Comments from our President-Elect, Sue Schreiner

When I look at what Russ Otte and our recent Oregon ACDA presidents have done to promote and encourage all of us to be involved in our state ACDA, I feel that our future will be bright. We still have much to encourage us. We have fine young
teachers, who are inspired. We have support from parents. We have the greatest kids to work with.

My question is: What can I do? It becomes a daunting task when I try to think of what I can do to improve what we already have. I am so deeply honored that you thought I would be able to take this president-elect position and make a difference.

When asked to run for this office, I was moved to make my usual wisecracks about how I would vote for the other guy. When you elected me, I sat down for the first time and was overwhelmed by feelings of: “What can I do?”

I am so proud that you have trusted me to do this job. Now, I need your help. Please be my eyes and ears out there in the real world. Let me know what you see, hear, and think. Please remember that anytime you see something you feel needs to be addressed by the ACDA Board, I want to know.

The only possible difference I can make is by listening to you and your ideas. We have to work together to see positive differences. It will take a lot of time. I am willing to spend whatever time is needed to do my best for you. As you will see, I do not have all of the answers. I beg you to become involved. Please consider the summer workshop as a time to come together.

Some of you may feel that you do not need the workshop. Some of you may feel that you do not get enough out of it.
May I suggest that we all try to be more concerned about what we can give to ACDA rather than what we can take from it?

ACDA is all about service. If you have not been active in ACDA in recent years, please return now. There is much to do. We need your help.

You may ask, “Why spend the time?” Our students deserve it. They need us to be the best possible music teachers we can be. We need to know the best music literature. We need to provide the newest and greatest information to our students.

What topics need to be covered to gain your interest? I need to know. Let us help each other. Mentor the new young teachers that would benefit from your experience. When you give of yourself, I know you will receive more than you give.

Thank you for this opportunity to talk with you. You are my friends, my inspiration, and my reason for accepting this position. Please help me.

You are the Oregon Choral Music Directors. You determine our future.

We Just Need to be Thankful!
October, 2008
Sue Schreiner, Repertoire and Standards Chair for Senior High School Choirs

We all find ourselves looking back on the many times in our lives when we really felt thankful. We have the life changing opportunity to work with fine young singers every day. We bring some of the world’s most amazing music to students who would perhaps never know the beauty of the master works. We get to keep Bach and Mozart alive.

We also have the joy of guiding our singers through the mystery of highly emotional and challenging contemporary choral music. We are the teachers. 

We are thankful for an organization of volunteers who create a summer workshop for us to attend. We are certainly thankful for each other.  One of the most rejuvenating aspects of the ACDA summer choral music workshop is getting to see our colleagues, our friends. We enjoy hugs from old friends, handshakes from new teachers eager to learn what we know, and we just cannot stop the laughter. We can barely settle down for the sessions to begin. That is certainly something to be thankful for. 

As you drove to the first session, were you excited to be back and get to see some of your favorite people? My bet is that by the time you reached the University of Portland you could hardly wait see everyone. How tremendous it is to be looking forward to what we do every year. We share ideas, explore new music together, and learn from authorities in our field. 

One of the most encouraging parts of the summer workshop was the attendance level of new choral music teachers. We have some of the finest young teachers that Oregon has seen in many years. They are strong in their conviction to become great teachers; they are asking excellent questions of teachers who have had teaching experience for many years.  They are our future. It was so inspiring to see their participation in this workshop. Congratulations to all the new teachers who will be teaching for the first time this school year.

If you did not attend the summer workshop, we are concerned. We know there are situations that come up, but there was a noticeable absence of some of the choral directors that have been so supportive in the past. If you did not attend, we would like to know what Oregon ACDA can do to make this workshop one that you will attend in the future. Please give us feedback.

Usually when the ACDA board asks for feedback they get only a few responses.  We need to hear from you. The only way we can make this summer workshop vital to Oregon Choral Directors is to understand what you are looking for in a workshop that you would never miss.  Please email <schreins@wlwv.k12.or.us> with your suggestions.  Your ideas will be taken to the next board meeting and we will seriously take a look at how to include your suggestions. 

We are thankful for you and your thoughts. 

We must be respectful of a profession that can fill us with such joy. Our lives are so tied to the music we are privileged to experience with our students.  Let us all head back into the classroom this year with a grateful attitude. We teach with some of the finest musicians in the profession.  We must be thankful, for we are the Oregon Choral Directors Association. We do make a difference and we ROCK!