Ohio Choral Directors Association

Fall edition of OCDA News now available!

OCDA News Fall 2025

Feature Your Ensemble for OCDA

Help us celebrate choral music in Ohio! Share audio, visual, or photographic media of your performing ensemble, festival event or musical environment that demonstrates the vibrant choral traditions of our state. Selected submissions will be displayed in a short Choral Feature Content Video which will be shown at Midwest ACDA in Milwaukee, WI in February.

Deadline for submissions is Nov. 15, 2025.

Please note: While we would love to use every entry, our complete video is limited to one minute. Please read all information in the submission form carefully and adhere strictly to the requested guidelines so that your submission can be considered. If you have questions, please contact Dara Gillis, OCDA President.

Ohio Feature Content Submission Form

Midwestern Region ACDA Choral Leadership Academy

OCDA is proud to participate in the first Midwest ACDA Regional Conference Choral Leadership Academy.

One current choral music education or choral conducting major from Ohio will be selected to participate in the event to be held in Milwaukee, WI on February 25-28, 2026. The participating student will receive a complimentary conference registration and housing for the week.

Eligibility Criteria

Applicants must:

Be currently enrolled in a collegiate music education or choral conducting program.
Must be a student member of ACDA.
Have completed at least two semesters of undergraduate coursework (or be enrolled in a graduate program focused on choral music education/conducting). Please note that the goal is to encourage pre-professionals but not to exclude graduate students.
Demonstrate exceptional potential as a future choral leader through academic achievement, musicianship, and leadership experience.
Commit to attending the full MWACDA Conference and all Choral Leadership Academy sessions, including pre-selected conference sessions and debrief meetings.

Key Dates

October 31, 2025 – Application deadline for candidates.
November 10, 2025 – States forward nominees to MWACDA President.
November 21, 2025 – MWACDA President announces final selections.
February 25–28, 2026 – Choral Leadership Academy at MWACDA Conference.

Click the button below to fill out the Ohio application.

MWACDA Choral Leadership Academy Application

Fall 2025 Edition of the OCDA News Now Available

The fall issue of the OCDA News is now available for viewing.

Fall 2025; Volume 45, Issue 1

In this issue:

Dara Gillis offers OCDA as a supportive community in a time of uncertainty;
Alyson Bates promotes OCDA Treble Choral Festivals;
Robyn Lana highlights four notable choirs in the southwest region;
Devon Steve extols a Southeast Asian choral music publisher;
Libby Hainrihar pitches the many benefits of an OCDA membership (tell your colleagues!);
Brandon Moss recaps the Summer Conference 2025; and
Kent Vandock submits his annual Treasurer’s report.

Click the link and benefit from the expertise and experience of our choral colleagues!

Previous editions of the newsletter are available here.

Quire Cleveland Fund Grant Application

OCDA Sets Up Grant Through Donation Funds

The Ohio Choral Directors Association has received a generous gift from the dissolution of Quire Cleveland, with the funds intended to support activities aligned with Quire Cleveland’s original mission. The donation aims to promote opportunities for Ohio singers to learn and perform a cappella vocal ensemble repertoire, particularly works composed before 1700. Funds may support public performances, workshops, masterclasses, festivals, and professional development for choral directors, including establishing new a cappella ensembles in underserved areas.

Usage of the funds will be overseen by the OCDA President, who, along with the executive board, will disperse the monies based on the merit of the proposal and alignment to Quire Cleveland's mission. A sponsorship application process will be available to OCDA members, with grants up to $2,000 per project. All approved projects must publicly acknowledge support from the Quire Cleveland Fund and provide a report on the project’s outcomes. There can be no modifications to the fund's guidelines.

Ben Ayling is the 2024 Distinguished Service Award Winner

Excerpted from Rich Schnipke's nomination letter.

Dr. Ayling’s direct service record to OCDA is wonderful. He has served on the OCDA board in many positions over the years, including president. As president, he established a board “contingency fund” that remains in place today, protecting the organization from unforeseen financial burdens. As retired director’s representative, he founded an annual golf outing to help provide scholarship funds for university students to attend the OCDA summer conference. He also encouraged young directors to become involved with OCDA and has made countless summer conference personal invitations and board membership recommendations. I honestly cannot remember an OCDA summer conference when Ben has not been in attendance and actively working for the organization.

While Ben’s direct OCDA board service is impressive, I think his greater contribution to our Ohio choral community is through is connections with people. Ben’s warm, welcoming smile and inviting personality have helped him become a friend and mentor to so many Ohio choral directors, including me. As a young teacher, he encouraged my natural talents and provided warm, constructive feedback for areas of improvement, always doing so in a thoughtful, kind manner. Even after his retirement, I have seen him continue this type of leadership/service to the profession by engaging with current early career teachers in the same way he did for me many years ago.

Dr. Ben Ayling has been an integral part of our Ohio professional choral network for over 30 years. He leads by example in a calm, caring, and engaging manner. He is a wonderful musician and conductor, a consummate professional, a caring mentor, and a warm friend. I highly encourage the Ohio Choral Directors Association to recognize Dr. Ayling with 2024 OCDA Distinguished service award.

OCDA News Archive Available

OCDA is proud to announce the introduction of the OCDA News Archive. Thanks to the efforts of OCDA Historian, Amy Gelsone and IT Coordinator, Eric West, OCDA News issues dating all the way back to the late 1960's are now available for viewing and downloading in PDF format.

Click here to access this new OCDA resource and peak back into what OCDA was and what it become over the past six decades.