Session Proposals

Leah Wyman, DMA (she/her) is a Graduate Teaching Assistant at the University of Missouri-Kansas City Conservatory, where she conducted the Chamber Singers and taught conducting and choral/vocal pedagogy. She holds a Master of Music (MM) from the University of Washington and a Bachelor of Music (BM) from the Manhattan School of Music. With over a decade of experience in building community and worship arts organizations, Leah served as Artistic Director of the Fairmount Choir (Cleveland, OH), where she led initiatives like the Ohio premiere of Joshua Clausen’s Requiem: For Victims of American Mass Shootings. She has conducted and presented at the Southwest ACDA, Missouri ACDA, Missouri Music Educators' Association Conference, and the Washington ACDA Summer Music Institute. Leah’s research explores the intersection of choral pedagogy, cultural diversity, and the neuroscience of music-making, seeking innovative ways to enhance both ensemble cohesion and individual expression.

This session invites you to expand your choir’s horizons, uplifting both singers and the communities whose music we share. We’ll explore how to program multi-cultural repertoire with joy and thoughtful stewardship, moving beyond surface-level representation to foster genuine understanding and respect.

Unlike many "diversity in repertoire" sessions, this proposal focuses on applied decision-making with concrete tools, addressing not just the "why" but the "how" of ethical engagement. You’ll gain a clear, step-by-step approach to programming and performing music from diverse cultural traditions ethically, with practical strategies for navigating each phase of the process—from selection to performance. We’ll focus on engaging meaningfully with cultural contexts, collaborating with community experts, and facilitating student discussions that deepen their understanding. By viewing cultural considerations as creative opportunities, we’ll enhance interpretations, strengthen connections, and enrich performances.

This session goes beyond simply avoiding missteps—it’s about learning how to open doors. You’ll leave with tools to evaluate music with care, engage communities with respect, and lead students in conversations that expand their musical and cultural perspectives. The result? Performances that honor tradition, enrich the present, and inspire a thoughtful future.

• Choral - Middle School
• Choral - Secondary
• Collegiate