June 2026

Upcoming Events and Deadlines

August 11 - Board Meeting and Volunteer Retreat

August 12 - Summer Membership Event: COMMUNITY

August 25 - Choral Student Leadership Conference Registration Deadline

September 9 - Choral Student Leadership Conference

September 15 - Membership Renewal Due

FY27 calendar can be viewed here.

Community

Registration for Community 2026, our summer membership event is open!

We are looking forward to celebrating our MSVMA community through examination and discussion of Classroom Culture, Professional Growth, Programming, Song, and Example.

Come celebrate the joy of singing, connect with fellow music educators, and discover how an organization builds community through music. We are dedicated to creating meaningful connections and fostering an inclusive, welcoming community.

August 12, 2026

8:30am - 5pm 

Michigan State Capitol 

100 N Capitol Ave

Lansing, MI 48933

Member: $100.00

Emiriti/Retiree: $50.00

Full-Time Student: $50.00

First Year Teacher: $50.00

Non-member: $125.00

SCECH credits available.

Lunch included in registration fee.

For a detailed program, click here.

Bring a friend and join us for an enjoyable summer gathering as we grow and strengthen our musical community together!

Choral Student Leadership Conference

Please note that this event has been rescheduled to September 9, 2026.

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 AUGUST 25, 2026.

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

Directors who are thinking about growing their 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.



Invoices and checks should be mailed to:


MSMVA

P.O. Box 1131

Big Rapids, MI 49307

Registration fees are non-refundable.

Volunteer Appreciation

Thank you to the following members for their dedicated service to the MSVMA mission and vision as lead volunteers!

As you complete your work in these important volunteer roles, we want to express our deepest gratitude for the time, talent, and passion you have shared with our organization! Your dedication to our programming has enriched the lives of countless students, strengthened our community, and helped advance our mission in meaningful ways. Your contributions have made a lasting impact. We are sincerely grateful for all you have done in these roles!

--- District Managers ---

Jill Neverth

District 1

David Gailey

District 6

Laura Oprea

District 10

Todd Schreiber

District 12


--- Honors Choirs ---


Ryan Dawley

6789 Honors Choirs Supervisor

--- State Events ---

Christopher Knapp

State Solo & Ensemble Festival East Coordinator

Katie McInnis

State Solo & Ensemble Festival Central Coordinator

--- Committees ---

Pam Pierson

Adjudication Committee

Membership Renewal

To renew your MSVMA membership, log into your membership profile at msvma.org using your email and password. Click the Renew button and complete the process including generating an invoice which can be paid by credit card or check.

Please take a moment to review your membership profile information for accuracy.

• School Membership is available to public, private, or parochial middle, junior high, or senior high school in the State of Michigan upon the receipt of an online application and submitted fee(s). 
• To participate in MSVMA events, students must be members in good standing of their school’s vocal music program, as verified by the director of record under the official MSVMA school membership..
• Additional directors and teachers that are not covered by a school membership and individuals, such as adjudicators, must hold an associate membership.
• A late fee of $20.00 for the current membership period will be applied for memberships created or renewed after September 15.

If you have questions or need assistance, please contact the State Office at 231.592.9344.

Announcements

We would love to remind our members that we continue to be a partner with Ludus for the 2026-2027 school year. Ludus has tools to help with your performance ticketing, fundraising, and marketing so you can focus on a successful performance. Our wonderful partnership includes a commitment by Ludus to donate 10% of their profits back to their partner organizations, which means that when you use Ludus, you also support choral music in our great state. Click the link below to learn more about Ludus and to sign up with our partnership code so you can continue supporting MSVMA! 

https://hello.ludus.com/?ref=MSVMA

Dear Choir Directors and Music Coordinators of High School, College or Community Choirs,

I had the privilege to hear the White Lake Chorale’s performance of Sing Democracy 250 on May 2nd of this year. These 25 choral singers had practiced since January to prepare this music and, though not professional voices, they were very well rehearsed and sang with a mighty passion. Sing Democracy 250 is a prescribed concert of 4 songs that create a stirring musical odyssey commemorating the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. It is intended to be performed by choirs across America in 2026. Choirs can apply to perform, receiving free scores of two new commissioned works (Redeem the Dream, based on a Lanston Hughes poem, and US) for performances between March 1 and Dec 31, 2026.

US is based on Richard Haas’s book “The Bill of Obligations: the 10 Habits of Good Citizens”. The text for this composition was developed and integrated by Celia Ellingson and Gary Armodt, co-founders of Sing Democracy 250 and the Together in Hope Project. The music was written by Michael Bussewitz-Quarm. This piece begins with an urgent invitation, then presents and unpacks each of 10 Obligations of good citizens with quotations from a diverse group of Americans. The piece concludes with an inspiring call to citizenship, encouraging all citizens to adopt these obligations as an action plan for renewing American democracy. It is a powerful piece of music!

They are inviting high school, college and community choirs across America to participate. They hope to inspire—through music—a deeper sense of responsibility and unity among all citizens of this nation. Google SING DEMOCRACY 250 to find information on how to apply. They send you the music-- and its FREE!

I personally think it is excellent music and a very much needed positive message for us to hear in these trying times. It inspires hope and harmony for our nation. My hope is that thousands of choirs across our nation will participate—including YOURS!!!

With warm regards and thanks for all that you do,

Diane Hogue
Retired music educator
Director, Las Almas (West Ottawa HS Alumnae Choir)
MSVMA Coordinator West State Choral Festival
2026 Michigan Musicians Abroad, Choir Director
Director, SPERA - Hope College

https://www.singdemocracy250.org/

To submit a story or photos for publication in Tempo!, please email debrajacks@msvma.org by the second Wednesday of the month.