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The Northeastern District Chorus Directors Association (NEDCDA) was founded in 1991. It's purposes are to support the training of existing, new, and potential directors, to encourage the exchange of information and ideas, and to advise the District Convention Team on the selection of contest sites with regard to performance conditions and logistics. The CDA is self governing and financialy self-sustaining, receiving no monetary assistance from the NED. The CDA provides guidance and assistance to the NED VP-CDD in the planning of Chorus Director classes at NED schools. In addition, the CDA operates an annual weekend seminar for all NED directors and assistants, often inviting neighboring district directors.
December, 2003
Directors College 2004 Scholarships Announced
The Society Chorus Director Development Committee has announced that there will be 100 scholarships for the 2004 Directors College.
This is an increase of 25 from 2003. Eight of them will be awarded to NED directors which is an increase of two over last year.
There have been some changes in how the scholarships will be awarded. As in previous years, priority will be given to front-line directors
who have never attended Directors College at Missouri Western State College in St. Joseph, Missouri.
(If you attended the first schools at Carthage College in Kenosha, for example, you are eligible.)
You are eligible even if you have been to Harmony College before.
Although Harmony College and Directors College meet during the same week at the same place, they are different schools.
But here's the big change.
If fewer than eight NED directors apply for a first time scholarship, the remaining scholarships will be awarded to
NED directors who have been to Directors College or to NED Assistant Directors.
In short, we will be maintaining two lists of applicants: one list of front-line NED directors who have never been to Directors College,
and one list for all other NED Directors and Assistant Directors.
To apply, send your name to:
Chuck Eaker, NED VP CDDor send your name via email to ceaker@nycap.rr.com. Indicate whether you have been to Directors College before. If so, indicate what year.
43 Pinewood Ave.
Saratoga Springs, NY 12866
Note that this is different from previous years when application was made to Jerry Knickerbocker, the Society Chorus Director Development Committee member in charge of Directors College scholarships.
The deadline for applications is February28, 2004. This is earlier than the deadline published in the Nor'easter. The deadline for the district to submit names to the Society was changed after the Nor'easter went to press. To meet this date, we have to have the applications in our hands by February 28.
The scholarship only covers tuition to the school. You will have to get yourself to the school (the nearest major airport is Kansas City, MO), but your chapter should be more than willing to cover that cost.
For more information about Directors College visit the Society's web site: http://www.spebsqsa.org.
Bill Smart Achieves Director Certification
One of the many joyful awards presentations made in Saratoga Springs during the Fall NED Convention and Contest was the awarding of Director Certification to Bill Smart, Music Director of the Dartmouth, Nova Scotia City of Lakes Chorus.While achieving Director Certification by our Society is an impressive feat, it was even more impressive that Bill and the City of Lakes Chorus spent 18 hours on a bus one way to compete in the Saturday afternoon Chorus Contest where Bill showed off his directorial skills and the chorus presented a wonderful performance.
Make sure that the next time you see Bill you congratulate him for taking a considerable amount of time to achieve this level of expertise as a chorus director. Achieving director certification is not an easy task. Ten courses are required, most of them can only be taken at Directors College, and it's difficult to take more than two of them at a time.
For more information about what is required to become a certified director, follow the links under "Director Certification" on the left where you will find a link to a document listing the requirements as well as an application to enter the program.
If you have any questions about director certification or any other aspect of chorus director development, contact Chuck Eaker, NED VP Chorus Director Development, at ceaker@nycap.rr.com or call him in the evenings at 518 580-0056 or during the day at 518 285-7601.
Once again, congratulations to Bill Smart for bringing additional honor and accomplishment to the NED.