday, March 20Reid Larsen – Cottage Grove Middle School Music 5: Fostering Diverse Musicians Beyond the Performance 5:00 pm – Marriott Hotel Salon G

Friday, March 21St. Cloud State University Concert Choir Matthew Ferrell, conductor Czech Composers Past and Present: Choral Music from the Heartland of Europe To the Heartland of America 1:30 pm – Marriott Hotel Salon ABCD

Cantus 1:30 pm – Renaissance Savery

Saturday, March 22Hopkins High School Concert Choir Philip Brown, conductor Mini Residency with Brainerd Blyden-Taylor and the Nathaniel Dett Chorale 11:30 am – Scottish Rite Consistery

Anton Armstrong – St. olaf College Fostering Choral Diversity in a Bastian of Choral Tradition 12:00 noon – Marriott Hotel Salon ABCD

Daniel A. Mahraun – Minnesota State University Moorhead “What Language Shall I Borrow…” Singing in Translation 1:30 pm – Marriott Hotel Salon F

Christopher Russell – South Washington County Schools IPads in Choral Music Education 1:30 pm – Marriott Hotel Sioux City Room

Star of the North on-line archival editions available at

www.acda-mn.org

ACDA North Central Division Conference

March 19-22, 2014 • Des Moines IA


2014 Winter-Spring Calendar of EventsFEBRUARY1 10:30 am

Emerging Conductor’s Network (ECN) St. Michael-Albertville HS

2 1:00-4:00 pm FMC Committee Meeting Mary Kay Geston, host

13 5:30 pm State 9-10 Honor Choir Concerts Central Lutheran Church, Mpls

MARCH2-17 Statewide Elections8 10:30 am

Emerging Conductor’s Network (ECN)19-22 ACDA North Central Division Conference

Des Moines IA

APRIL1 Application Deadline:

FMC Scholarship Graduate Study6 Choral Arts Finale

Concordia University orchestra Hall – 7:30 pm concert

26 9:00 am – 12:00 noon FMC Spring Quarterly Meeting

MAY10 ACDA-MN Budget Workshop16 5:00 pm

Emerging Conductor’s Network (ECN)

JUNE1 Application Deadline:

State Conference FMC Summer Dialogue Scholarship Annual Award Nominations

8 Executive Board of Directors9 State Board of Directors15 Summer Dialogue

Early Registration Deadline

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Star of the North • Winter 201442 Our Values: Artistry • Community • Excellence • Inspiration • Legacy • Renewal • Support42

Honor Choirs Hit New Records!

STATE 4-5-6 CHILDREN’S HONOR CHOIR 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013High Voice 99 97 106 115 101Low Voice 146 132 154 225 *256Either Voice 75 135 157 149 *172Total 320 364 417 489 *529Selected 123 150 150 150 141

STATE 7-8 BOYS’ HONOR CHOIR 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013Tenor 1 75 89 91 117 112Tenor 2 64 64 49 76 54Baritone 55 50 49 49 45Total 183 203 189 242 211Selected 101 125 125 127 131

STATE 7-8 GIRLS’ HONOR CHOIR 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013Soprano 1 112 94 121 157 157Soprano 2 141 158 131 159 *189Alto 117 130 151 199 135Total 370 382 403 515 481Selected 100 125 150 150 153

STATE 9-10 HONOR CHOIR (Mixed and Women) 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 Soprano 156 243 185 165 *254Alto 217 257 208 278 269Tenor 49 90 63 81 *99Bass 105 115 163 143 *165Total 527 705 619 667 *787Selected 100 132 130 W:90 W:108 M:120 M:128

Students auditioning for ACDA-MN state honor choirs: 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013Total 1400 1654 1628 1913 *2008

Students selected for ACDA-MN state honor choirs: 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013Total 425 525 555 637 *661

Due to the significant increase in auditions received for the State 4-5-6 Children’s honor choir program within the past five years, and with recent interest expressed from our membership and leadership, we will offer a new structure for the 4-5-6 honor choir program by offering gender-based choirs for boys and girls beginning in the 2014-15 academic year.

Due to space and time limitations during the existing Friday state conference schedule that has traditionally hosted the 4-5-6 Chil-dren’s Honor Choir, we will permanently move the children’s program to the first Saturday in May with the event hosted at St. Andrew’s Lutheran Church in Mahtomedi.

