Welcome to our newly redesigned website!

Dear Massachusetts ACDA Membership,

I am thrilled to be addressing you in my opening letter, as President of our Massachusetts Chapter of ACDA. ACDA has continued to be an important part of my process, development, and journey as a choral educator. I began serving as your new President of Massachusetts ACDA on July 1, 2020. I am excited to continue the great work that has been done by past leadership. Previous to my recent appointment, I held various positions on the board for the past 7 years including Diversity Chair and Secretary. Unfortunately, this past spring our organization experienced the unexpected loss of President Sean Landers. He was warm, friendly, and optimistic. I would like to take this time to acknowledge Sean’s commitment and dedication to our organization and thank him for all of his years of service. This past spring Stephen Paparo and I worked closely together as he continued to serve as president through June 30. I am also very grateful for Stephen and am happy that he will continue to serve the board as Past President for the next three years. 

Certainly, these last few months of isolation, global pandemic, and social unrest concerning racial injustices have all caused us all to be reflective. It has also helped to bring clarity and focus on the goals and initiatives I would like to include in my work as president.  I am hopeful that the focus of our shared mission would embrace ideas of peace & justice, diversity & inclusion, advocacy, as well as mentorship.   It is my sincere desire that the Massachusetts ACDA will be a source of connection, relevant resources, and practical experiences for the entire membership.   

Below find ways you can CONNECT to ACDA. Follow the links!

CONFERENCES & Resources

• Attend the 2020 Massachusetts Virtual Conference:  TBD – August 2020
• Conference Highlights include:
  
  • Diversity Initiatives
  • Addressing relevant race and social justice issues in your classroom
  • Musicianship through Virtual Teaching
  • Advocacy for Virtual Choirs:  Choramor
  • Arts Advocacy in light of the fact that 2000 Massachusetts Teachers have been let go prior to fall 2020
• National Response to COVID 19 by President Lynne Gackle:  https://youtu.be/Cgx6NA25_U4
• Upcoming Events:  National ACDA Conference entitled “Diversity in Music:  Educational, Cultural, and Generational,” Dallas TX – March 17-20, 2021.

The Massachusetts ACDA WEBSITE & SOCIAL MEDIA

• Launching our new website – August 2020
• Please FOLLOW Massachusetts ACDA on Facebook. Be sure to sign up to receive notifications from ALL posts to stay updated!
• Visit www.massacda.org to explore Member Resources, including The Concert Calendar, Repertoire and Resources Representative Contact Information, Reading Session Database, Job Listings…and much more!

MEMBERSHIP!

• Make sure your Membership is up to date!
• Representation Matters, reach out to educators who are not involved, and let’s make them a part of ACDA.  The Annual Membership Drive will be taking place from September 15-November 15 – be on the lookout for emails with info and details.
• Encourage colleagues and friends to JOIN and RENEW!

At this time, I would like to welcome all of the new board members as well as those who are continuing to serve, as they have committed to serving for the next three years.  It is my honor to be your President and I am truly looking forward to connecting with all of you in the coming weeks and months.  Make sure that you check out our new website when it launches as well as sign up for our virtual conference both coming in August.  Please do not hesitate to reach out with questions, concerns, or ideas. Even in the time of isolation, let’s continue to find ways to SHARE and CONNECT!

With Gratitude,

Felicia Barber, Ph.D.