Ballroom 2 (3rd Floor) 

If you arrive after 10:00 am, please contact Joel Hill to register/check in  - msconferenceregistrar@yahoo.com

ROOM 210 - Making the Most of the "Y'all Have to Go" Choir - Roger Emerson

Roger Emerson is a professional composer and arranger with over 1,000 choral titles in print and over 30 million copies in circulation. He is the most widely performed composer/arranger of popular choral music and vocal jazz in the world today. His works include the choral arrangements of Josh Groban's You Raise Me Up, Season's of Love, from RENT, Defying Gravity from WICKED, Joyful, Joyful from SISTER ACT, Don't Stop Believin' from GLEE, and most recently, My Shot from HAMILTON. In addition, his vocal jazz arrangements of Over The Rainbow, Vincent, Blue Skies, and I Wish are some of the most performed of all-time. Mr. Emerson has been the recipient of ASCAP's Standard Award for 30 years running and his works have been performed at the White House, Carnegie Hall and the Kennedy Center. He is in constant demand as a lecturer on pop music, vocal jazz and the changing voice and has appeared at numerous MENC, ACDA and JEN conferences.

ROOM 214 - Lock It In: Techniques to Improve Your Choir's Intonation - Jordan Langworthy

Struggling with pitch issues in your ensemble? This practical session for choral directors dives into why intonation matters, what causes it to go off track, and how to get your singers locking in more consistently. With live demonstrations from a choir, you'll hear real examples of common challenges—and walk away with clear, effective strategies you can use in rehearsal right away.

ROOM 216 - Cultivating Inner Peace: Self-Care Strategies for Music Educators - Justin Wadkins

Music educators often devote their energy to supporting their students and building strong ensemble experiences, leaving little time to care for themselves. Over time, this can lead to exhaustion, stress, and burnout,  making it harder to teach with joy and inspiration. This session offers practical, accessible self-care strategies designed to prevent burnout and promote long-term personal and professional sustainability. Participants will explore simple mindfulness practices, gentle breathing exercises, and intentional rest techniques to help manage stress and restore balance. We will discuss the common signs of burnout, explore how stress affects both mind and body, and share ways to create small moments of calm that add up over time. The session will conclude with a short, guided sound bath experience, allowing attendees to immerse themselves in calming, resonant tones that promote deep relaxation. This will include crystal singing bowls, ocean drums, chimes, etc.

Theater - MMEA/MSACDA Vocal Masterclass - Dr. Lynn Holliman

ROOM 210 - Building Choral Music Programs in the Trenches - Pierrdro Gallion

Not all Choral Program are created equal! There are many situations we face in the music education classroom. Some of us are fortunate enough to have nice budgets and wonderful administrative support. Still, many are facing dire situations and severely challenged socioeconomically disadvantaged students. How do we deal with these situations and still offer a program of caliber? Join us to find out!

ROOM 214 - Music for All: Class Piano as a Model for Inclusivity - Trent Smith-Hawkins & Sara Horan

Are you wanting to start a piano class at your school or in your district? What are the resources needed?  What is the foundation and structure of engaging lessons in a group piano setting? Great teachers are able to offer a variety of instructional styles and supplements to accommodate all learners. Class piano is a natural model for differentiated instruction and learning as well as an investment in the education of the whole student. This session is designed to encourage teachers as they develop their own curriculum and offers practical suggestions and resources for inclusive instruction in class piano. 

ROOM 216 - Neurodiversity & Social Emotional Learning: Integrating Music & Movement Strategies in Elementary Music Education - Dr. Erica Kupinski

Participate in a session dedicated to evidence-based music and movement strategies tailored for neurodivergent learners in elementary music education. This session will present a variety of resources, detail validated instructional methodologies, and examine the integration of neurodiversity-affirming social-emotional interventions within the music education framework.

THEATER - Cultivating Choir Champions: Empowering Parent Advocates - Dr. Hannah Gadd-Ardrey

Join us for an empowering session where chaperones, parents, and educators learn to use their voices to communicate the value of choir using data and testimonials. Discover strategies to navigate and overcome common advocacy obstacles, such as budget constraints, policy challenges, school board engagement, and learn to leverage social media to strengthen community support and create advocacy groups. Gain valuable tips to create meaningful change for your child’s musical journey, deepen student involvement, and sustain quality choir opportunities in your school community while fostering a vibrant, lasting musical environment that benefits all students. 