For the first year of operation, and depending upon audition interest, we are anticipating a selected group of 75-90 boys, and 125-140 girls.

A record number (*) of students from grades 4-10 auditioned for honor choirs during the past school year. Here follows a record of student auditions on file since 2009:

All of the stakeholders (ACDA-MN Board of Directors; Honor Choir Co-Chairs; and a random sample of current elementary level members) have all enthusiastically given their support for this proposal.

Auditions which have traditionally been scheduled for the begin-ning of each school year, will now be relocated into January and February of 2015, giving elementary directors more time to know and assist their students in preparation of the audition requirements.

Mark your calendars: Date of the new 4-5-6 honor choir pro-gram is Saturday, May 2, 2015

New Honor Choir Event in 2014-15


Thanks to our 2013-14 Honor Choir Conductors

Elizabeth Shepley Northfield Youth Choirs

State 4-5-6 Children’s Honor Choir

André-Louis Heywood

St. John’s Boys Choir State 7-8 Boys’ Honor Choir

Nicki Bakko Toliver

Anoka Ramsey Community College

State 7-8 Girls’ Honor Choir

Julia Fahey Partners in Praise

State 9-10 Women’s Honor Choir

Allen Hightower Luther College

State 9-10 Mixed Honor Choir

Participating Directors and High SchoolsJeanne Anderson – Calvin ChristianAndrew Beard – osseoJoel Beyer – Apple ValleyJulie Brott – Lakeville SouthJames Cox – EaganKyle Eastman – NorthfieldBryan Fisher – Robbinsdale CooperSue Franke-Clark – Cannon FallsSeana Graber – LuverneElizabeth Gullick – East RidgeJohn Haberman – Mounds Park AcademyDan Hampton - MontevideoElizabeth Hellstedt – Maple Grove

Bridget Hermer – Mankato LoyolaMelanie Kjellberg – AndoverJonathan Kopplin – RichfieldMatt Krage – VirginiaKate Larson – Mound WestonkaJami Lercher – RosevilleKaren Lutgen – Minnehaha AcademyLaurie Meyers – Minneapolis SouthRachel Mollick – Main St School of Performing Arts

Bonnie Nelson – Sauk CentreBrandon Nordhues – SartellBen o’Connor – Park Cottage GroveBrian ohnsorg – JordanJoseph osowski – St. Michael-Albertville

Kathy Pauls – Eden Valley-WatkinsJohn Pollman – PipestoneBryan Poyzer – West CentralRandi Rexroth – Visitation Mendota Heights

Randy Schafer – EaganMargaret Sorenson – North St. PaulDaryl Timmer – WoodburyJerome Upton – Duluth EastMarcia VanCamp – Duluth DenfieldMaria Vejdani – DelanoMichael Walsh – BuffaloLin Warren – HastingsSusan Zemlin – Blaine

2013 Grade 12 Select Women’s Choir


In The newsnew Policy: on-line registrations with Credit Cards OnlyBy recommendation of the ACDA-MN staff and Executive Board and with the approval of the State Board of Directors, beginning with the 2014 Summer Dialogue registration window, all registrations for future conferences will be processed on-line with credit card ONLY pay-ments. Currently, close to 72% of Summer Dialogue and State Conference registrations are processed on-line. We will however, continue to honor on-site registrations with payment choice of cash, check or credit card. This policy is in response to the growing number of incomplete land mail registrations with delayed or no payments enclosed and wrong mailing addresses, particularly issued from school district finance offices.

Available on the home page: new forms linkACDA-MN members will notice a new and convenient location to access any and all forms related to the annual activities of the organization. Located in the header of the homepage, members may click FORMS to download and print any of the following forms:

ACDA Membership Renewal

Advertising Star of the North State NewsletterState Conference Registration Site Summer Dialogue Registration Site

Award Nomination FormsFMC Lifetime Achievement AwardMinnesota Choral Director of the Year Awardoutstanding Young Choral Director AwardACE (Advocate for Choral Excellence) Award

Choral Arts Finale

FMC ScholarshipsDivision or National ConferenceGraduate StudySummer DialogueWorld Choral Symposium

Honor ChoirsStudent Information (Audition)Student Registration (Select)Director Return (Select)

State ConferenceApplication for Concert PerformanceApplication for Clinic PerformanceApplication for Interest Session

