April 2026

Upcoming Events

April 17 & 18 - State Solo & Ensemble Festival Central

April 17 & 18 - State Solo & Ensemble Festival West

April 24 - MMC 2027 Session Submissions Due

April 24 - All-State Program Information Due

April 25 - D10 JHMS Solo & Ensemble Festival

April 25 - D8 JHMS Solo & Ensemble Festival

April 27 & 28 - State Choral Festival East

April 29 & 30 - State Choral Festival South

May 1 - Choral Music Education Scholarship Applications Due

May 1 - All-State Registration Due

May 4 - 6 - State Choral Festival West

May 5 & 6 - State Choral Festival Central

May 7 - 9 - All-State Festival

May 15 - Carolyn F. Leep Scholarship Applications Due

May 15 - MMC 2027 Performance Applications Due

Outstanding Choirs

Congratulations to everyone who submitted for All-State Outstanding Choirs consideration! We received many stunning submissions, and the level of musicianship across the board was exceptionally high.

The listening panel has completed their adjudication according to our rubric and, after careful consideration, have chosen the following ensembles to perform as Outstanding Choirs at All-State Festival during the Traditional Gala Concert:

Bel Canto Treble Choir

Ann Arbor Skyline High School

Lyn CieChanski, Director

Chamber Choir

Saline High School

Sarah Deas, Director

Concert Choir

Detroit School of Arts

Julian J. Goods, Director

There is some incredible music making happening in our state!

All-State Festival

May 7-9, 2026

Fairchild Theatre

542 Auditorium Rd

East Lansing, MI 48825 

Specialized Gala Concert

May 7, 2026 at 6:30 PM

Musical Theatre Large Ensembles

Musical Theatre All-State Honors Ensemble

Traditional Gala Concert

May 7, 2026 at 8:00 PM

Outstanding Choirs

Soloists and Ensembles from U.P. 

Solo & Ensemble Recitals

May 8, 2026 at 9 AM & 1 PM

Musical Theatre Soloists & Ensembles

Traditional Soloists & Ensembles

All-State Festival Honors Choir Concert

May 9, 2026 at 3 PM

All-State High School Honors Choir 

High School All-State Honors Choir Director

Dr. Amanda Quist

Associate Professor, Director of Choral Studies

Western Michigan University

All-State Musical Theatre Honors Ensemble Director

Dr. Lara Brooks

Clinical Assistant Professor of Voice

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

District Festival Acknowledgements

Following a successful festival season, we would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to all of the District Managers and Site Hosts. Donating your time to organize - and sometimes, due to weather, reorganize - these festivals is greatly appreciated and shows a terrific commitment to your students. Your hard work does not go unnoticed!