ROOM 210 - Songwriting Strategies - Shane Colquhoun 

Music creation is a key part of our standards, but getting started can be intimidating! In this session, we will explore songwriting activities such as writing chord progressions, lyrics, rhythmic accompaniment, and more!

ROOM 214 - Magic in the Middle - Roger Emerson

Is there really any magic way to build a successful middle school choir? This session will provide a variety of resources and literature that will help you build a better and more comprehensive choral program in a sequential way.

ROOM 216 - Calming the Chaos in Kindergarten (and maybe PreK and 1st Grade too) - Jennifer Timidaiski

Kindergarten music classes can be lively, energetic, and sometimes feel a little chaotic. They are eager to learn and also new to school, so routines and consistency are key to a successful Kindergarten music class. This session is designed for elementary music educators and pre-service music educators looking for strategies to create a calm, joyful, and productive classroom environment. You will leave this session with tools that you can begin in your classroom immediately to help calm the chaos and enjoy more time making music together. These strategies can also be utilized in pre-Kindergarten and 1st grade music classes.

THEATRE - High School Reading Session - Jordan Langworthy

CONTEMPORARY AND COMMERCIAL CONCERT SESSION - MANNONI PERFORMING ARTS CENTER

Voice of Columbia - Columbia High School - Kimberly Waley & Mitchell Crawford, Directors

Master Class Winners: 

Classical Category: John Thomas, Wells APC, Lauren Ladner

Folk Song/Spiritual Category: Landon Carter-Price, Wells APC, Lauren Ladner

Musical Theater Category: Cara Gray, Brandon High School, Kathlyn Arcemont

ROOM 210 - From Recruitment to Retention: Building a Thriving Choir Community!  Calloway Ellis & Hannah Gadd-Ardrey

Discover the art of recruiting and retaining singers! After growing their programs by 400%, Callie and Hannah will share tried-and-true strategies to recruit singers and keep them coming back for more. Through humor and wisdom, their strategies stick faster than gum on risers. Make connections between your current recruitment strategies and new ideas to make your choir as irresistible as a bag of Takis to a teenager. Get ready to spice up your program and watch your numbers grow!

ROOM 214 - Why Classical Music is Not European: Rethinking Music Education Through a Global Lens - Vincent Sneed

Did you know that classical music is not European? In reality, the repertoire we perform in ensembles and teach in music classes has it's origins in places such as Africa, Asia, and the Middle East. In this highly engaging session, we will not only explore this history, but we will also see how to apply this information to all music content areas including band, chorus, orchestra, general music, and music history. This session will help music educators to create concrete plans that create a learning environment in which all students feel valued.

ROOM 216 - AI in Harmony: Tools to Save Time & Elevate Teaching - Toney Keeler

Explore practical ways to use AI in the choral classroom. Learn how free, accessible tools can support lesson planning, rehearsal prep, sight-reading, and creative content—saving time while strengthening instruction for choir and show choir directors.

THEATRE - Elementary Division Meeting - Tab Ash Keeton

ROOM 210 - From Tone-Deaf to Pitch-Perfect: Using Student Feedback to Tune Up Your Teaching - Hannah Gadd-Ardrey

Does your instruction feel like it’s falling on tone-deaf ears? What if the solution to this problem has been in your classroom the whole time? I’m talking about your students’ feedback! Join us for an interactive session that will equip you with tools to cultivate student voices of all ages using feedback forms, mission statements, growth charts, and other systems that can increase student achievement in as little as one class period. Bring your stories, questions, and sense of humor for a lively session that is sure to reignite your spark for pitch-perfect teaching, culture-building, and collaborating with your students.

ROOM 214 - We Are Family: The Music Comes Later - Brittany Navarro

A choir room is at all times full of many different personalities, backgrounds, and experiences. While music is a common language…are we always singing? No breaks or speaking? This session will shed light on the importance of culture and community in the classroom while giving tools to create exactly that! 