Summer DialogueApplication for Interest Session

Mark Your Calendars… Join thousands of Minnesotans as they donate millions of dollars to hundreds of non-profit

organizations during the 5th Annul Give to the Max Day Thursday, November 13, 2014

Application Deadline June 1, 2014

FMC Scholarships to attend 2014 Summer Dialogue

August 5-9 Concordia College – Moorhead

Scholarship Application Form at www.acda-mn.org


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Chair for music and Worship

minister of worship, Music and Arts, Colonial

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IPBlessed is the Lord (Benedictus)Dan ForrestBeckenhorst BP1996SATB, accompaniedoptional violin, cello, percussion or with orchestraThis beautiful setting by Dan Forrest will delight your choir with its long, lyrical lines and lush harmonic motion. The piece is most ideally per-formed with the addition of violin, cello, and per-cussion and will be a highlight in your Advent/Christmas worship leading. This piece will serve as a fabulous way to teach your choir to build its sound over the course of the anthem, bearing in mind the musical arc over the whole.

CornerstoneShawn KirchnerSanta Barbara Music Publishing SBMP 747SATB, accompaniedBaritone and Alto solosThis rousing gospel setting uses the prophetic voice of the psalmist, from Psalm 118:22 “The stone the builders rejected has become the cor-nerstone.” There is an appropriate amount of repetition which aides in your choir learning the piece, particularly for choirs that struggle with syncopated rhythms and the gospel idiom. Fear not, your choir can do this! The gospel piano and solos propel the song along and the harmonic language is very intuitive. For those looking for a celebratory Easter anthem, or for general use, this is the piece for you and your choir.

Praise and ExaltationJoseph M. Martin and David AngermanHarold Flammer Music 35027278SATB, accompaniedFull orchestration availableThis anthem is joyous and exudes praise as it mixes meter and bounces along with an expres-sive interplay between voices and keyboard. I consider this anthem a wonderful confidence builder for any church choir. It’s quick to learn without being overly simplistic, and your choir will instantly hear the strength in their sound. A perfect choice for early in the choral music season. The composers quote several Psalm sources in the text as well as a modified render-

ing of “Praise to the Lord, the Almighty” (LoBE DEN HERREN) in the midst of the piece. The homophonic texture builds to a series of “allelu-ias” at the conclusion.

Lord, You Call UsMarty Haugen, arr. Michael BurkhardtMorningstar MSM-50-7800SATB, organoptional handbells (4 octaves) and congregationMarty Haugen is one of the great tunesmiths and encouragers of congregational song in the church today. His hymn tune JoYoUS LIGHT is the backdrop for this Michael Burkhardt setting of a strong commissioning text that is appropriate for use throughout the church year. For those serving churches with congregations accustomed to joining in hymn concertatos, this is a wonderful choice, serving both the rehearsed and unrehearsed choirs gathered on Sunday mornings. optional descants, the addition of the bell choir, and a tune that would be accessible to any youth or children’s choir makes this a setting that will empower the worship of your entire church, and across generations.

Walk in the Lightarr. André ThomasChoristers Guild CGA1063SATB, pianoI often find myself looking for the right anthem to kick off the season of Epiphany. I need some-thing that will be a quick learn, liturgically sound, and fun to sing after the rigor of the Advent/Christmas season. This anthem has served many choirs with whom I have worked so well, meet-ing and exceeding my simple criteria. In one or two rehearsals your choir will be ready to sing this gospel setting. With verse quotations of Charles Wesley’s “Hark the Herald Angels Sing,” the weave of the traditional gospel tune repeats while the gospel style keyboard energizes the song along. There’s a brief and accessible des-cant toward the end, which only a few sopranos would need to sing if balance is a concern. If you haven’t integrated this anthem into your choral music library already, wait no more! Your choir and your congregation will thank you!