District Managers

District 1

Jill Neverth

District 2

Garrett Glass

Andrew Schafer

District 3

Michelle Wilson

District 4

Cate Gasco

District 5

Daniel Farison

District 6

David Gailey

District 7

Kathryn Becksvoort

District 8

Matthew Snell

District 9

Natalie Smith

District 10

Laura Oprea

Jack Phillipson

District 11

Chelsea Whiteoak

District 12

Todd Schreiber

Andrew Hathikhanavala

District 13/14

Sheila Grazulis

District 15

Patrice DeBose

District 16

Matthew Smith

District Choral Festival and Solo & Ensemble Festival Site Hosts

in District Order

Amy Schroeder, Big Rapids High School

Amy Swanson, Cadillac High School

Garrett Glass, Gaylord High School

Tamara Williams, Traverse City Central High School

Erich Wangeman, Traverse City West Senior High School

Garth Starr, Davison High School

Caleb Sinclair, Imlay City High School

Casey Proch, Birmingham First United Methodist Church

Jolene Plotzke, West Bloomfield High School

Daniel Farison, Saginaw Valley State University

Daniel Farison, Midland High School

David Gailey, The Chapel

Cave Carew, Southwestern Michigan College

Andrew Samson, Greenville High School

Juli Dick, Grand Haven High School

Josh Danielson, Reeths-Puffer High School

Zach Everly and Kristen Burton, Grand Ledge High School

Matthew Callaghan and Samara Valla, Haslett High School

Nancy Lewis, Leslie High School

Lavonte Heard, Transcendence Performing Arts Center

Leticia Grutzman, Saginaw Valley State University

Alexis Grover, Tawas High School

Julie Wood and Sam Magoon, Alpena High School

Andrew Moore, Hastings High School

Kara Stevens, Caledonia High School

Jack Phillipson, Northview High School

Emily Verdonk, East Grand Rapids High School

Tarin Mcleod, East Kentwood High School

Benjamin Mohr, Grandville High School

Nathan Masterson, Lowell High School

Marisa Plouhar, Union High School

Erik Love, Ottawa Hills High School

Randi Simons-Miller, Portage Central High School

Greg Black, Lakeview High School

Andrew Hathikhanavala, Belleville High School

Kenneth Davis, Chelsea High School

Todd Schreiber, Whiteford High School

Steven Lorenz, Ann Arbor Pioneer High School

Sheila Grazulis, Messiah Lutheran Church

Carolyn Gross and Richard Wolf, Grosse Pointe South High School

Patrice DeBose, Westminster Church of Detroit

Brandon Ulrich, Stoney Creek High School

Leo Humbach, Oxford High School

James Pecar, Chippewa Valley High School

A special thank you to our member volunteers and incredible student volunteers for greeting visiting choirs, managing headquarters, distributing certificates and medals, and ensuring each site functions effectively. Your generosity is inspiring!

Thank you to the experts for providing our students and their teachers with experiences that will help them grow and develop into successful musicians and extraordinary people. Thank you!

District Festival Adjudicators

Karen Ambs

Deb Andre

Cherub Beard

Jacob Berglin

Monty Bishop

Anna Bolton

Jim Borst

Frances Brockington

Catherine Brodie

Jillian Burgam

Matthew Callaghan

Susan Catanese

Lynne Church

Rick Church

Bob Cindric

Greg Cleveland

Erin Colwitz

Michele Cotton-Stanfield

James Cumings

Emerick Dee

Nate Degner

Amon Eady

Megan Eldred-Woolsey

Jeff English

Megan Farison

Jessica Fielder

Amanda Goldberg

Pam Helm

Megan Higle

Stuart Chapman Hill

Jim Hohmeyer

Phil Holmes

Brad Holmes

Michael Huey-Jones

Ginny Kerwin

Mary Klaasen

Shellby Laird

Russ Larimer

Anne Lawrence

Amanda Lenze

Corlyn Longer-Schrenk

Betsy Marsh

Ursula Mason

Dee Mason-Walker

Katie McInnis

Elizabeth Medvinsky

Todd Moses

Jeff Norris

Laura Oprea

Clayton Parr

Robert Peavler

Sheri Petersen

Mike Peterson

Rick Phelps

Courtney Piercey

Pam Pierson

Cheryl Rasmussen

Jenny Ribeiro

Ben Saunders

Rebecca Selvidge

Ken Sieloff

Matthew Smith

Rebecca Sopha

Sarah Stockton

Rob Stow

Bailey Tallman

Micah Taylor

April Tini

Byron Turner

Tracey Turner

Brandon Ulrich

Cheryl Valentine

Wendy van Gent

Kristina VanderMeulen

Joel VanHouten

Mark Webb

Chelsea Whiteoak

Barbara Wiltsie

Wendee Wolf-Schlarf

State Choral Festival

We are looking forward to welcoming choirs from all over the state to participate in this year's State Choral Festival! The Festival Experience reminds us that every musical moment has the potential to have a lifelong impact on the human spirit!

April 27 & 28

State Choral Festival East @ Marysville High School

Cate Gasco, Coordinator

Rachel Quillian, Host

April 29 & 30

State Choral Festival South @ Mason High School

Monty Bishop, Coordinator

Jason Konkel, Host

May 4 - 6

State Choral Festival West @ Trinity Lutheran Church Grand Rapids

Pam Pierson, Coordinator

Mark Stover, Host

May 5 & 6

State Choral Festival Central @ Saginaw Valley State University

Dan Farison & Thomas Larner, Coordinators

Letícia Grützmann, Host

Click below to read about our incredible State Choral Festival Adjudicators!

Choral Student Leadership Conference

Student leadership in the choral classroom provides the opportunity for emerging leaders to set the pace musically, organizationally and inspirationally within their choir community. Recognizing the potential of young people early offers them time to consider the type of leadership style that fits with their values and beliefs. Consciously considering the leadership styles that they are experiencing in their daily lives creates an awareness of effective leadership and its impact. MSVMA has created a conference experience designed to encourage and develop the leadership skills and knowledge of our high school and college student leaders. MSVMA members will serve as facilitators for related sessions.

Headliner:

Dr. Emily Williams Burch

Professor of Music, The Savannah College of Art and Design

High school directors may may register up to 10 students (currently grades 9-12) to attend the conference. Please complete the registration form and submit your payment by credit card or check by June 15, 2026.

