Jeremiah and Wendy have been invited to present a session at the 2011 Biennial Northwest Music Educators Conference to be held in Bellevue, Washington. Choral programs across the nation are facing many challenges such as shrinking enrollment, rapidly changing musical tastes, and the demand for multi-sensory stimulation. We spend countless hours towards building, sustaining, and revitalizing our programs, but are we really effective? We propose that the majority of trends for revitalizing programs are reactionary and not permanent. This interest session will explore long-term investments in the choral arts by methods of collaboration among research/academia, performers, education, and communities. We will explore some of the ideas that are currently being proposed by field leaders and current research, help you to engage in further dialogue, and share resources that may be adaptable to your specific context.
By joining our efforts, we can enlarge the circle, expand the choral arts community, and change the world, one singer at a time!