Freshmen Sing at Fall Festivals

The annual choral festivals for singers in grades 6-9 sponsored by the Southwest Region of the American Choral Directors Association of Pennsylvania take place in November.  Mucho Macho Music brings together boys from the region to sing in an environment where they can explore their changing voices while making music together.  This year’s festival will take place on Nov. 18 at East Allegheny High School.  The guest conductor is Dr. Brian Winnie, director of choral activities & voice at Southwestern College in Kansas.  Additionally, the California University men’s a cappella group Vulcanize will serve as featured guest performers, and the men will join with the student participants throughout the day.  Freshmen singers from the North Hills High School Symphonic Choir selected to participate are Ryan Martin and Emerson Spear.
 
The “sister” festival to Mucho Macho is the Sweet Harmony Festival.  Set up in the same way, Sweet Harmony celebrates the music of women’s choirs, allowing girls in grades 6-9 to share in singing while learning from a guest conductor and collegiate ensemble.  Sweet Harmony was held on Nov. 4 at West Allegheny High School.  This year’s guest conductor was Dr. Caron Daley, director of choral activities at Duquesne University, and the guest ensemble was the University of Pittsburgh Women’s Choral Ensemble.  Freshmen singers from the North Hills High School Women’s Choir selected to participate were Jane Fusco, MacKenzie Mallory, and Katie Swab.
 
Founded in 1959, the American Choral Directors Association (ACDA) is a nonprofit music-education organization whose expressed purposes outline the association’s dedication to the advancement of choral music.  The mission of ACDA is to inspire excellence in choral music through education, performance, composition, and advocacy.