WACDA 2024 CONFERENCE SCHEDULE – COMPOSER TRACK

Wednesday, March 6

7:30pm – 9:30pm – Opening concert session
Hear the New Commission from Winning Composer, Lauren Biggs
In the opening conference session, the commission born from our emerging composer competition will be premiered by the CSU Fullerton Singers. This piece will also be included in the packet for all conference attendees.

Thursday, March 7

• 8:30 AM – 10:00 AM: Concert Session #2: Crystal Children’s Choir – Tesoro High School Vocal Ensemble – The Sunday Night Singers
• Composer Lounge area open during all Exhibit Hall hours (Thursday 10:00am – 6:30pm, Friday 11:30am – 5:00pm)
• 10:00am – 12:00pm Composer Fair open – composers may be attending tables in the hallway lobby surrounding the Exhibit Hall entrance
• 11:00am – 12:00pm
  Composer Masterclass #1 – facilitated by composers Jennifer Lucy Cook and Andrew Maxfield
  CC 211
  Casual opportunity to get feedback on pieces from fellow composer moderators. Open to conductors who compose, as well as official composer track attendees, and observers are welcome. (*more details below)
• 1:30pm – 2:30pm
  Live Workshop with Choir #1: Jennifer Lucy Cook & Saunder Choir with Tesoro HS Choir
  Exhibit Hall C
  Observe professional Western ACDA composers work with a live choir as they experiment with a new piece for the first time. Watch musical wrinkles get ironed out in real time and see a new work come to life.
• 3:00pm – 4:00pm
  Toolbox Session: Idea Fest with panelists Jake Runestad, Jennifer Lucy Cook, Tim Westerhaus, Magen Solomon, Jeffrey Benson, and Eliza Rubenstein
  Exhibit Hall C
  Embark on a journey of discovery as we delve into the innovative world of collaborative music-making. This session offers a unique opportunity to engage in candid conversations with living composers and progressive conductors who have made unique strides in concert programming. Panelists will discuss their journeys toward creating their ambitious programs, and how working with composers made their visions a reality. Attendees are welcome to bring their own ideas to discuss avenues and possibilities, as well as other related questions for the panelists. Whether you’re seeking inspiration or eager to share your own experiences, this session promises to spark new ideas and connections.
• 4:30 PM – 5:30 PM: Concert Session #3: Chandler Children’s Choir Ad Astra – Riverside Community College Chamber Singers
• Composer Fair open — 5:30pm -6:30pm
• 8:30 PM – 10:00PM: Concert Session #4: Choral Arts Initiative

Friday, March 8

• 8:30 AM – 10:00 AM: Concert Session #5: Thurman White Academy Advanced Choir – Resounding Achord – Cal Poly SLO Cantabile
• 10:30 AM – 11:45 AM – All Conference Sing Rehearsals

• Composer Fair open — 11:30am – 12:45pm
• 1:15pm – 2:15pm
  Reading Session: Western Region Composers
  Ballroom F
  Hear music and see perusal scores from Western Region Composers, including work from:
  Kate Crellin, Michelle Green Willner, Juhi Bansal, David Saldaña, Thomas Goedecke, Matthew Brown, Brent Wells, Marianne Forman, and Jeffrey Derus.
• 2:45pm – 3:45pm
  Live Workshop with Choir #2: Matthew Lyon Hazzard & Ariel Quintana with Resounding Achord
  Ballroom C
  Observe professional Western ACDA composers work with a live choir as they experiment with a new piece for the first time. Watch musical wrinkles get ironed out in real time and see a new work come to life.
• 4:15 PM – 6:00 PM: Concert Session #6: Ragazzi Boys Chorus – Biola University Chorale – ALL CONFERENCE SING
• 8:00 PM – 10:00 PM: Concert Session #7: Saugus High School Blue Notes – CSULB Jazz & Tonic – säje

Saturday, March 9

• 9:15 AM – 10:15 AM: Concert Session #8: San Juan Hills High School Chamber Singers – University of Arizona Symphonic Choir
• 10:45am – 11:45am
  Composer Masterclass #2 – facilitated by composers Jennifer Lucy Cook and Andrew Maxfield
  Ballroom C
  Casual opportunity to get feedback on pieces from fellow composer moderators. Open to conductors who compose, as well as official composer track attendees, and observers are welcome. (*more details below)
• Composer Fair open — 11:45am – 12:45pm 
• 1:15pm – 2:15pm
  Yes, You Can Compose for Your Own Choir: Why & How Every Educator Should Try Writing for Their Own Ensemble – led by Western Region Composers Dale Trumbore & Saunder Choi
  Ballroom C
• 3:00 PM – 5:00 PM: Honor Choir Concert

*COMPOSER MASTERCLASS DETAILS:

There are two masterclass sessions, both led by Jennifer Lucy Cook and Andrew Maxfield. In these sessions, we’ll be welcoming any composers to bring their own pieces for feedback, discussion, and question-answering. Because composing can often be a rather lonely pursuit, we aim to create a space where it was comfortable and welcoming to talk through questions with other composers, since we all want the same thing: for there to be more great choral music in the world. This is our way of lifting each other up to accomplish that! Everyone is welcome to attend, even if you prefer to just observe.

If you’d like to present a piece for feedback, please bring:

• A digital version of your score, available either with a link, a USB drive, AirDrop capabilities, or another easily accessible medium so that we can project it in the room and discuss it together. The piece can be either finished or unfinished, performed or unperformed.
• if you have an audio recording, even if it’s midi, that would be extremely helpful.
  • Alternatively, there will be a piano in the room and you could play passagesfor us in person if you’d prefer
• Questionsthat you have about your piece. For example, “I’m hoping that the climax feels as huge and epic as possible; do you think that I’ve accomplished that in bars 20-26?” or maybe “what do you think about the first section of this piece? Is my intended emotion being communicated?” or maybe “I am struggling to decide where the next section of this unfinished piece should go. Do you have any suggestions?
  • The masterclass is not intended to function as a pat on the back, per se. For our purposes, there’s no point in bringing pieces that you’re completely 100% satisfied with. Please only bring work that would benefit from feedback in some form. We recognize that it requires courage, but the brave composers who are willing to look at their work together and talk about its strengths and weaknesses within our safe space will hopefully emerge with ideas to make better work, whether on this specific piece or on future compositions.  
  • We’ll take as many pieces in each session as possible, but we may need to limit the amount of time spent depending on demand. If you’d definitely like to participate, please let me know and we’ll give you first priority! There’s no requirement for advance notice; we will absolutely welcome pieces in the room if time allows. With any extra time, we’ll happily discuss general composer-related questions, as well.
• A notebook or recording deviceto record your feedback so that you can utilize it later.

We look forward to diving into your compositions together!