The Fullness of GodNancy M. RaabeAugsburg 978-1-4514-6249-42-part mixed voices, piano, low instrumentNancy Raabe adapts the text from the Apostle Paul’s prayer for the church in Ephesus found in Ephesians 3 and sets it so beautifully for two-part, mixed voices. The verse/refrain structure is varied and challenging enough to keep your sing-ers engaged in learning the piece. It’s a wonderful piece for

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churches with smaller choral forces, or for a larger choir that needs something to help pace and augment a more intense rehearsal period. Though it would be appropriate to add horn or cello to the anthem, my suggestion is to pursue a trombonist to play the low instrument part, as it sets so beautifully in the voice of that instrument. No matter what instrument you use, you’ll find the part to be a masterfully crafted addition to the anthem as it empowers the prayer found in the text.


lAurA TemPelRepertoire & Standards

Chair for Jazz ChoirsChamplin Park high school

BlackbirdJohn Lennon and Paul McCartney, arr. Paris

RutherfordHal Leonard 08753836SATB a cappellaBoth large choirs and smaller jazz ensembles can perform this unique arrangement of the classic Beatles tune. Rutherford changes the form of the song to accentuate the beauty of the lyrics. He utilizes simple unison singing then moves to more complex jazz harmonies that will help develop your singers’ ability to sing as an ensemble and hear and execute jazz chords. Phrases are long with close harmonies, so students must sing with great breath support and pure tone. For help with style and performance, listen to the demo on halleonard.com.

Bridge Over Troubled WaterPaul Simon, arr. Kirby ShawHal Leonard 35002413SATB Piano, Bass, DrumsThis is the perfect jazz chart for groups of all levels and can also be used by larger vocal ensembles. In this well-known tune by Simon and Garfun-kel, Kirby Shaw starts and ends the tune with an a cappella section with a light gospel feel. In the middle section, verse one is sung in unison with women singing backup parts, and then switches in verse two. The chorus moves into four parts, but is relatively simple and repeats after both verses. This chart is a perfect closer for any concert! There is a great piano accompaniment and addi-tional instrumental parts are available from the publisher. Also available in SSA voicing.

CaféCarol Welsman, arr. Jeremy FoxSound Music Publicationswww.smpjazz.comSATBB a cappella Your students will love this chart written with an energetic Latin feel. The challenge with the chart lies in the syncopated rhythms and fast tempo, but once mastered, repeat frequently throughout the tune. There is a featured tenor solo and notated vocal percussion fills. Students who are new to vocal percussion will be able to develop their abil-ity with the simple, notated, repeated fills. A demo of the arrangement is available on Jeremyfox.net.

God Bless the ChildArthur Herzog Jr. and Billie Holiday, arr. Steve

ZegreeHal Leonard 00116857SATB Billie Holiday made this powerful jazz ballad famous in 1941. Since that time, many great art-ists have recorded the tune. Steve Zegree based this arrangement on the 1969 recording by Blood, Sweat, and Tears. The chart alternates between 4/4 and 12/8 time and has sections with unison singing, which then divides into more complex four-part jazz chords. Measures 44-66 should be performed with a Latin/Salsa groove and offers optional solo vocal or instrumental improvisation. Those measures can be omitted if you need to shorten the tune, or you don’t have singers ready to improvise. Horn and rhythm section parts are available for download from the publisher. A demo is also featured on halleonard.com. Also available for SSA and SAB.

God Only KnowsBrian Wilson and Mike Love, arr. Tomas BergquistWalton Music HL08500285SSATB, a cappellaThis a cappella chart arranged for the Real Group by Tomas Bergquist is based on the ballad writ-ten by Mike Love and Brian Wilson and recorded by The Beach Boys in 1966. Bergquist stays true to the beautiful melody, and the piece can feature both a tenor and soprano soloist. Measures 31-36 are a written ‘scat’ section perfect for introducing swing to your singers. The chart is accessible for most groups with experience singing jazz, but look for a harmonic challenge in measures 43-47. For help with performance, listen to the Real Group recording of the tune on the album, Nothing But The Real Group.

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I’ll Be Seeing YouIrving Kahal and Sammy Fain, arr. Phil MattsonHal Leonard 08603316SATB, a cappellaPhil Mattson does a beautiful job of setting this classic song writ-ten by Sammy Fain and Irving Kahal. Great for jazz groups and larger choral ensembles, the arrangement begins with a simple unison line, then quickly moves into four parts. The tune is perfect for teaching phrasing and musicality, as special attention should be given to the delivery of the meaningful text. Although Mattson does use complex jazz voicings that will require time and practice tuning, it never divides beyond four parts so it is great for experienced groups and singers who are new to jazz singing. Perfect for programming at the end of the year concert, this chart should be a staple in every choral library.

