NDACDA State Conference

2015 North Dakota ACDA State Convention

This year the NDACDA conference will be hosted by Bismarck State College and Mandan High School in Bismarck, ND February 6th-7th.

Registration for all conference attendees will take place in the Bismarck State College Lobby. You can register for the conference early by contacting Sheldon Weltz at sheldon.weltz@parkriverk12.com. Please include the following information: Name, School you are from, and whether you are purchasing a meal plan.

· For NDACDA members the conference is $35. You can purchase a meal plan while attending the conference for $20.

· College students can attend the conference for free. Students can purchase a reading packet for $10 at registration. Meals are not included.

· You can register for MUSC 600 through NDSU for Professional Development. The course is one credit and costs $75.

Our Friday night concert will feature Bismarck Century High Chorale, University of North Dakota Vivo, and University of Mary Vocal Jazz. Clinicians are Brian Schmidt conducting the Men's Honor Choir, Brian Saylor conducting the Mixed Honor Choir, and Connie Stordalen conducting the Treble Honor Choir. We have a number of wonderful sessions by young and experienced directors, that are aimed at the beginning teacher, as well as the veteran. It's going to be a wonderful conference!

The schedules for members and all three honor choirs are posted below.

****2015 MEMBERSHIP SCHEDULE****

****2015 MEN'S CHOIR SCHEDULE****

****2015 MIXED CHOIR SCHEDULE****

***2015 TREBLE CHOIR SCHEDULE****

****2015 SHOWCASE CONCERT & REHEARSAL SCHEDULE****

Men's Choir Director

Brian Schmidt

Brian Schmidt is Founder and Artistic Director of the South Dakota Chorale, a professional choral organization in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Since their founding in 2009, his leadership has guided them to rapid growth and recognition, as well as the release of two commercial albums in collaboration with Grammy award-winning producer, Blanton Alspaugh. They also received the prestigious invitation to perform at the 2015 American Choral Directors Association (ACDA) national conference in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Schmidt also serves as a choral conductor at Duke University Chapel in Durham, North Carolina, where he directs the Duke Vespers Ensemble. With the Duke Vespers Ensemble, he leads this highly auditioned chamber choir in a weekly Choral Vespers service and concerts specializing in early music with Cappella Baroque, a professional period-instrument orchestra he founded in 2013. They made their Boston Early Music Festival Fringe Concert debut in 2013, performing Buxtehude’s Membra Jesu Nostri. MSR Classics released their live recording of the same work in the fall of 2014.

Brian was selected by ACDA to represent America in the International Conductor Exchange Program with Sweden, resulting in study opportunities in Sweden during the fall of 2015. He was previously the founder and Artistic Director of the Dakota Men’s Ensemble, which also appeared at national, regional, and state ACDA conventions. Brian Schmidt graduated from the University of North Texas, where he completed MM and DMA degrees under Jerry McCoy and Richard Sparks, along with early music studies under Lyle Nordstrom and Lenora McCroskey.

Mixed Choir Director

Brian Saylor

Brian Saylor is from Aberdeen, SD and graduated from Aberdeen Central High School. He went on to study music at Lee University in Cleveland, TN, where he earned a Bachelor of Music Education degree. He also holds a Master's Degree in Elementary Administration through the University of Mary.
Brian is an active member of the North Dakota Music Education Association and serves on their board as the Future President of the organization. He also is an active member of the North Dakota American Choral Directors Association serving on their board as the R & S Chair for Show Choirs. He enjoys writing professional articles for the journals of both organizations, and recently had an article republished in a regional choral journal.

Brian has taught for 16 years and was previously the choir director at Horizon Middle School in Bismarck, ND. At Horizon he directed 3 Performance choirs with approximately 250 students. In addition to the performance choirs he was the director of the Horizon Husky Singer's show choir and New Horizon Vocal Jazz Ensemble. In 2012 The Horizon Middle School Freshman Chorus was chosen to be the North Dakota Official Governor's Chorus. This included a performance at the Governor's State of the State Address.
At Bismarck High he is the director of 4 performing choirs of approximately 200 students including the Freshman Choir, Prep Choir, Women’s Choir, and the BHS Concert Choir. He is also the Director of New Generation Jazz Choir as well as assisting in the directing responsibilities for Genesis Jazz.

He is married to Becky and they have 2 children, Brady is 11 and Brianna is 6.

Treble Choir Director

Connie Stordalen

Connie (Coleman) Stordalen, originally from the Bismarck area, grew up in the small community of Baldwin just north of Bismarck. She graduated from Bismarck Century High School and continued her education receiving a Bachelor of Science degree in K-12 Vocal and Instrumental Music Education from North Dakota State University.

Connie has been the Vocal Music Director at Horizon Middle School in Bismarck, ND since August 2013. She currently directs 3 choirs in grades 6 through 8 with approximately 250 students. In addition to her 6-8 choirs, she directs the 6^th grade show choir, Female Pop Singers, Husky Singers Show Choir and has taught private piano and voice over 17 years.

Prior to teaching in Bismarck, Connie was the K-5 Music Specialist for 15 years at Century Elementary in Grand Forks, ND. She was an associate director for 6 years with the Grand Cities Children’s Choir and was a member of and soprano soloist in the Grand Forks Master Chorale. Connie has been a guest director for NDACDA Surround the State in Song and is a frequent adjudicator for middle and high school vocal festivals around the state.

During the summer months Connie continues to work with youth in musical theatre productions and has been a Private Vocal Instructor and one of the Choral Music Directors with the Grand Forks Summer Performing Arts (SPA) program grades 6-12. In the summer of 2015, Connie will be directing the premier year of the Sleepy Hollow Middle School Revue in Bismarck, ND. She is a member of ACDA and in her free time enjoys spending time with her husband Erik and children Konnor, Samantha and MeKayla.