Ohio Choral Directors Association

Spring edition of OCDA News now available!

OCDA News Spring 2025

About Our Summer Conference

The OCDA Summer conference is the highlight of the the OCDA year. This annual event allows choral directors from all over the state and further to come together and experience high levels of professional develop from some of the biggest names in choral music. This is an experience that is not to be missed.

Our annual Summer Conference will be held on the campus of Capital University, June 24 - 26, 2024. The conference will still offer world class professional development from internationally renowned choral musicians, reading sessions, concert sessions, social activities and an exhibit hall. The conference is open to any and all interested musicians. OCDA/ACDA members will be able to register at a discount as will students and retired directors. See information below for more details.

Please contact Kathleen Pellington, Summer Conference Coordinator, with any questions, comments, or concerns: summerconference@ohiocda.org.

Please see below for more information regarding specific components of our conference.

Highlights of Attending a Summer Conference

Professional Development by World Class musicians
Reading sessions for Elementary, Middle School, High School, Collegiate, Community, Worship and Contemporary A Cappella and Jazz areas of choral music
Dedicated middle school professional development track
An exhibit hall with vendors from pertinent areas of the choral music profession
Affordable Registration

Schedule of Events

Monday

10:00 AM - OCDA Board Meeting

11:00 AM - Registration Opens

12:50 PM - Welcome

1:00 PM - Concert Session I

2:00 PM - Break

2:15 PM - Director's Choir/Workshop

3:05 PM - Reading Session I

4:05 PM - Director's Choir/Workshop

5:00 PM Reception sponsored by Enocore Tours

6:00 PM - Dinner Break

7:30 PM - Concert Session II

9:00 PM - Gemütlichkeit

Tuesday

7:30 AM - Continental Breakfast

8:00 AM - Exhibits Open

8:00 AM - Director's Choir/Workshop

9:00 AM - Reading Session II

9:45 AM - Break

10:00 AM - Artistry Uninterrupted: Purposeful Transitions in Performance

11:00 PM - Reading Session III

12:00 PM - All Conference Luncheon and Annual Membership Meeting

2:10 PM - Beyond "Floor, Door, Window, Ceiling": Strategies for an Efficient and Meaningful Gesture

3:00 PM - Break

3:30 PM - Director's Chorus Warmup

4:00 PM - Concert Session III

6:30 PM - All Conference Party sponsored by Bob Rogers Travel

Wednesday

8:00 AM - Exhibits

8:00 AM - Reading Session IV

8:55 AM - The Senses Collide: Connecting Artful Movement and Dynamic Formation in Performance

9:45 AM - Break

10:00 AM - Choral Sight-Reading: practical considerations from the composer

10:00 AM - Middle School Interest Session: There's nowhere else I'd rather be. No, really!

11:00 AM - Making Warm-ups Count

12:00 PM - Lunch Roundtables

1:00 PM - The "Other" in Rehearsal: Non Musical Activities to Strengthen the Fabric of Your Ensemble

1:00 PM - Middle School Interest Session 2 - From Concept to Concert: Strategic Planning for Middle School Choirs

2:00 PM - Among Us: Conquering Imposter Syndrome in Choral Music

2:00 PM - Middle School Interest Session 3 - Simplifying Systems: Simplicity & Efficiency for the (MS) Choral Classroom "

3:00 PM - Reading Session V

**Locations, session descriptions, programming notes and information and more will be available on the conference Guidebook app when it becomes available.

Conference Registration

Below are the registration prices for the 2025 conference.

There is an "Early Bird" discount of 10% off all registration prices good until May 31st. Use promo code TWEETTWEET at the registration checkout/payment page.

**When you reach the checkout page of the registration process, enter the promo code and the discount will be applied.**

Member Registration Prices

ACDA Member - $189
Retired Member - $81
Student Member - $48
1st Year Teacher Member - $48

Non-Member Registration Prices

Non-member - $314
Non-member Spouse - $98
Retired Non-member - $131
Student Non-member - $98
1st Year Teacher Non-Member - $173

*all non-member prices include an ACDA Membership

Housing - Hotels

A block of rooms has been reserved for OCDA at the Hampton Inn & Suites-Easton Area (4150 Stelzer Road, Columbus, Ohio 43230). Click here to go to the hotel reservation page.

Clinicians

Dr. Jami Lercher

Dr. Jami Lercher brings fourteen years of public school teaching experience to her role. Having taught elementary, middle and high school vocal music, she is an advocate for music education for all.

As a Rotary Ambassadorial Scholar, Lercher completed her master’s degree in the United Kingdom. Her research explored teaching singing to the hearing impaired, cementing her belief that everyone is capable of creating and enjoying music.

Lercher’s doctoral research focused on the life and choral music of Morfydd Owen (1891-1918), a Welsh composer whose catalogue of works remains vastly unpublished and unperformed. She also champions music from marginalized voices, particularly women, and seeks to bring attention to suppressed works through performance and study. Her edition of Vittoria Aleotti’s “Surge Propera Amica Mea” is currently published through Walton Music.