Cost is $50 per student and includes CSLC Conference materials and lunch. 

Directors who are thinking about growing your student leadership program but are not ready to send students - you are welcome to attend! Please complete the registration form and check the Teacher Only level. 

Plaque Order Form

Directors may order plaques for choirs receiving Excellent (Division I) at District and State Choral Festivals by going to the Plaque Order Form.

New for 2026:

Directors may also order plaques for earning Good (Division II) or The Festival Experience (no rating notated).

Paid orders of $50.00 per plaque will be placed by the State Office. Plaques will be shipped to the address indicated on the Plaque Order Form.

Directors who would like to order plaques for years prior to 2024 may contact the State Office.

Choral Music Education College Scholarship

The Michigan School Vocal Music Association is proud to offer one, $10,000 scholarship to an outstanding high school choral student who is pursuing a degree in choral music education. The scholarship is paid in increments of $1,250 per semester for the duration of a 4-year college degree.

To be eligible, the following requirements must be met or maintained:

• Applicant must graduate from a High School member school of MSVMA
• Applicant must attend one of the following collegiate music programs for choral music education:

Adrian College

Albion College

Alma College

Andrew's University

Aquinas College

Central Michigan University

Cornerstone University

Eastern Michigan University

Grand Valley State University

Hope College

Michigan State University

Northern Michigan University

Oakland University

Saginaw Valley State University

Spring Arbor University

University of Michigan

Wayne State University

Western Michigan University

• Applicant must be accepted to a collegiate music program before applying.
• Scholarship recipient must maintain a 3.0 GPA and remain in good standing in their respective degree programs as a full-time student.

The application deadline is May 1, 2026, for the 2026-2027 academic school year. The recipient will be contacted by mid-May.

Carolyn F. Leep Scholarship

Are you pursuing an advanced degree, wanting to learn more about a particular teaching method or wishing you had the funding to attend an upcoming workshop? Then you need to apply for the MSMVA Carolyn F. Leep Scholarship

This scholarship was established in 1988 in honor of Carolyn‘s service to the Michigan School Vocal Music Association. In her position as head of the Choral/Vocal Department of Malecki Music Inc., Carolyn worked tirelessly for 20 years to provide MSVMA members with the materials to better perform our jobs as music educators.

Traditionally, the scholarship has been awarded to an MSVMA member in January at the Michigan Music Conference. This year, it has come to our attention that many universities do not announce acceptance until December 1 for graduate studies. This date falls after our deadline. With this in mind, it has been decided to move the award to align with the academic calendar. We will accept applications until May 15, 2026. The award will need to be used during the following academic year. The application form and eligibility details can be found on the MSVMA website under the Resources, Grants and Scholarships tab. 

For more information, visit msvma.org/CarolynLeepScholarship

2027 Michigan Music Conference

MMC Sessions

The 2027 Michigan Music Conference Call for Sessions is open!

These educational sessions provide relevant professional development for music educators and students across the state. 

 Some suggested topics include:

• Choral Literature/Reading Session
• Vocal/Choral Pedagogy
• Rehearsal Techniques
• Warm-ups
• Music Literacy/Sight Reading
• Choral Program Growth/Recruitment
• Sessions related to vocal music instruction

Session submission closes Friday, April 24, 2026.

MMC Choral Hour

MSVMA is proud to feature outstanding ensembles at the Michigan Music Conference. We are privileged to showcase ensembles chosen by a blind panel of vocal music professionals. 

Choral Hour is open to Middle or High School choral ensembles and specialized choral performances including but not limited to Jazz, Pop, A Cappella, Gospel, Show Choir, Musical Theatre, Barbershop, Non-Western traditional and other alternative genres. 

Application closes Friday, May 15, 2026.

2026-2027 Calendar

The MSVMA 2026-2027 Calendar has been posted on the front page of the website. Please direct your school's administrators to this calendar to aid in district scheduling for next year. The calendar has not yet been finalized, so be sure to check back frequently for the most recent version.

Save the Date

August 10, 2026

Board Meeting

August 11, 2026

Volunteer Retreat (District Managers, Supervisors, Coordinators)

August 12, 2026

Summer Membership Event: COMMUNITY

@ Michigan State Capitol

Announcements

Now in its 60th year, Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp is proud to offer outstanding summer programs for vocal music students led by distinguished conductors and faculty. Our vocal program supports students of all abilities, from grades 7 - 12. Significant scholarship assistance remains available for vocalists in the upcoming season.