ROOM 216 - Voices Together: Cultivating Musical Literacy, Connection, & Confidence Through Inclusive Technology - Amy Barrett Lee

Create a vibrant, connected classroom where every child’s voice matters! This dynamic, interactive session empowers elementary music educators to cultivate inclusive choral communities through joyful, engaging, and technology-enhanced strategies. Participants will explore a proven, accessible method for introducing repertoire to young singers of all abilities, including those with disabilities. Through hands-on activities, you’ll learn to break down tonal and rhythmic concepts in ways that promote musical literacy, student confidence, and immediate success. Discover practical, fun techniques that foster creativity, collaboration, and lasting growth. Come ready to sing, play, move, and connect—because harmony and belonging in music begin with us!

THEATRE - Junior High Reading Session - Ginger Partain 

CONCERT SESSION - MAIN STREET BAPTIST CHURCH

Pearl High School Men's Glee - Sarah Little, Director

Olive Branch Sapphire - Terrell Hall, Director

Mississippi State University Schola Cantorum - Dr. Phillip Stockton, Director

THEATER - ALL CONFERENCE SING! 

ROOM 214 - Mischief Managed: Proactive Management Strategies in Your Classroom - Dr. Alicia Vorel

Effective classroom management in music education begins with proactive planning, not reactive discipline. This session equips music educators with strategies to anticipate challenges, establish clear expectations, and maintain student engagement in both general music and ensemble settings. Participants will explore techniques for creating efficient routines, fostering positive relationships, and managing transitions to minimize downtime and misbehavior. Special attention will be given to addressing music-specific concerns such as instrument handling, noise management, and performance readiness. Attendees will gain practical tools and adaptable resources to cultivate a respectful, organized, and inspiring classroom environment that supports both musical and social-emotional growth.

ROOM 216 - It's All in the Hands - Dr. Patrick Ware

Participants will learn handclaps appropriate for all ages. Come pat, clap, snap and more. Using body percussion, song and creative play we will explore hand-clapping patterns from kindergarten through grade 5. From the simple to the complex, from nursery rhymes to jazz, everyone will have fun, because it’s all in the hands.

THEATRE - 50 Years of Favorites - Roger Emerson

As Roger Emerson approaches the 50 year mark of composing and arranging, he will provide a reading session of his “greatest hits” and most popular pieces. Lincoln Center will host Mr. Emerson in 2026 with a concert of many of these timeless classics.

ROOM 210 - Cultivating Sustainable Singing: Connecting Vocology & Pedagogy - Alex Belohlavek

This session connects the science of vocology with practical choral pedagogy to help conductors cultivate sustainable singing. Drawing from the latest research in vocal anatomy, physiology, and motor learning, it offers an updated understanding of the vocal systems and their impact on instruction. Attendees will gain accessible, rehearsal-ready strategies for promoting healthy function, preventing fatigue, and achieving stronger results through clear physiological insight. Whether you are new to voice science or seeking a fresh perspective, this session equips conductors with the tools to support expressive, efficient, and sustainable singing across a wide range of ensembles.

ROOM 214 - Throwing the Flag: Classroom Discipline that Works! - Gary McCullum

Learn how to build a stronger music program through structured discipline using a contract and demerit system designed to promote accountability, respect, and consistency. This practical framework not only improves classroom behavior and rehearsal flow—it also equips students with life skills they’ll carry beyond the music room. Walk away with ready-to-use tools, adaptable templates, and the confidence to lead with clarity and control.

ROOM 216 -  Mixers! Dances for Meeting - Dr. Patrick Ware

Come dance with us as we cross meters, generations, continents, and styles. Mixers are great ways to have fun, make new friends and get your steps in. Lace up your shoes or take them off all together and join us for a mixer filled dance party. If you’re not careful you may have a good time.

THEATRE - Dr. Eph Ehly Session (TBD)

ROOM 210 - Let's Get Into It: The Expectations VS Reality - Sylvalia Brown

From Summer Conference, I enjoyed the session where we dove into topics that made me realize the importance of spaces to have these conversations. This session is meant to an open chat room where educators of all years and cultures can validate one another and share the struggles of adaptive teaching that is faced in various school districts and in the education system. 

