Nevada ACDA

CONGRATULATIONS to Nevada ACDA member Rob West on being selected as a 2025 Music Educator Grammy Award semi-finalist! Nevada ACDA is so proud of you!

Finally, the performances. The 2nd Annual Nevada ACDA All-State Choir Conference was, simply put, awe-inspiring. If you were at the performance, you know what I'm talking about. All the singers left everything they had out on that stage. Both conductors created a wonderful program and then brought out the best in the choirs. The Middle School All-State Choir sounded amazing and their body percussion was awesome! The High School All-State Choir sounded incredible and brought tears to the eyes of many in the audience.

Thank you, teachers, for allowing your students to participate in this event. Thank you to the co-chairs and committee members of the All-State Choirs for helping to put this together and preparing the students: Heather Grantham Scobie , Athena Mertes , Ryan Duff , J. Andrew Sonnemaker, Kimberly Li, Kimberly Barclay Ritzer, Brandon Pierce. Thank you to the Nevada ACDA Board for putting this all together: Michael Polutnik , Jennifer Tibben, David Sonnichsen, Jennifer Lowry.

Another, final, thank you to the Conductors for everything you did to make these fine ensembles shine. You created magic in the 48 hours you were here, and the educators who watched you, and the students who sang with you, are forever changed. Thank you for coming to Nevada.

Congratulations Singers! We are so proud of you!

The Nevada ACDA High School All-State Choir was amazing! The students put every part of themselves into the rehearsals and performance. They rose to the occasion and were, to put it simply, incredible. We are so proud of what they were able to accomplish after rehearsing together as a whole Ensemble for under 14 hours. They absorbed so much from their conductor, and we know this will be a lifelong memory!

Thank you to the, always amazing, Deborah Muhlenbruck Fleischer for playing so beautifully! Nevada ACDA is lucky to have you as an Educator, performer, colleague, and friend.

Thank you to Jake Runestad for all you did for these students. The joy you give is visible even from a distance. Thank you for everything you did for these students this week. We all had so much fun!

NV ACDA Middle School All-State Choir! What a fantastic group of singers! These kids grew so much over the two days! They worked hard and sang their hearts out. Congratulations singers! You did our state proud!

Thank you Darrell Crowther crowther for playing so beautifully! You were their rock throughout the entire conference!

Thank you to the incredible Rollo Dilworth for conducting these students and bringing so much out of them. Whenever I asked the students how things were going, they all lit up and said this has been the best experience! Thank you!

Get ready for a barage of All-State posts! First up: Interest sessions!

We learned so much at our interest sessions! Thank you to our presenters Christine Bass, Joe Svendsen, Brian Murray, and Joshua R. Brown for helping give us some new ideas and refresh some old ones. We appreciate all of you!

Special Shout-out to Nevada ACDA Choral Music Educator of the Year for accompanying the first two sessions, thank you Barry Isbell!

Day 1 of the Nevada ACDA All-State is off to a great start! We have amazing conductors, clinicians, and excited students! Who can ask for anything more? We are so excited for the concert tomorrow night at 6:30! You can still purchase tickets!

Less than a week away! We can't wait to see all the singers and directors next Thursday and Friday! Don't forget to buy your tickets for the concert Friday night!

ACDA All-State Southern Zone rehearsal! Here are a couple pictures from sectionals. The singers are sounding wonderful already! Thank you to the chairs, rehearsal leaders, accompanist, and teachers for giving this opportunity! Can't wait until April 18-19!

Day 4 recap: We had a great day and ended the conference with an amazing four Honor Choir Performances! It was so inspiring to hear all those singers and watch the conductors. So proud of all the singers representing Nevada and the west of the Western Region. Congratulations to all!

Happy International Women’s Day! ✨ We celebrate these powerful women in ACDA leadership and all women who further the choral arts through excellence, grace, and strength. Thank you for your work — seen and unseen. 💪

Day 3: ACDA Western started with the beautiful performance of Thurman White Academy Advanced Choirs under the direction of Athena Mertes. We saw members going to many different amazing sessions and performances

We have had a great time so far at the ACDA Western Conference! Here is a day 2 recap:

Congratulations to the Thurman White Academy Advanced Choir under the direction of Athena Mertes and accompanied by Deborah Muhlenbruck Fleischer on an amazing ACDA performance this morning! Everything about the performance was exceptional and the entire state of Nevada is proud of you!

