Two Ensembles, One Vision: Building the Repertoire We’ve Been Missing
Clinic Synopsis:
ACDA and ASTA present three newly-commissioned works for high school choir and string orchestra, addressing a significant repertoire gap. Through live performance and director dialogue, this session explores how orchestra and choir educators can successfully collaborate together and with composers to create accessible new music for the school community. Learn practical strategies for commissioning, rehearsing, and building sustainable cross-ensemble partnerships.
Robyn Hilger
- Biographical Information
Robyn Hilger joined the American Choral Directors Association as National Executive Director in September of 2021. She is a seasoned non-profit executive with a wealth of experience in administration, fundraising, and strategic innovation. Robyn is a classically trained clarinetist. She graduated summa cum laude in 1999 from Oklahoma City University with a bachelor’s degree in Instrumental Music Education. In 2010, Robyn completed her master’s degree in School Administration from the University of Central Oklahoma. She was a National Board-Certified Teacher in Early Adolescence/Young Adult Music with specialization in Band for 20 years.
Robyn began her career as the band and strings teacher in Oklahoma’s largest urban school district. In 2006, she was recognized as Oklahoma’s State Teacher of the Year. In 2007, she joined the staff of the Foundation for Oklahoma City Public Schools as the Chief Programs Officer. Robyn created two programs that received national attention and recognition for addressing unmet needs of urban teachers and students. In 2014, Robyn was named the Executive Director for El Sistema Oklahoma. El Sistema Oklahoma facilitates the development of empowered youth who use music to make strong positive change in their lives, their communities, and the world. Just prior to joining ACDA, Robyn served as the Director of Community Engagement for ReMerge of Oklahoma County. ReMerge is a leader in developing solutions in criminal justice reform for women facing felony convictions.
Lynn Tuttle - Biographical Information
Lynn Tuttle serves as Executive Director and CEO of the American String Teachers Association, the nation’s service organization for string educators in school, studio, and higher education. During her tenure at ASTA, she has created the New Canon Project in partnership with Rising Tide Music Press and ACDA, and created new learning opportunities for ASTA members including virtual, in-person, and partnered offerings.
Prior to coming to ASTA in June 2021, she served as Director of Public Policy, Research, and Professional Development for the National Association for Music Education and as Director of Arts Education for the Arizona Department of Education. She is a founding member of the State Education Agency Directors of Arts Education. She co-led the creation of the 2014 National Core Arts Standards and served as the guest-editor for the 2022 Arts Education Policy Review focused on COVID-19 and K-12 arts education.
Ms. Tuttle holds a Bachelor of Music degree from the Peabody Conservatory of Music, Bachelor and Master of Arts degrees from the Johns Hopkins University, and an MBA from the W. P. Carey School of Business at Arizona State University. She serves on the board of the National Music Council, Rising Tide Music and Arts, and as an advisor to the National Dance Education Organization.
Allyssa Jones - Biographical Information
Allyssa Jones is an educator, conductor and composer whose career spans 30 years in the classroom and on stage. An alum of Adelphi University and Northern Illinois University, she studied with baritone Robert Sims, soprano Jayne West, conductor Larry Newland and composer Judith Lang Zaimont. Her creative credits include five solo recordings as a singer-songwriter, over 35 theatrical productions as a composer, music director and sound designer, and commissioned works for professional artists and pedagogical projects.
Currently Assistant Director and Director of Vocal Ensembles at the University of South Florida School of Music, her service record includes the NAfME Council for Innovations, the Master Chorale of Tampa Bay Board of Trustees, the National Collegiate Choral Organization National Board, and the Institute for Composer Diversity. Her work as a conductor and choral clinician includes the Pinellas County Schools All-County Choral Festival,, Florida Vocal Association MPA (Districts 9 and 11), Massachusetts Music Educators Association Northeast District Honor Choir, the Boston Children’s Chorus, and numerous schools and community arts organizations in the Northeast and the Gulf Coast.
At the intersection of these experiences is Jones’ work with Rising Tide Music Press, a non-profit publishing company she founded to create pathways for emerging Black, Brown, Indigenous and Asian composers. A composer in her own right, collaborations include the film Knockaround Kids (film score) and Brother Nat (musical), as well as commissions for solo performers and youth ensembles.
Back