Summing it up...this year's Summer Institute

WA-ACDA Summer Institute 2005

This year's WA-ACDA Summer Institute is over. Two-hundred choral directors from many different parts of the country descended on Tacoma and the beautiful campus of the University of Puget Sound for this event. They spent three days reading music, participating in conducting workshops, and soaking up ideas from guest clinician Dale Warland and other choral leaders.

One participant said "I've never been to a reading session were each packet was filled with such consistently high quality music."

The WA-ACDA Summer Institute strives to provide participants with only the finest choral literature, music that our conductors have used successfuly in their work, as well as exciting new publications. Our partnership with Pepper at Ted Brown Music allows our clinicians to participate in the music selection process. Registrants were able to keep all music used this year, thanks to the generous support of J. W. Pepper at Tacoma.

Dale Warland's emphasis was on the "details." Besides a strong selection of beautiful music of his choice...much of which he had used with the Dale Warland Singers...he talked about score preparation, marking breathing places, phrasing, and the importance of unifying (and agreeing on) the vowel sound for each syllable. Thursday evening he spent time with six young conductors, reiterating the need for clarity and simplicity of the conducting pattern.

Perhaps as important as the sessions, the WA-ACDA Summer Institute provided the opportunity for "re-charging" for the coming school and church choir year. Fellowship and networking were evident through the event. Attendees agree that The Washington Summer Institute is large enough to provide stimulating sessions, yet small enough to allow you to see people you know, and to meet those with whom you may want to get acquainted.

Wednesday evening's salmon BBQ is a great feast that is held on the lawn near Kilworth Chapel, the site of the Institute each summer. The UPS food service pulls out all the stops, complete with wonderful wines, the salmon, salad, a baked potato, and (as all have come to expect) topping it all with generous servings of strawberry shortcake.

This year, an additional session was added following the BBQ dinner...an evening featuring vocal jazz music. Jazz directors found some new material and those who were beginning the jazz choir efforts got some great tips from clinician, Judi Filibeck.

Next year we can expect another wonderful experience as WA-ACDA brings in Sharon Paul, director of choral music from the University of Oregon, as our headliner. The dates for next year are July 26-29, 2006.