All members of LA ACDA are invited to submit applications for the Conducting Masterclass, to be held in New Orleans, LA on Saturday, October 17th. This event is a part of the annual Fall Conference of the Louisiana Chapter of the American Choral Directors Association.
The application videos will be viewed and adjudicated by a panel of experienced choral conductors. These adjudicators will select a maximum of 4 finalists to participate in a masterclass with clinician Dr. Shane Thomas, the Director of Choral Activities at Northwestern State University. Finalists will be given a piece to prepare for the masterclass. Deadline to submit this form will be September 19th, 2026.
Selection Criteria
The selection committee will be guided in their acceptance process by the following criteria:
- Conducting gesture
- Style and articulation
- Interpretation and expression
- Overall effectiveness
Application Requirements
Applicants must submit a front-facing video (video cannot exceed 6 minutes) conducting one selected work. Videos may be in WebM, .MPEG4, .3GPP, .MOV, .AVI, .MPEGPS, .WMV, .FLV, or .ogg formats. Please ensure the applicant’s name and/or institution name does not appear in the name of the file. The title of the video can be the composition name and composer.
The video recording can include an audio recording of a choir performance, a live choir, or piano accompaniment only. The work can be SATB, SSA, or TTB. The recording should not be in rehearsal format, but rather conducting a run-through of a piece. The video should not identify the individual or institution in any way (background or apparel).
Questions
For any questions regarding the masterclass or application process, please contact Shane Thomas at thomassh@nsula.edu.
Shane Thomas, DMA
Director of Choral Activities
Northwestern State University