ACDA Membership Information

What Is ACDA?

Founded in 1959, the American Choral Directors Association (ACDA) is a nonprofit music-education organization whose central purpose is to promote excellence in choral music through performance, composition, publication, research, and teaching. In addition, ACDA strives through arts advocacy to elevate choral music's position in American society.

Who Are the Members of ACDA?

ACDA membership consists of choral directors who represent more than one million singers across the United States. ACDA members teach choral music in public and private schools - kindergarten through senior high school - and at the college and university levels. They conduct a variety of choral groups, including boychoirs, children's choirs, men's and women's choruses, junior and senior high school choirs, college and university choruses, ethnic choirs, vocal-jazz ensembles, and symphony choruses. They also conduct choirs in their communities and in their places of worship.

Membership is established by submitting a membership application and annual dues.

Organizational Structure

ACDA is divided into seven geographic regions as well as fifty state chapters, each with its own conventions, newsletters, festivals, clinics, and workshops. Whether at the national, division, or state level, ACDA is structured so that its members can easily involve themselves in the organization's activities.

Conventions

ACDA offers conventions at the state, division, and national levels. National conventions are offered in March of odd-numbered years; the seven division conventions take place in February and March of even-numbered years. Through concert performances by accomplished choirs, educational clinics by leading experts, and exhibits by music-industry representatives, ACDA offers its members a diverse and practical forum in which to develop their skills and professional knowledge.

Choral Journal

The official publication of the American Choral Directors Association is the Choral Journal. This national publication, issued monthly, contains articles and columns of a scholarly and practical nature in addition to reviews of newly released CD recordings, books, and printed music. The Choral Journal is a benefit of membership in the American Choral Directors Association. Subscriptions are available to libraries. Advertising space is available as well.

Committees

ACDA has numerous national committees engaged in advancing the choral profession in its many facets. The committees work in several areas of the choral profession, whether through establishing high performance standards, recommending quality choral literature, encouraging research in choral studies, or advocating the importance of choral music in our society.

Publications

ACDA has several publications include Choral Journal, division newsletters, state newsletter, and the monograph series. All of these publications are intended to educate and inform the members of the association.

How does membership benefit you?

The ACDA offers many opportunities for its members to grow professionally and to make a direct impact on choral music in the United States. Members are given the opportunity to continue their choral music education, attend live performances by accomplished choirs, encounter new and innovative choral music along side the standard literature, and to connect with choral music colleagues. Being a member of ACDA can help you become a better choral conductor, teacher, and performer. There are professional development and networking opportunities at all levels of ACDA.

Types of ACDA Membership

Active - Active membership is for anyone that is active teaching, directing, or performing choral music.

Associate - Associate membership is for administrators and other non-directors.

Student - Student membership is for any student registered in a high school, college, or university and is actively pursuing a degree in choral music, music education, or related area of study.

Retired - Retired membership is for those choral directors that have retired from an active career of teaching, directing, or performing choral music, but wishes to remain a vital part of the choral community.

Institutional - Institutional membership is designed for an educational or other similar type of institution that wishes to become a member of ACDA. The Institutional membership comes with a subscription to the Choral Journal and allows for two paying attendees at ACDA conventions. Institutional membership is ideal for school music departments, church music programs, music booster clubs, or other such organization as well as performing groups.

Please note: Institutional membership is not designed for those ACDA members whose school or church pays for a single director's active membership. These members should remain as Active members.

Industry - Industry membership is designed for music-related businesses that wish to become a member of ACDA.

Paid Life or Paying Life - Paid Life or Paying Life membership is for active choral directors that wish to make a lifetime commitment to ACDA and a significant contribution to the life and work of the Association. New Life memberships are payable in yearly installments of $200 or more. A Paying Life membership becomes a Paid Life membership upon completion of $2,000 total payments.

Additional Information

Membership in ACDA is for the twelve-month period beginning in the month the membership application is processed. Renewal notices are sent by mail beginning two months before membership expires. We encourage members to renew membership before it expires to ensure membership remains current.

How to I join?

Choral directors, institutions, and music-related businesses join ACDA by completing a membership application and submitting it with the current membership dues to the ACDA National Office in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

As a member of ACDA, each choral director also becomes a member of the state chapter in the state in which they live. They automatically become a member of the corresponding regional division (grouping of several states) of ACDA. ACDA membership is not three separate memberships, but one membership in the three distinct levels of the Association. Please Note: Some states require additional membership dues above the ACDA membership fee.

The ACDA membership application may be downloaded here. ACDA accepts membership applications by mail and fax. At this time we cannot process applications or payments by phone or through our website.

Need assistance?

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