Inside ACDA-MN

To everything there is a season…

At a special August 6 meeting of the ACDA-MN Board of Directors, I informed them of my intention to retire from my position as Executive Director effective June 30, 2022, at the end of the current fiscal year.

Subsequent actions of the Board and of the FMC Executive Committee approved a transition plan that allows me to become an Independent Contractor continuing to serve and provide important leadership continuity to the organization as Director of Development and Coordinator of the FMC 151st Anniversary Concert through the end of calendar year 2022. Further, I will assume more limited development duties in January and February of 2023 producing the 2022 FMC Annual Report.

I look forward to working extensively with the ACDA-MN and FMC leadership teams throughout the coming months to ensure a smooth and seamless transition for our organization and my successor.

Thank you for the distinctive honor to serve our Minnesota choral music community in this staff capacity since 2009. It has been a special position that has nurtured me as a collaborative arts administrator, an appointment that I have cherished greatly for a total of thirteen years. Thank you for pouring your overwhelming support and faith into me that resulted in my attempts to serve our organization with dedication, honesty, integrity, and above all, immense joy!

…a time for every purpose under heaven.

Bruce W. Becker
Executive Director
ACDA of Minnesota

WELCOME NEW LEADERS

ACDA-MN officially welcomes these newly elected and appointed leaders as of July 1, 2021:

Honoring Legacy

Celebrating Influence and Inspiration

The annual ACDA-MN State Conference will be scheduled for Friday-Saturday, November 19-20, located at St. Andrew’s Lutheran Church in Mahtomedi. The conference has been programmed by Stephanie Trump, ACDA-MN State President.

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 19 – Legacy Concert #1

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 20 – Legacy Concert #2

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 20 – Urban Initiatives High School Choral Festival

24 Interest Sessions programmed for conductors of all levels of singing

Conference schedule is subject to change. Updates will be posted on the registration site and communicated through The Weekly Pulse as needed.

Conference registration site is open.

For detailed information on how to audition students for the ACDA-MN Honor Choir program go to:  MNHonorChoirs.org

Student participation in the ACDA-MN honor choir program is a direct benefit of current membership in ACDA.

Thursday, February 19, 2022

Rehearsals:  Westminster Presbyterian Church, Minneapolis

Performance:  Bethel University, Benson Great Hall, Arden Hills

Auditions Due:  Friday, October 29

Director Notification:  Tuesday, November 9

Scholarship Applications Due:  Friday, November 19

Registration Forms and Payments Due:  Wednesday, December 1

Saturday, May 7, 2022

Rehearsals & Performance:  St. Andrew’s Lutheran Church, Mahtomedi

Auditions Due:  Friday, February 11

Director Notification:  Tuesday, February 22

Scholarship Applications Due:  Friday, March 4

Registration Forms and Payments Due:  Wednesday, March 23

Saturday, May 7, 2022

Rehearsals & Performance:  St. Andrew’s Lutheran Church, Mahtomedi

Auditions Due:  Friday, January 19

Director Notification:  Tuesday, February 8

Scholarship Applications Due:  Friday, February 18

Registration Forms and Payments Due:  Wednesday, March 2

Needs-based student scholarships are available from the FMC Endowment Fund. Encourage and support eligible students to apply. Please observe timelines.

FEES

Audition fees for 2021-22 remain at $16 per student, and registration fees for selected students at $124.

Audition and registration fees cover these annual costs:  on-line audition site costs, guest conductor artistic fees and travel expenses, accompanist, instrumentalists, on-site medical staff, rental of rehearsal and performance venues, liability insurance, food, t-shirt, downloadable audio concert recording, professional rehearsal tracks, and ACDA-MN administrative staff support services.

ACDA-MN will honor the following individuals for their outstanding contributions to our choral music community at the annual award luncheon scheduled for Saturday, November 20.

We remind our members that the ACDA-MN membership roster from the ACDA national office is available to all members via our website homepage. This monthly updated roster serves our organization as our official membership roster. To access, please register on the ACDA-MN website at:  acda-mn.com/register/

Please keep your membership profile updated with the ACDA national office. This is the only source of personal contact information that our state organization uses.  Phone updates to:  405 232 8161 x 110.

When given the option, please consider clicking “automatic renewal” next time you are eligible to renew your membership.

NEW MEMBERS

ACDA-MN will receive ten complimentary memberships to be distributed to new members during the ACDA national new member campaign this fall. The ACDA-MN Board of Directors and R&R Chairs have been invited to nominate new member prospects from all seven geographic districts. In addition, all members within ACDA-MN will have an opportunity to nominate new members by sending contact information directly to Bruce W. Becker, ACDA-MN Executive Director at:  execdirector@acda-mn.org with the following nomination information:

• Name of new member prospect
• Institution Served
• Email Address

FMC 135th Anniversary Concert

On Sunday, November 20, 2022, thousands of enthusiastic choral music patrons from Minnesota’s “Land of 10,000 Choirs” will descend upon Orchestra Hall in downtown Minneapolis to celebrate the 151st birth anniversary of F. Melius Christiansen, the “father of a cappella choral singing in North America” and founder of the famed St. Olaf Choir. These six distinguished choirs will gather to commemorate this milestone occasion:

• The Augsburg Choir, Kristina Boerger, conductor
• The Concordia Choir, Michael Culloton, conductor
• Concordia University Christus Chorus, David Mennicke, conductor
• The Gustavus Choir, Brandon Dean, conductor
• The St. Olaf Choir, Anton Armstrong, conductor
• National Lutheran Choir, David Cherwien, conductor

The 151st Anniversary Concert will be a significant event in Minnesota’s rich choral music history, one that not only celebrate the ongoing legacy of F. Melius Christiansen, but will also raise funds for the F. Melius Christiansen (FMC) Endowment Fund, named in his honor, that provides scholarships and financial support to this generation of choral music leaders and their students.

It was a similar benefit concert that launched our F. Melius Christiansen Endowment Fund in 1996. Since then, we’ve awarded scholarships to 514 Minnesota choral directors and their students totaling more than $292,936. This event will create an unforgettable concert celebration and will ensure that qualified and deserving members and students always have the financial help needed to pursue their professional goals in choral music education and performance.

If you are interested in offering your time to volunteer with any ACDA-MN event or activity, please contact Executive Director Bruce W. Becker at:  execdirector@acda-mn.org.

We are seeking volunteer leadership positions with State Honor Choirs, State Conference, Summer Dialogue, Interest Session presentations, and future leadership with our Repertoire and Resource (R&R) positions, along with our State Board of Directors.

If you have moved to a new home or work address, please contact the ACDA national membership office with this information at:  405.232.8161 x 110.

With ACDA-MN now using the ACDA national membership roster for our state organization, it’s important that members revise and update their contact information.