American Choral Director's Association:
Crane School of Music
about our chapter
mission statement:
The American Choral Directors Association is a nonprofit organization whose mission is "to inspire excellence in choral music through education, performance, composition, and advocacy" (acda.org).
The Crane School of Music student chapter of ACDA is constantly striving to develop the rewarding and exciting opportunities that we provide our members, as part of the national organization as well as contributors to the vibrant choral music education community at Crane. We have sent groups of members to professional development conferences hosted by ACDA across the United States, including Las Vegas in 2015, Boston in 2016, Minneapolis in 2017, and Pittsburgh in 2018. Members also have the opportunity to attend a state or regional conference each year in the New York/New England area.
In addition to professional development away from Crane, we host educational events and workshops, as well as the opportunity to bond and grow as a community of choral musicians and educators in Potsdam. We also like to have fun! Some of the events we have held as a chapter include:
Conducting workshops
Reading Sessions
Presentations by Crane Faculty
Presentations by renowned choral professionals
Workshops led by Crane students
Student Teaching Round-table Discussions
Mixers with other student professional organizations
Mentor/Mentee Bingo Night and Photo Contests
Zumba and bonding events!
We hope you'll join us to find a supportive community of peers that will make you feel welcome at Crane and well-prepared to enter the workforce as a first-time teacher!
For more information about ACDA as an organization, please visit acda.org
how to join our chapter
Registering online for ACDA should cost you only $5 if you are a new member! If you have been registered before, it will cost you $35. To do so, follow these steps:
Go to acda.org, and choose 'Join Now' under the 'Membership' tab.
Scroll down to the Individual Membership Options, and click the hyperlinked words, 'student membership.'
Under Student Membership Options, click the hyperlinked words, 'Learn more and find out if your state is participating.'
Follow the instructions on the following page (We do qualify for the initiative).
If you have any problems, contact a Crane ACDA executive board member, or just email membership@acda.org to speak to an official representative.
To join the Crane School of Music Chapter of ACDA, find an executive board member during the academic year at Crane at the ACDA Office, B117, or via email, to fill out your information and pay the small chapter dues fee (different rate set by the e-board for each academic year).
Executive Board 2024-2025
Elizabeth Powell
President
Darrah Wright
Vice President
Victoria Keane
Treasurer
Junior
Music Business and Music Theory Majors
wrightdm206@potsdam.edu
Anya Speranza
Secretary
Madeline D'Arco
Public Relations and Historian
Sophomore
Music Education Major Concentrations in Voice and Special Education
speranam207@potsdam.edu
Music Education Major
Concentrations in Voice and Special Education darcomk207@potsdam.edu
2018-2019 EVENTS
2019-2020 EVENTS
2021-22 events
2022-23 events
2023-2024 EVENTS
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2024-2025 EVENTS
Have any questions?
Feel free to contact us!
OUR ADDRESS
Find us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter (links below)
Office: Bishop Hall B117
Mailing Address:
The Crane School of Music
The State University of New York at Potsdam
44 Pierrepont Avenue
Potsdam, NY 13676
For any general inquiries, please fill in the following contact form:
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Thrive
Syracuse
2022
In October of 2022, Crane ACDA attend the first New York Collegiate Conference, Thrive! We are very fortunate that two of our Crane faculty, Dr. Klykken and Dr. Jolley helped bring this conference to life. We are even more fortunate that two of our students, Leandra Whalen and Hannah Gerber got to present at the conference!
2023 Promo Video
Here is a exclusive interview with current and past E-Board members on why you should join Crane’s Chapter of ACDA💛💙 ACDA Is a wonderful opportunity for all college students allows for so many resources and opportunity! The current members of ACDA hope that you all will join our club!! Video order: intro, lab choir, M&M program, Bonding events, conferences, favorite things about Acda. Guest speakers, outro.
