Spring edition of OCDA News now available!
The OCDA High School Choral Consortium is a collaborative opportunity connecting high school choral programs across Ohio through the creation and performance of new choral music. Participating ensembles will join together to commission an original SATB work by The Podd Brothers, written specifically for the consortium and centered around themes of wonder, constellations, and light.
Participation is $200 for current OCDA members or $350 for non-members, with the non-member fee including a one-year OCDA membership.
The deadline to join the consortium is January 15, 2027. Complete this brief interest form to receive additional information about participation, the project timeline, and next steps. Submitting this form does not commit you or your ensemble to participation.
Join us for OCDA's First Years Workshop, a one-day seminar geared toward teachers in their first few years and college students studying to teach choir. The event will be Saturday, October 3, 9:30 am-4:00 pm at Upper Arlington High School. Registration is only $20, which includes lunch.
This workshop is open to anyone; membership in OCDA/ACDA is not required. The day will include interest sessions on programming and rehearsal techniques, breakout sessions for collegiate and early service teachers, a reading session, and the opportunity to share pedagogical tools with one another. Those in attendance will leave with a wealth of resources, ideas, and an expanded network of new colleagues and friends.
Questions? Email Peter Haley, Chair of the Standing Committee for Professional Development, at pd@ohiocda.org, or Julia Waltz, Student Chapter Representative, at studentrep@ohiocda.org.
Register today by clicking the button below!
On behalf of the OCDA Region Chairs, we are starting a state-wide performance calendar. What better way to hear great choral music and meet our peers than to attend each other's performances!
Access the performance calendar with this link: OCDA Member Performance Calendar
If you are interested in sharing your performance calendar, please click the button and fill out the google form below:
The Spring issue of the OCDA News is now available for viewing.
Spring 2026; Volume 45, Issue 3
In this issue:
Dara Gillis touts the many benefits of our upcoming summer conference;
Jennie Rosza gives us a fundamental understanding of cultural relevant pedagogy, culturally responsive teaching, and culturally sustaining pedagogy;
Gretchen Weber parses the cliché “Remember your why” and offers deeper insight into what can sustain us;
Jamie Lercher shares the roster of the Standing Committee for Professional Development and announces an emerging-career workshop to be held in October;
Shelvin Burns and Josh Dufford provide information to help prospective participants in the High School Honor Choir meet the May 4 deadline for auditions. (In the News, click the ad or use the QR code on page 10.)
Click the link and benefit from the expertise and experience of our choral colleagues!
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.
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.
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