Schedule a Scholarship Representative: Contact the Scholarship Office at scholarships@bluelake.org or 800-221-3796 x202 to request a visit from a Blue Lake vocal music representative in your area. Representatives are scheduling appointments now, and are ready to meet your students to share more about Blue Lake and the scholarships that are available to help with camp tuition.

Students can also apply for tuition support independently: Direct students to Blue Lake Scholarships where they can apply independently for a scholarship to help with camp tuition. Merit, Financial Need, Advanced Programs, and All-State Honors scholarships are available.

Nominate a New Student: You may also nominate a student for an Arts Educator Award valued at $475 toward Blue Lake’s camp tuition for all arts areas and instruments. Visit Arts Educator Nomination to complete the application. Note that these introductory scholarships are only available to new-to-Blue Lake students who are not alumni and not currently enrolled.

Camp Registration IS OPEN!

Since 1966, Blue Lake has provided students with motivating musical experiences in a great environment filled with artistic growth and a good dose of camp fun. All abilities welcome, no application fee, and no audition required to enroll. We look forward to welcoming your students this summer!

The MSU College of Music presents the Jazz Spectacular Series, our annual end‑of‑season celebration of jazz, taking place April 16–18, 2026, on the MSU campus in East Lansing.

This four‑event series features performances by MSU jazz ensembles, a swing dance, a regional high school jazz band competition, and a return visit from multiple Grammy‑nominated clarinetist and saxophonist Anat Cohen, who last appeared at MSU in 2017 as part of the MSUFCU Jazz Artist in Residence program.

The series culminates with the Finale Concert featuring Cohen on Saturday, April 18, with MSU Jazz Orchestra I, the Professors of Jazz, and the Outstanding High School Jazz Band of the Day.

Thursday, April 16 – Jazz Nonets with Anat Cohen, 7:30 p.m., Murray Hall. An evening of inventive arrangements and improvisation as Anat Cohen joins MSU Jazz Nonets, blending small-ensemble precision with big-band energy. General admission: $14 adults, $12 seniors, students free.

Anat Cohen

MSU Jazz Nonets

Friday, April 17 – Jazz Swing Dance, 7:30 p.m., Large Rehearsal Hall. A high-energy swing dance featuring MSU Jazz Orchestras performing timeless charts and toe-tapping big band classics. General admission: $14 adults, $12 seniors, students free.

Saturday, April 18 – Jazz at Lincoln Center: Essentially Ellington High School Jazz Band Regional Competition, 8:00 a.m.–6:00 p.m., Murray Hall. High school jazz bands perform works by Duke Ellington and other jazz legends before jazz clinicians and professional musicians. Free and open to the public.

Saturday, April 18 – Jazz Spectacular Finale Concert with Anat Cohen, 7:30 p.m., Fairchild Theatre. The series culminates with Anat Cohen joined by MSU Jazz Orchestra I, the Professors of Jazz, and the Outstanding High School Jazz Band of the Day. Reserved seating: $27 adults, $22 seniors, $17 students. Generously sponsored by Jill Canny and Robert Last, and Leonard and Sharon Tabaka.

MSU Jazz Orchestra

For tickets and more information about this series and other events presented by the MSU College of Music, visit: https://www.music.msu.edu/events..

MPulse Vocal Arts Institute Leadership Track:

High school students interested in exploring future careers in choral music can apply for the brand new VAI Leadership Track that is designed to provide students with pedagogical knowledge and refine their skills as choral student leaders. The VAI Leadership Track is in addition to the MPulse Vocal Arts Institute Choral Curriculum and offers students the chance to grow musicianship skills required for choral leadership, including : conducting skills, effective choral warm-ups, rehearsals techniques, and presentation style. All students will work directly with the School of Music, Theatre & Dance faculty and participate in all VAI Core Curriculum activities including singing in the large ensemble. Students interested in the Leadership Track should review the additional audition requirements in the section below.

Submit a 3 minute video describing 

• 1) past/present experiences working with groups;  
• 2) what they are hoping to learn at a leadership program; 
• 3) goals for the future

Members are invited and encouraged to submit proposals to the Board:

Contact Board of Directors

Members are invited and encouraged to submit feedback:

MSVMA Volunteer Feedback Form

Members are invited and encouraged to volunteer:

MSVMA Volunteer Form

Members are invited and encouraged to submit adjudicator feedback:

Adjudicator Feedback Form

Job opportunity announcements:

Job Listings