California Choral Directors Association

Ccda sponsors two regional high school honor choirs on the weekends,one is in the san francisco bay area and the other is in the central valley area. Each region features three high school honor choirs. The weekend program provides unique learning opportunities for high school students from across the state of california to sing in selected choirs under the direction of nationally and internationally known choral conductors. Students pay a nominal fee to audition in late september at varous sites all across the state of california, demostrating their skills to a 2-judge panel who issue a score based on standardized rubic. Students who qualify are placed in one of the three choirs based on voice type and past participation. Each student indicates whether they wish to be considered for all state honor choirs.

In the summer, ccda holds an annual conference featuring planary sessions with a headline clinician, choral education and pedagogy interest sessions, conducting masterclasses, and voice masterclasses in oakhurst, california. As an example, in 2017, ccda hosted grammy award-winning conductor jerry blackstones as its headline clinician, with additional highlights such as: vespers, an ecumenical reading session of sacred music; how to sessions on developing high school, middle school, and elementary school choir programs; a roundable forum for community choir ideas and techniques; score study session; an exploration of choral and solo vocal repertoire from the baroque music period; and discussion of boosting improvisation confidence with music analysis tools (motive, repetition, sequence).

Ccda provides unique learning opportunities for students who reside in diverse communities in the state of california through choral music, auditions, and conferences. High school students perform under the direction of conductors.