Pictured Here:
Natalie Bunta Joseph Carney
Kaitlyn Cavallo Dylan Maebert
Donna Zarrabi LeAndra Whalen
Crystal Miller Jessica Henry
Jimmy Quagliaroli Dea Algrihm
Allie Costanza Rose Recce
Angelica Zara Emily West
Morgan Tiller. Frankie Altimarano
Conductor, Craig Hella Johnson
Advisor, Jeffrey Francom
Resonate
Boston 2022
ACDA Eastern Conference 2022
Boston
In February of 2022, the Crane School of Music chapter of the American Choral Directors Association went to Boston to attend the ACDA Eastern Conference with the theme "Resonate".
Students in our chapter were able to sing with conductor, Craig Hella Johnson. This was an amazing opportunity to sing with ACDA members from around the Northeast.
At the conference, every concert began with the question, "What do you want to resonate with the audience". As a chapter we found that conference resonated with us by attending workshops, concerts, and masterclasses.
Public Relations Officer, Joey Carney (24') says, "Boston was a truly wonderful experience. What resonated with me was the gospel choir. I have never been more moved by a piece of music. Additionally, I resonated with the trauma informed music education session as it gave my colleagues and I information to bring into our future classroom".
Raise Our Voice- Providence RI
February 28th to March 2nd Crane American Choral Directors Assocation brought 12 students to Providence, RI for ACDA Bi-Annual Eastern Conference. This Conference went in with the focus "raising our voices". The session and concert sessions had focuses on inclusivity in the choral setting.
Public Relation Officer Darrah Wright states, "This was such an eye-opening conference there was so many sessions for all types of choral individuals. One of my favorite sessions was the composer forum, as a Music Business major it was so fascinating to learn about all the different types of ways a person may go and publish their works."
In Harmony - Vassar College
October 25 - 26, 2024
In October of 2024, the Crane School of Music Chapter of Crane ACDA went to Vassar College in Poughkeepsie, NY, to attend the ACDA State Conferene themed "In Harmony."
Current Chapter President: Elizabeth Powell ('26), past President: Kaitlyn Cavallo ('25), and Academic Advisor: Dr. Nils Klykken, kicked off the conference with a presentation on how to grow your school's ACDA Chapter! It was interactive and shared Crane ACDA's successes over the years.
The theme of this conference, "In Harmony," shone through. All of the chapters present came together and learned how each strives and worked together to improve each other.
Students had the opportunity to conduct guest choirs in masterclasses and grow immensely in a short amount of time. The Conference ended with the eVocco choir based in Long Island!
Public Relations Officer, Madeline D'Arco writes it was such a powerful experience to spread our ACDA knowledge and experience to other chapters. The Executive Board attended a luncheon and we discussed how to grow not only as a chapter but together - and that was something that showed me how powerful this conference and ACDA was as a whole! Watching my peers thrive through the masterclasses provided was empowering, or just volunteering when asked was empowering. It was such a positive experience!"
Our ACDA Chapter!
Crane ACDA Presentation
Crane students participating in
the Conducting Masterclasses
ACDA Executive Board picture!
NATIONAL CONFERENCE
Crane ACDA takes on Dallas, Texas!!
Pictured left to right: Darrah Wright ('26)
Anya Speranza ('27)
Lindsay Hebert ('25)
Elizabeth Powell ('26)
Madeline D'Arco ('27)
Kaitlyn Cavallo ('25)
President (24-25) Elizabeth Powell writes, "In March of 2025, Crane's chapter of the American Choral Directors Association brought 6 students to attend the National ACDA Conference in Dallas Texas with the theme of Celebrating the Choral Art - Past - Present - Future. the conference opened with Craig Hella Johnson as the keynote speaker. He reflected on recent changes in the world and stressed the importance of unity as we all sang together "we are the ones we are waiting for."
Students attended many interest sessions, workshops, and concerts on new technology, music from other countries, books, and so much more. Students were able to network and meet so many well known professionals in the choral world such as David Fryling, B.E. Boykin, Rob Dietz, Roger Emerson, Elaine Hagenberg and so many more.
Special Thank You to the Lougheed Center for Applied learning for selecting us to be a 2025 winner of the student grant from The Dorf Yes Fund. Without this grant, this trip wouldn't have been possible."
