Activities of the Diversity Initiatives National Standing Committee for ACDA

Angela Broeker

Angela Broeker

The newly-formed Diversity Initiatives National Standing Committee for ACDA reports the following:

1.  Mission Statement

The mission of the Diversity Initiatives Committee of the American Choral Directors Association is to foster diversity and inclusivity in our membership, ensembles, and repertoire through active engagement with underrepresented choral musicians and potential choral participants. We will bring about a broader definition of choral excellence both as result of this inclusivity and in order to maintain our relevance and expand both the reach and impact of our profession and its musical scope.

2.  The Diversity Initiatives Open Forum at the ACDA National Convention in Minnesota

An interactive open session for all ACDA membership with the chair and members of the Diversity Committee is scheduled for the national convention in March. Attendees are encouraged to bring their questions, concerns and ideas as the committee outlines their upcoming plans.


Members of the ACDA-MN community might find the following diversity resources helpful:

  • Allsup, R. E., Barnett, A. C., & Katz, E. J. (2006). Musical heritage: Celebrating families through music. In C. Frierson-Campbell (Ed.), Teaching music in the urban classroom: A guide to leadership, teacher education, and reform (Vol. 2, pp. 123–136). Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield.
  • De Quadros, A. (2012) The Cambridge Companion to Choral Music. New York: Cambridge University Press.
  • Gaztambide-Fernandez, R., & Rose, L. (2015). Social justice and urban music education. In Benedict, C., Schmidt, P.K., Spruce, G., & Woodford, P. (Eds.), The Oxford handbook of social justice in music education (456-472). New York: Oxford University Press.
  • Hess, J. (2013). Performing tolerance and curriculum: The politics of self-congratulation, identity formation, and pedagogy in world music education. Philosophy of Music Education Review, 21(1), 66-91. doi:  10.2979 / philmusiceducrevi.21.1.66
  • Howard, Karen (2016). Global Singing Traditions in the Choral Ensemble. Star of the North, 45 (4).  Retrieved from http://son.acda-mn.com/magazine/global-singing-traditions-in-the-choral-ensemble/
  • Koza, J. (2006). “Save the music?”: Toward culturally relevant, joyful, and sustainable school music. Philosophy of Music Education Review, 14(1), 23-38. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/40316826
  • Ladson-Billings, G. (2014). Culturally relevant pedagogy 2.0: A.k.a. the remix. Harvard Educational Review, 84(1), 74-84. doi: 10.17763 / haer.84.1.p2rj131485484751
  • Shaw, J. (2012). The skin that we sing: Culturally responsive choral music education. Music Educators Journal, 98(4), 75–81. doi:10.1177 / 0027432112443561
  • Shaw, J. (2015). Knowing their world: Urban choral music educators’ knowledge of context. Journal of Research in Music Education, 63(2), 198-223. doi: 10.1177 / 0022429415584377