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sue gIlsDorfRepertoire and Standards Chair for Jr. High/Middle

school Choirsstillwater Jr. high school

Beati in domo DominiJames G. KantorSanta Barbara Music Publishing 1112SSA and fluteAlso available for SAB - SBMP 1114This impressive piece looks and sounds very sophisticated, but in reality is a set of three part-ner songs that are first sung separately and then together. The Latin text is very accessible. Beati begins with a simple chant that is followed by a lively flute interlude before the singers come back in with their lilting melodies. This music includes simple body percussion for the singers who use a variety of snaps and claps that are both visu-ally interesting in performance and fun to do. This piece works well at the middle level, but because of its level of sophistication should also be consid-ered for high school women’s choirs.

I Will Be There to SeeAmy F. BernonHeritage Music Press 15/1602HSSA, piano and Two Recorders or C-instru-mentsAmy Bernon really knows how to write for mid-dle level girls, and this piece is one of my favor-ites. The text beautifully describes the sky at night, sunrise, daylight, and evening. The lyrical melody is a wonderful vehicle for teaching how to negoti-ate long phrases, create a sense of line, and use shadings of dynamics. There are several short solos that give individual singers an opportunity to shine. Girls love to sing this piece because it fits their voices so well and they can connect with the sentiment of the text.

Ding Dong! Merrily On High16th Century French Tune, arr. Audrey SnyderStudio SV8721Two-Part, accompaniedThis carol has become a favorite not only because of its beautiful melody and easy harmony line, but because the singers get to play bells to accompany the piece. Choir chimes or handbells can double the piano part and add a special touch to the per-formance. The bell part is easy to play and can be

6ePICklearned in one rehearsal. The range of the piece works with any voice combination, which makes this a very flexible and useful piece of music to add to your library.

Codfish ShantyTraditional Sea Shanty, arr. Vijay SinghBriLee Music BL331TB, accompaniedBeginning young men’s choirs really enjoy this rousing Sea Shanty. This piece should be sung with gusto and tells a humorous story about the boys and girls in the town of Glo’ster. It provides a perfect opportunity to work on diction and facial expression as the singers are telling the story. Sea Shanties are work songs and were sung as the sailors did work together rhythmically, such as pulling ropes to raise a sail. As you rehearse, you can add movements to the “Heave Ho” sec-tions to symbolize the motions the sailors might have made�

Bonse Aba (Traditional Zambian Song)arr. Andrew FischerAlliance Music Publications AMP 0750TTBB with solo and optional percussionBonse Aba is an African song of celebration. The form is a call and response between a soloist and a four-part choir. Don’t let the four-part voicing scare you away. Even though the choir has four parts, the harmonies are very intuitive and can be done successfully with young singers. Using solfege to teach the harmony helps students stay on their correct parts. It is stylistically appropriate to use movement with the singing and adds to the overall impact of this piece. Bonse Aba is a favorite of the boys because it fits their voices well and is so very fun to sing!

Leaning on a Lamppost (From the musical, “Me and My Girl”)Noel Gay, arr. John LeavittShawnee Press, Inc. C 0298TTBThe sweet and romantic text of this show tune tells about a guy “leaning on a lamppost waiting for a certain little lady to come by.” It is mostly unison with a few easy harmonies and is easily learned. We add a dance break in between verses when the boys do a soft shoe dance. Audiences love to see the boys dance and the boys appreci-ate the enthusiastic response they receive from the audience. It is definitely a show-stopper!Ju

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lukAs wArrenRepertoire & Standards

Chair for showchoir and Popular Music

Choir Director, st. francis high school

What a Wonderful WorldGeorge Weiss & Bob Theile, arr. René ClausenHal Leonard Corporation 3302373SATB a cappellaAre you looking for a way to challenge your top choir at the end of the year without going down the “traditional” route? If so, look no further and dive into Rene Clausen’s stunning arrangement of the classic What a Wonderful World. This piece, while scored SATB, has lots of rich 7-8 part writing. It is a combination of lots of traditional Clausen-type harmonies mixed with some traditional jazz writ-ing. It will challenge your top choir to listen care-fully and tune the intricate harmonies. The setting also includes a showcase for one to three soloists singing the classic melody under the harmonies of the background chorus. This revitalized setting of the tune is a great way to help your students easily connect to the text of a piece of music. Clausen has done such a careful job of setting up harmo-nies that help paint the simple beauty of the text. It would be perfect for a graduation ceremony or an end-of-the-year farewell piece.

