Choral Directors Institute

June 25 - 27, 2025

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Overview & Costs

The University of South Dakota’s Choral Directors Institute is an intensive program designed to expose music educators to the best in current and standard literature in addition to teaching methods and materials. The three-day institute will include large ensemble reading sessions, master classes and clinic sessions that focus on a wide variety of teaching subjects for choral directors. The tuition costs may be paid online, by check with pre-registration or on the first day of the institute. Participants are highly encouraged to pre-register to ensure an appropriate number of reading packets are available. Registration for the institute is $240. Pre-registration by June 1 will lower the fee to $215.

Institute Schedule is coming soon.

GUEST CLINICIAN:  Laura Farnell

Laura Farnell has a passion for making music with singers, working with educators, and creating accessible and artistic choral compositions.

After receiving her BME in Choral Music (piano emphasis) from Baylor University in Waco, Texas, Laura taught elementary music for two years in Mansfield ISD, followed by eight years of junior high choir in Arlington ISD. She was honored by her schools with Teacher of the Year awards in 2000 and 2003, and she received an Excellence in Education Award in 2004 as the Arlington ISD's outstanding junior high teacher of the year.

Laura presently lives in Arlington, Texas, and serves as a choral adjudicator and an invited music conference presenter/clinician for district, region, and state honor choirs across the country. As a composer, she especially enjoys writing and arranging music for developing choirs and has more than one hundred choral compositions in publication, including many commissioned pieces.

She and her husband, Russell, and their two sons (all singers), attend First Presbyterian Church of Arlington where Russell serves as Minister of Music and Laura directs the youth and children's choirs.

Housing

Participants have the option of staying on campus or planning their own accommodations during the institute. Participants wishing to stay on campus may stay in airconditioned, single occupancy residence hall rooms at a rate of $55 per night plus applicable tax, pending Board of Regents approval. These rates do not include bed linens or towels.

Optional Graduate Credit

Participants have the option to earn graduate credit for participation in certain sessions. Payment of tuition ($40 per credit hour) for graduate credit is due on the day of registration. Tuition rates are set by the South Dakota Board of Regents and are subject to change without notice. Selected clinicians and/or USD faculty instruct all sessions.

MUS793 Choral Rehearsal Methods for the Music Educator

Master classes and clinics focusing on teaching materials, techniques and pedagogy for music educators, grades K–12.

MUS793 Music Literature for Choral Ensembles

Reading sessions focusing on a wide variety of choral music for public school choirs, grades K–12. Materials will include both standard works and new releases from major publishers.

MUS793 New Trends and Best Practices for the Choral Music Educator

Seminars and roundtable discussions to allow the choral director to focus on current trends in the area of choral music education. A written final project is required.

For questions or more information, contact the Chair of Music David Holdhusen at (605)-658-3467, or at [email protected].