An active performer, Lercher sang as a contracted singer with the Minnesota Chorale, where she also served as an assistant conductor. She served as the artistic director of the South Florida Jewish Chorale for two seasons and was the founding co-chair of the ACDA-Minnesota 9-10 Grade Treble Honor Choir.

Lercher is an active member of ACDA, NCCO, and NAfME. She has presented at state and national conferences on programming diverse music from underrepresented composers, using repertoire to inform warm-up techniques, and selecting appropriate solo repertoire for choral singers.

Dr. Kristina MacMullen

Conductor-teacher Kristina Caswell MacMullen has devoted her career to sharing music and inspiration with students and audiences. Her collaborations with fellow musicians continue to confirm her abiding hope for the future and an unflagging belief in the power of choral music.

Currently, MacMullen serves as the Mary Gibbs Jones Chair of Music and Director of Choral Activities at Baylor University. She conducts the Baylor A Cappella Choir, Chamber Singers, and leads the graduate program in choral conducting. Prior to her appointment at BU, MacMullen served on the faculties of the University of North Texas and The Ohio State University. Her interdisciplinary work earned her the Sir William Osler Award at OSU and the President’s Special Recognition Award at UNT. MacMullen has also been recognized by TCDA for her innovation in programming.

MacMullen believes that great potential lies in choral performance and creative communication. She strives to guide her students, as they desire to make an impact for good. Creative projects include interdisciplinary performances addressing human trafficking, the Kubler-Ross stages of grief, play theory, Maslow's hierarchy of needs, archetype exploration, belonging, American song, civic engagement, and the nature of tears.

As an active adjudicator and clinician, MacMullen has conducted All-State and honors choirs throughout the United States. She has presented and co-presented interest sessions at state, regional, national and international conferences. Her teaching and conducting is featured on the DVD Conducting-Teaching: Real World Strategies for Success published by GIA (2009). Her editions are published by Boosey & Hawkes, Musicatus Press, and MusicSpoke.

MacMullen earned both the Bachelor of Music Education and Master of Music degrees from Michigan State University. She completed the Doctor of Musical Arts degree at Texas Tech University. MacMullen has enjoyed a diverse career as a public-school teacher, interacting with students in rural, suburban, and urban settings, elementary through high school. She also sings with the professional ensemble Mirabai.

Dr. Francis Cathlina

Francis Cathlina, D.M.A. is a Vietnamese-American conductor and educator, renowned for his innovative approach to choral music. He currently serves as the Director of Choral Activities at the University of Memphis, where he received the 2025 Dean’s Award for Creative Achievement. Dr. Cathlina leads the Choral Area, the MM/DMA Choral Conducting program, and conducts the University Singers.

A two-time GRAMMY-nominated educator, Dr. Cathlina draws on his Eastern heritage to foster excellence and collaboration. In 2025, he will guest conduct in Brazil and the Philippines. The UofM University Singers, under his direction, have been invited to perform for national conferences. His students lead prominent programs—as university DCAs and symphony chorus directors. Early recognition came from the Texas Choral Directors Association (TCDA), which named him a “Young Director of Distinction.”

An authority on vocal pedagogy, Dr. Cathlina’s research focuses on choral tone and conducting gesture in international journals. He has presented over 62 sessions worldwide, co-leading two conducting masterclasses in Greece and headlining the 2025 Ohio and Alabama choral conferences. With an extensive conducting schedule nationwide, working with honor choirs remains his favorite form of creative activity.

Dr. Cathlina earned a DMA in conducting with a vocal pedagogy cognate from the University of North Texas, an MM from Michigan State University, and a BME from Baylor University. Before his doctorate, he taught in Texas public schools. Beyond the podium, Dr. Cathlina is an avid pickleball player. He, his husband Kyle, and their dog Coco call Memphis, Tennessee, their home.

In concert, Cathlina wears an áo dài, traditional Vietnamese formalwear. As one of the few Vietnamese conductors in the field, he proudly dons it as a tribute to his heritage. www.franciscathlina.com

Treble Honor Choir

The OCDA Treble Honor Choir is an advanced choral experience for 150 of Ohio’s best unchanged voices in grades 4-8 (current school year). This year's event is a one-day activity taking place on June 26th. Elementary and Junior High School Music Specialists and community choir conductors are invited to select their finest young singers to participate. For detailed information and submission/registration instructions please click here for the Treble Honor Choir Page.

High School Honor Choir

The High School Honor Choir is presented in conjunction with the OCDA Summer Conference. This year’s Honors Choir will feature an auditioned SATB ensemble for students who have completed grades 9 - 12 during the 2023-2024 school year. High school music teachers and community choir conductors are invited to select their finest young singers to participate. More information about these ensembles and registration can be found on the High School Honor Choirs page.

Exhibits & Sponsors

If you are interested in having a booth in our conference exhibit hall, please click here to see all the relevant information and instructions on how to register for exhibit hall space.

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