Peace & Love, Inc.arr. Eric Van Clevecustomarrangements.netSATB accompaniedSSA/TTB availablefull instrumental also availableThis piece is a great concert closer from the 90’s group “Information Society.” Peace & Love, Incor-porated, is a catchy tune with driving rhythm and a hook that everyone will leave your concert sing-ing. This is a fairly simple 4-part tune that includes straightforward part writing in comfortable ranges for all singers. The joy of this piece lies in the lyr-ics and all the possibilities. This would be a great piece to do as a mass choir piece with all students at the end of a pops concert. It can showcase great instrumentalists and leaves lots of room for great choreography. It would be a great opportunity to allow some of your “choreographically-inclined” students to choreograph this number. There are great brass hits and incredible vocal moments that will showcase the abilities of all of your singers.

6ePICkIf I Owned Todayarr. Ly WilderCustom ArrangementsSATB accompaniedIf I Owned Today is a challenging, beautiful, and inspirational tune that your students are sure to love. Ly Wilder is a master at incorporating chal-lenging, lush harmonies beneath beautiful melody lines, and this chart is no different. This is a lovely ballad piece that can work well with just piano, or with a full backup band behind the singers. The text is the perfect edifying sendoff for your singers and would be great to use if your con-cert choir sings at your school’s graduation cer-emony. Your singers are sure to find this chart a nice challenge for the end of the year as it will stretch the range of both the women and the men and allow you and your singers to explore lots of dynamic contrasts and new (possibly different) tone colors. The tune is arranged as one big swell that keeps the energy moving and building all the way to its last measure. I’m certain your singers (and audience members) will delight in singing and performing this arrangement.

BalleilakkaA.R.Rahman, arr. Ethan SperryEarthsongs Pulications S-339SATB w/ percussionIf you haven’t experienced the Bollywood music of the Indian pop culture, you really are missing out. The intense rhythmic qualities and catchy melodies of this music are a great way to both broaden horizons and challenge your students at the end of the year. This piece has challenging Indian dialect (Tamil) text to learn (one section in particular that the Tamil language races through in patter 16th notes) and some great “pop” style harmonies. The piece also incorporates a heavy dose of percussion. Finally, the vocal range of this piece could really help you do work on upper registers of their voices. If you are feeling so bold, this could even be a piece that you could add authentic choreography to. It certainly would be a challenge, but also very worthwhile for audiences and performers.

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The Parting Glassby The Wailin’ Jennyshttp://www.thewailinjennys.com/SSAThe Wailin’ Jennys (if you aren’t familiar) are one of the “it” folk groups in the country. These three women write beautiful and simple melodies that a coupled with incredible lyrics that will connect with your young women. This is music that can be sung a cappella, with piano, or with guitar. This will give you a way to work with your women on very close harmonic struc-tures and how to really communicate a text. Also, because this particular song has a beautiful melody, I believe that it is a great piece of music to work on pulling and shaping a phrase. Whether you choose to do this piece a cappella or not, this is a great way to help students reinforce part independence and practice their listening within an all-female group!

Just Give Me a Reasonarr. Mark Brymer Hal Leonard Corp. 10400768SATB accompaniedAlso available in SAB, SSAThe end-of-the-year concert has arrived and your students have been bugging you to sing the latest and greatest pop music that they hear on the radio. You know that most of it is either not very good or not very singable (probably both). Here is a tune that has a lovely melody and some catchy harmonies. In addi-tion, this tune has a lyric set that appeals to young people and is appropriate! I would use this primarily with my younger groups as this could sing well for a 9th or 10th grade mixed choir (in the right voicing). It can provide a nice challenge harmonically, while still using a melody line which they will all be familiar with. It could also work well to teach intervals to younger stu-dents. Since they already know the melody, it could allow you to focus on many of the tricky intervals in the melodic line. For performance, there are potential opportunities to showcase soloists or small groups and there are instrumental charts if you are feeling so bold as to add a full back-up band.