Registration is open! We can't wait to see you in Pasadena for the ACDA Western Region Conference!

Congratulations to the following singers on being selected to perform with one of the Western Regional Honor Choirs in Pasadena next week! Nevada is so proud of you!

Congratulations Ms. Mertes and the Thurman White Academy Advanced Choir!

🎶 PERFORMING CHOIR: Thurman White Academy Advanced Choir

The Thurman White Academy Advanced Choir has been under the direction of Athena Mertes since 2015. Thurman White Academy is a Performing Arts Magnet Middle School program that accepts students through a random lottery system. This 7th/8th grade ensemble consistently receives superior ratings at choral festivals and competitions.

📍 WHEN: You can hear their performance on Friday, March 8 during CONCERT SESSION #8 from 8:30-10:00am!

Learn more about Thurman White Academy Advanced Choir and their director, Athena Mertes, on our website acdawestern.org!

Click this link to see the form for more information on how to have your performances be featured on our Social Media Platforms.

bit.ly/NVACDAMediaRequest

Come join NV ACDA this Friday! RSVP to Jennifer or send a DM. See you next week!

If anybody is interested in presenting an Interest Session at the Nevada ACDA All-State Conference, we would love for you to consider filling out this Google form. We had a great conference last year and are looking forward to another amazing one in April! Spread the word!

https://forms.gle/4hVF2NsuFuuKUFst8

Today, we honor the incredible life and musical brilliance of Alice Parker. Alice was a beacon of kindness and wisdom, fostering a sense of community among musicians. As we bid farewell to a true luminary, let's celebrate the legacy she leaves behind—a legacy of passion, creativity, and the timeless power of music.

Rest peacefully, dear Alice. Your music remains an eternal symphony in our hearts. 🎶

WACDA Conference Schedule at a glance!

Did you know that you can see ALL of the wonderful events in store for you at ? 📆 Our Schedule At-A-Glance is available at: https://acdawestern.org/2024-conference-schedule/

Awesome Nevada ACDA Mini-Conference 2023 today! Congrats to our performing choirs from Garrett JHS, Liberty HS, and Thurman White Academy, you were outstanding! Professor John Byun provided us with a great conducting workshop, an awesome keynote address, and led a wonderful choral reading session. Congrats to Kim McGrath for being awarded this year’s Nevada ACDA Lifetime Achievement Award!

CALLING ALL COMPOSERS!!! Check out the offerings for you at WACDA Pasadena 2024!!

Early Bird Registration is now open for the 2024 WACDA CONFERENCE in Pasadena! Please take advantage of this amazing opportunity and discounted rate! Learn more at acdawestern.org!! ACDA Western

An absolutely amazing day at the 2023 SING OUT: TENOR & BASS FESTIVAL! Thank you to our Nevada educators for their tireless efforts, as 19 schools and over 200 6-12 grade students were represented! We appreciate Desert Oasis High School Choirs for hosting, and our special guests The Las Vegas Men's Chorus for performing with us! It was a fabulous day of singing, and the concert was stellar! Thanks to all who supported, and thank you Joe Svendsen for talking to our students today!! ❤️🎶

WESTERN REGION ACDA HONOR CHOIR AUDITION DEADLINE has been extended through SUNDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2023! Teachers, there is still time to take advantage of this amazing opportunity for your students! ACDA Western

It was a successful week for the 2023 Clark County School District HS Honor Choir Auditions. Thanks to these educators for hosting auditions, listening to over 250 students, and for providing this opportunity for our Southern Nevada choral students. Results posted next week, stay tuned!!

Save the date for our 14th Annual Nevada ACDA Mini-Conference. We are so excited to be joined by Professor John Byun from Riverside Community College. All registration information is on the flyer, register by 10/30 for included lunch. Act now, don’t miss this wonderful opportunity provided by Nevada ACDA! 🎶🎶