50th Annual Festival of Voices
September 30, 2022
Festival of Voices Highlights
- Two high-quality honor choirs comprised of middle school and high school students from public and private school choral programs throughout the State of Alabama.
- Opportunities to collaborate with national and international “choral artists” on traditional and innovative choral literature.
- Collaboration with choral ensembles from the University of Montevallo and invitational participants.
- Experience musical achievement and develop musicianship skills through leadership, education and concert performance opportunities.
- Participation in spotlight concerts and master classes with esteemed choral professionals.
- In-Service Workshops & Interest Sessions
- Choral educator workshops and interest sessions are provided to all participating choral music educators. Continuing Education Units (CEU) are provided to all with attendance of suggested sessions.
Highlights for 2022 Festival of Voices
- Music will be provided on-site
- New Workshops for High School and Middle School Singers!! Features Ensemble Workshop with exciting concert performance opportunities!!
- Festival of Voices Finale Concert will be held at UM Palmer Auditorium
2022 Festival of Voices Registration
- Student Registration – $30.00
- Payment: Pay Now!
- Online Registration Only: Registration is closed for this event.
- Application deadline: Monday, September 12, 2022
2022 Festival Schedule
8:00am-8:45am Registration
9:00am-12:00pm Rehearsal
12:00pm-1:00pm Lunch
1:00pm-4:00pm Rehearsal
4:30pm Guest Ensembles and Festival Finale Concert!
6:00pm Depart from Campus
Festival of Voices 2022 Clinicians
2022 High School Festival Clinician:
Since coming to Reinhardt University in fall 2012, Dr. Shaw has led the University’s choral programs to new heights of excellence, just as she did in her previous position at another Georgia university and in her role as artistic director of Spivey Hall Children’s Choir Program. In 2019, Dr. Shaw received the Reinhardt University United Methodist Exemplary Teaching Award. The award, voted on by her faculty colleagues throughout the University, goes to a faculty member who exemplifies excellence in teaching; civility and concern for students and colleagues; commitment to values-centered education; and, service to students, the institution and the community. A graduate of Shorter College (BME), University of Tennessee (MS) and the University of South Carolina (DMA in Conducting), Martha Shaw is a highly regarded clinician and guest conductor through the U.S. and around the world. Thank you, Dr. Shaw, for all you do to encourage and support your students, alumni, faculty colleagues and the entire Reinhardt University community.
2022 Middle School Festival Clinician:
Emily Williams Burch began teaching in 2007, including time in children and youth community choirs, the public-school setting, the professional development world, and at the university level. She is currently a visiting professor of music and coordinator of music education at the University of South Carolina, Aiken as well as the founder and artistic director of the RISE Young Women’s Chorale in Savannah, GA. On the side, Burch serves as an artistic advisor for Perform International and as a choral specialist for QuaverMusic.com. Burch holds a Doctorate of Musical Arts in Choral Conducting with doctoral minors in music theory and music history from the University of South Carolina, where she directed the University Women’s Chorus, taught Introduction to Music, and developed a course on the history of rock and roll. With a background in education, including a bachelors in music education from Louisiana State University and a masters in music education from Florida State University, combined with business classes from HBX, Harvard’s online business school, Burch has a passion for exploring and sharing innovative and effective teaching techniques and strategies and making music with choirs of all ages, as heard on her podcast “Music (ed) Matters.” Dr. Burch has served in various service positions for the American Choral Director’s Association at the state, regional, national level in a variety of roles, including co-programming chair and honor choir coordinator for the Southern Region ACDA Conferences since 2014. Additionally, after completing a six-year term as Children’s and Youth Repertoire & Resources Chair, Dr. Burch now serves as the Youth Coordinator for the Southern Region ACDA and as a member of the National Standing Committee for Advocacy and Collaboration. Choirs under Dr. Burch’s direction have performed regionally, nationally, and internationally including appearances at the Georgia Music Educator’s In-service Conference and the 23rd Anal Concors Internazionale Di Canto Corale, an international choir competition in Verona, Italy, where they received a gold award. That event sparked a passion for travel and the value in cultural exchanges in Dr. Burch which resulted in her being selected to travel to Sweden as part of the International Conductors Exchange Program in 2015. She and her husband live in Savannah, GA where they are members of the Metropolitan Savannah Rotary Club and marathoners and run ambassadors who train with the Fleet Feet Savannah Run Club.
Festival of Voices Student Scholarship
This award is in the amount of $1,000.00 ($500.00 per semester) of financial aid for the 2021 freshman year at UM, given to a high school senior who attends the Festival of Voices and auditions for the voice faculty during the event. The winner is chosen and announced at the concert, which is held at the close of the festival.
Audition procedures are as follows:
- Students must have a letter of recommendation from their high school choral director indicating vocal potential, work habits, and contributions to their high school choral program.
- Students should prepare two (2) selections to be performed for the voice faculty. These pieces should be of contrasting style and should show the student’s musical potential. The suggested repertoire may be found on the auditions web page of the University of Montevallo Department of Music.
- No recorded accompaniments should be used. A qualified accompanist will be provided for the audition.
- The winner of the audition is expected to enroll as a voice major at UM (either music education or performance) the following year.