Blog Archives

Kyle Zeuch Appointed as President-Elect Designate

5/4/2022

Dear ACDA-PA members,
As you may recall, Brent Talbot was named President-Elect Designate in the election held in February. Brent recently let us know that he will be taking a position out of state for next academic year. I am excited to share with you that the board has appointed Kyle Zeuch as President Elect Designate, effective immediately. Kyle has been serving in the role of Lifelong Repertoire and Resources Coordinator and is a familiar face to ACDA-PA. Thank you, Kyle, for being willing to serve in this new capacity! We look forward to your leadership!

Caron Daley
ACDA-PA Past President

Dr. Kyle Zeuch serves as Director of Choral Activities at Lebanon Valley College. In addition to conducting the choirs on campus, Zeuch teaches conducting and music education courses. He holds a bachelor of music in music education degree from Capital University, a master of music in choral conducting from Michigan State University (MSU), and a doctor of musical arts in choral conducting degree also from MSU. Dr. Zeuch’s teaching experience includes Director of Children and Youth Choirs at Michigan State University and the Head Director at Rivera High School in Brownsville, Texas, where he was named the Texas Choral Director Association’s Distinguished Young Director in 2010. In December 2020, Zeuch was awarded the Inclusive Excellence Award at Lebanon Valley College for his scholarly work in composer representation and social justice. Under his direction, Dr. Zeuch’s choirs have performed at state conferences, throughout Europe, and on the stage of Carnegie Hall.

Composition Contest Winners Announced

5/2/2022

ACDA-PA is pleased to announce the following winning compositions in our 2022 competition. The pieces will be premiered at the Summer Conference.

NON-STUDENT CATEGORY
"All Night I Could Not Sleep"
for SATB divisi a cappella
by Laurel Luke Christensen

Laurel Luke Christensen (b. 1988) seeks to write music that reveals what is ineffable, but intimately relatable. Her compositions I Saw a Star and Dawn Will Break Upon Us won the Virginia Chorale and Siena College Choral Composition Competitions in May 2019 and March 2020 respectively. Her proposed choral work, Sanctuary, was selected as a runner-up for the ACDA Genesis Prize in October 2020. Laurel holds a BM and an MM in Music Education and has conducted Middle School, High School, and Community Choirs and taught Music Appreciation, AP Music Theory, and private voice and piano lessons to students of all ages. Originally from Colorado, she currently lives in Philadelphia with her husband and two sons.

STUDENT CATEGORY
"The Violet"
for SATB and piano
by Maira Myers

Maira Myers is a rising Junior at Messiah University. Although she is originally from Harrisonburg, Virginia, she has come to Pennsylvania to pursue music education. Maira specializes mainly in voice and has always loved to sing in choirs. She is part of Concert Choir and Chamber Singers at Messiah University and has also sung in numerous choirs throughout her high school years, including district, honors, and state choir. Maira has always had a love and passion for composing music and recently started taking lessons under Dr. Richard Roberson. She is very thankful for the opportunity to continue composing and pursuing music.

Laurel Luke Christensen

Maira Myers