Hello there!
My name is Ethan Williams and I am going to be a senior at East Ridge High School of Woodbury, Minnesota this following year and this is the story about a life-changing event that has inspired me to pursue Vocal Education. This incredible event is called the Next Direction Choral Leadership Conference. The conference took place in Kenosha, Wisconsin at Carthage College. Before this conference, I was not really sure what I wanted to do after high school but I did have a few ideas. One of these was to become a choral educator. This passion was inspired by my absolute love for choral music. I love singing choral music, I love listening to it, and I love inspiring others through it. However, I also have a deep love for musical theater and it is something that I wish to continue doing for a long time. This conference was the key to finding the right choice for me and I now know I want to become a choral director. At the conference, I had the incredible privilege to work with Dr. Edith Copley of Northern Arizona University. With her guidance, I learned how to properly conduct an ensemble, how to carry out the somewhat difficult task of score preparation, and how to correctly warm up the voice. More important than all of that, she taught me what it truly meant to be a leader in the choral world. In addition to her incredible leadership, I also was able to create friendships with amazing people whom all shared similar interests to me which is truly special to me. Because of this incredible experience, I want to become a choral director and I am very excited for what the future will bring. Finally, I would like to thank the ACDA of MN FMC Committee for helping me to be a part of this once in a lifetime experience. I am truly grateful for the scholarship they gave me and I would not have been able to do this without their help.