Reflections from Oxford: My Week at the MS-ACDA Summer Conference
Going to a conference when you’re a mom of three young children takes real planning. Leaving town for a few days doesn’t happen on a whim. But when Amy Touchstone at CoroRio Choirs suggested the MS-ACDA Summer Conference, I knew it was exactly what I’d been looking for. So I signed up, made the arrangements, and committed.
Back in early May, I had reached out to Amy because I’m an amateur musician and singer in Greenwood, and I wanted to find workshops to improve my choral conducting skills – especially for children’s choir. She couldn’t promise me a date for their February workshop just yet, but she offered something else:
“Another option could be the Summer Conference put on by the Mississippi chapter of the American Choral Directors Association… It’s a few days long and is a wonderful time of learning and collaboration.”
She included a link. I clicked. And a few weeks later, I found myself driving up Highway 7 to Oxford, staying with my wonderful Aunt Ginny and Uncle Glenn, about to attend my first “casual conference.”
Here’s how it went.
A Casual Conference That Respected My Time
The conference really was relaxed, but the organizers were very good about keeping to the schedule. Having a start time of 9 am each day was a blessing. There was enough time to chat with other participants, but the schedule was full of activities – we were never just sitting around.
One unexpected highlight was simply getting to see inside the Ole Miss Music Building. I had been on campus once before for a performance at the Gertrude Ford Center a couple of years ago, but I’d never explored the academic side. The heat wasn’t much of a factor since we were indoors most of the time – and anyway, I’m from Greenwood, so I know Mississippi summers well. I will say that Oxford felt very busy compared to home, and the rolling hills were a little disorienting!
Staying with Aunt Ginny
I can’t say enough about how lovely it was to stay with Aunt Ginny and Uncle Glenn. They are gracious and excellent hosts. I really enjoyed spending time with them, chatting and catching up. Ginny even made me a cosmopolitan one night – that was a nice treat after a long day of rehearsals. Having a home base instead of a hotel made the whole conference feel more like a retreat.
Session Highlights (and One That Wore Me Out)
Ashley Dame – Singing In Sync
Ashley gave us a lot of great games and warmups to use with young singers. One that comes to mind is the “workouts” where we pretended to use exercise equipment and made vocal sounds to go with the movements. It’s a great way to get kids focused and moving together. I’m already planning to use some of these ideas for my church’s upcoming VBS program and future children’s choir rehearsals.
Carlton Copeland – Fostering Resilience through Failure
I’ll be honest: this session was too long. It wore out my voice. It also made me realize that I really need to learn solfège. I didn’t learn it in elementary school (or I just didn’t retain it), and I don’t remember using it in high school choir either. Dr. Copeland’s ideas are solid, but they’re not totally applicable to me right now – I’m still at the stage where I struggle just to get singers to show up to rehearsal. One step at a time.
Jordan Langworthy – Building a Musicianship-Focused Ensemble
The hardest part of letting go of control, for me, is that it’s hard to reign everyone back in. I don’t mind asking singers for their opinions, but the kids I work with generally lack self-control due to their young ages. I keep rehearsals super short and try to stay on task. Jordan’s ideas made me think about how I might gradually shift more responsibility to the singers – but slowly, very slowly.
Dr. Eric Johnson – From First Note to Last Concert
This session was exactly what I needed. Dr. Johnson gave concrete examples of how to sequence repertoire – starting with unison, then ostinato, descants, rounds, and so on. Seeing actual piece titles for 6th, 7th, and 8th grade was so helpful. I left with a clearer sense of how to build a year-long curriculum instead of just picking music one concert at a time.
Service Project at Beau Ridge
I chose to go to Beau Ridge Retirement Home. Our group had a short rehearsal at the Music Building, then I carpooled with Dr. Libby Hearn and another participant. We sang a mix of sacred and patriotic tunes. After the performance, we spent about twenty minutes visiting with the residents. They were all so sweet and appreciative – some of them sang along with us.
The facility itself was beautiful. It looked more like an upscale hotel than a retirement home. Seeing everyone’s faces in the audience was really special. I would love to do something similar at retirement homes back in Greenwood.
Conference Chorus
The rehearsal format felt familiar because I’ve attended the Mississippi Conference on Church Music and Liturgy a few years ago. Still, every piece had a different conductor, each with different personalities and expectations, so it was a bit challenging. They sent digital copies of the music a few days before the conference. I wish I had taken more time to look over the pieces before arriving in Oxford. By performance time, though, I felt pretty confident in my parts.
All of the selections were fantastic, but my favorite was Dance for Love by Z. Randall Stroope. Maybe it’s because I’m volunteering at the Museum of the Mississippi Delta this summer, but the connection with the Civil War drew me in. The text is really beautiful, and there is some call-and-response between lower and upper voices that is deeply moving.
You can watch the full conference concert recording here:
https://www.facebook.com/share/v/17oFWGja5H/
Watching all those different educators conduct was very inspiring. I hope I can attend some choral conducting workshops in the future.
Social Times (and Quiet Evenings)
I went to the first social dinner on Monday – the conference organizers had an awesome taco bar catered. I didn’t stay very long because I wanted to get back to Ginny and Glenn’s before they went to bed. I skipped Funky’s Pizza on Tuesday and had dinner at home with them instead. No regrets. Sometimes the best part of a conference is the quiet evening with family.
The In-Between Moments
Most of the time, I felt like I was sitting in my chair listening to other conversations. But I think I connected most with Sarah Little, because she was sitting next to me in the alto section. She shared some struggles she’s having in her personal life, and it was a great reminder that everyone in that conference is an individual with their own struggles, hopes, and dreams.
This conference expanded my idea of what a choir director is trying to accomplish. It’s not just about the music. It’s about people.
Gratitude (and a Thank-You to Amy)
So, thank you to Amy Touchstone for pointing me toward ACDA in the first place. Thank you to Dr. Libby Hearn, Dr. Don Trott, Dr. Thomas Ardrey, and everyone on the conference committee for creating a space that felt welcoming even for a volunteer musician like me. And thank you to Aunt Ginny and Uncle Glenn for the cosmos, the conversation, and the cozy bed.
If you’re an amateur musician like me – someone who loves to sing and wants to learn but doesn’t always feel like you belong – go anyway. Wear the t-shirt. Sing the music. You never know who might recommend a conference that changes your summer.
Advice for Next Year’s First-Time Attendee
If you’re thinking about going to the MS-ACDA Summer Conference next year, here’s what I would tell you:
Practice the pieces at home before the first day. You’ll feel so much more confident in rehearsals.
Take some time to tool around campus and get familiar with where to park. The Band Hall lot is your friend.
Don’t be afraid to be quiet. You don’t have to be the life of the party. Just showing up and singing is enough.
If you have family nearby, stay with them. It makes everything better.
See you next year, Oxford.