ROOM 214 - The Use & Efficacy of SOVT Exercises in the Training of Breath Management - Chris Turner

The use and exploration of semi-occluded vocal tract exercises has enormous interest in both the choral and opera world today. These have proven effective in improving the singer's sound, sense of freedom, and vocal efficiency. We will discuss various exercises and techniques that are used in this area. Specifically, we will focus on how they may be applied to improve the breath management of the young singer which is the foundation of all good vocalism.

ROOM 216 - Creative Movement Big and Small - Dr. Patrick Ware

Looking for ideas for creative movement? Help us tell a story without words. Join us as we explore the world of movement in the Orff-Schulwerk classroom. Come play, come move, come share your creativity.

THEATER - Pop Acapella Reading Session - Jeffery Coulter

ROOM 210 - Something From Nothing: How Improvisation Instruction Can Empower Your Students' Ears on the road to Richer Music Literacy - Andrew Mills

This session equips choral directors with practical, research-based strategies to incorporate improvisation into their classrooms. Grounded in Music Learning Theory and the Developing Musicianship Through Improvisation method, this session connects creative activities to music literacy development. Participants will explore how improvisation supports the Create artistic process in the NCAS standards, often overlooked in ensemble settings. Attendees will leave with accessible techniques for teaching improvisation that enhance musical understanding and performance skills.

ROOM 214 - Voices in Transition - Roger Emerson

The greatest challenge perhaps is assessing and treating the changing voice in our middle school choirs. Additionally, we now have students who may be undergoing treatments or identify as transgender. As educators how do we compassionately address this critical time of

voice change and growth? This session will provide some jumping off points to help everyone, students and teachers alike, feel more comfortable.

ROOM 216 - Mental Fitness Meets Musical Mastery: Integrating CPT & SMART Goals in the Music Classroom - Bobby Helms

Music education often emphasizes technical skill development while overlooking students’ emotional well-being. This session introduces music educators to a powerful dual approach combining SMART goals - Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound with Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) strategies. Educators will learn how to support students in overcoming performance anxiety, setting meaningful and achievable goals, and cultivating the resilience necessary for sustained success in music and life. Attendees will gain practical tools and routines designed to foster a classroom culture of encouragement, accountability, and self-awareness transforming their music program into a dynamic environment for both mental fitness and musical mastery.

THEATER - Elementary Reading Session - Tab Ash Keeton

ROOM 210 - What Did We Learn About Community, Connection, & Culture from the Singing Culture of the Baltic Nations - Bethany Plissey

This session provides a brief history of the Baltic region, focusing on the Song Festivals and their 20,000 voice choirs. We'll explore some of the music, traditions, and interchoir cooperation required for these celebrations of culture, community, and connection and discuss some aspects that may be beneficial for cultivation within our own choirs. 

ROOM 214 - What is a Safe Space, Really? Creating a Choral Classroom Where LGBTQ+ Students Can Thrive - Lauren Ladner

Choral classrooms are a space where students should feel safe enough to be their authentic selves, but many directors may feel ill-equipped to meet LGBTQ+ students’ needs. This session will provide directors with vocabulary, skills, and strategies to effectively engage and include students that are a part of the LGBTQ+ community. A roundtable discussion for directors will also be provided, where directors may bring specific questions to the table, or share strategies that have worked with their own LGBTQ+ students. 

ROOM 216 - A World of Sound: Fostering Culture & Connection with Diverse Picture Books - Jeanette Mihalchik

Discover how multicultural picture books can transform your music classroom! This session offers practical, music-based strategies for integrating diverse stories, rhythms, and melodies into your curriculum. Explore engaging ways to use movement and sound to cultivate empathy, connection, and a deeper understanding of global cultures among your students. Walk away with inspiring ideas to build a more harmonious and inclusive classroom community through the power of diverse narratives.

CONCERT SESSION - MAIN STREET BAPTIST CHURCH

Lewisburg Advanced Treble Choir - Joseph Gaines, Director

Germantown Legacy - Jordan Langworthy, Director

University of Mississippi Concert Singers - Dr. Donald Trott, Director