Johnson, Marcus W., 76, of Mounds View, MN, passed away peacefully on November 27, 2013. Marcus is survived by his loving wife Elizabeth of 55 years, daughters Sue (Joe) Therrien, Carol (Bruce) Setzler, Kathi (Peter) Milton, and Linda (Tony) Arzt; grandchildren Lisa (Tony), TJ (Melissa), Mark (Ashley) , Katie , Maddie, Erin, Abby, Hannah, and Max; great-grandchildren Nathan, Claire, Teddy, and Aaron; and 2 sisters Gaella and Mavis. Marcus was born and raised in Hendricks, MN. He graduated from Augsburg College in 1955. Marcus loved his career in music. He worked as a choir teacher at Coon Rapids Middle School for 25 years, at Groth Music Co. for 47 years, and served as a church choral director for 30 years. Marcus enjoyed his time singing with the Augsburg Centennial Singers. He was honored to be one of the recipients in 2012 of the ACDA ACE Award. Visitation Monday, Dec. 2, from 4-8 PM at Washburn-McReavy Hillside Chapel, 2610 19th Ave NE. Funeral service 11 AM Tues-

day, with visitation one hour prior at Salem Covenant Church, 2655 5th St. NW, New Brighton. Interment Hillside Cemetery. www.Washburn-McReavy.com Hillside Chapel 612-781-1999

Pfeiffer, Paul Henry. Born Sept. 4, 1925 in Quincy, IL, to Henry and Florence Kraft Pfeiffer, Paul, of Mat-thews, NC, died on Dec. 25, 2014 at age 88. Always a serious music student, he was recipient of many awards and scholarships, graduating from Valley Forge Military Academy and serving in World War II, U.S. Army, Battle of the Bulge. He pursued personnel as his vocation, with companies such as Martin Marietta, Soo Line, and Canadian Pacific Railroads, but continued his passion for music by conducting bands, orchestras, church choirs, and eventually a boys’ choir. He served as conductor for 23 years, re-naming it The Minnesota Boychoir, and established it as an active non-profit in the Twin Cities’ area. It was his vision of what the choir would achieve that became his legacy for the young men of MN. He is survived by wife Virginia, children Kristin Carpenter, Anne Thompson, Kurt Pfeiffer, stepson Bryan Whitehead, Cynthia Fessler, William Pfeiffer, and David Pfeiffer, and twelve grandchildren. He is pre-

ceded in death by brother Gene and his parents.

In remembrAnCe... mArCus Johnson

In remembrAnCe... PAul henry PfeIffer


ACDA-mn Districts


lAsTBRUCE W. BECKER

ACDA-mn executive Director

worDEXCITING UPDATE: Star of the North.net

As first reported by me in the Star of the North 2013 fall issue, the ACDA-MN Board of Directors have been exploring more effec-tive ways in how our membership receives and consumes information posted in the existing version of the Star of the North state newsletter.

Based on survey results received from mem-bers who attended the 2013 State Confer-ence weekend this past November, it has become apparent that the current reader-ship level of the Star of the North has been in decline since its launch in 2010 as an exclusive online publication. Attached to these survey results were several responses that would prefer the return to printed issues. A recent investigation into this prospect has yielded the finding that to produce a print copy of the Star would bring production and mailing costs in excess of $30,000 per fiscal year, or about $40 per member, something our orga-nization cannot afford. Consequently, the Board of Directors and our leadership team have determined this sentimental pathway to the past is not the road to our future.

Taking a cue from the August 2013 Board directive, our Web Editor Tom Hale has been investigating and developing a 21st cen-tury technological platform that will trans-form our award-winning state newsletter into Star of the North.net. Initial design features will replace the current magazine page-turn design into individual and easily accessed web-based content articles conve-nient to either save or print for future refer-

ence. Not only will the new design revolu-tionize how we access content in the future, but it will offer the reader an app for smart phones and tablets, similar to what is fea-tured in many national and local news out-lets. Imagine being able to instantly access the content of Star of the North.net at your fingertips at anyplace and anytime! In addition, the new design will also provide our advertisers with more unique and specialized ways to connect with our membership.

Throughout the coming winter and spring months, new and innovative designs for Star of the North.net will continue to be shaped and defined along with extensive product testing. It is planned that by mid summer, a “soft” launch of the new Star will feature revised content from the spring issue and will solicit reader feedback. Moving for-ward, we anticipate a full launch of the new Star for the 2014 fall issue to be posted in mid September, complete with phone and tablet apps.

This is a vibrant time for our organization as we take a bold and creative step toward the future. With eleven past national awards, Minnesota has consistently been the leader to model resourceful methods of commu-nication to ACDA chapters all across our country. We are now poised to expand this innovative leadership and expectation as we journey forward and together to make an exciting difference!

That’s all for now…

The

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1. New Membership 1. Renewal: # Please print clearly

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