Analyzing the Choral Repertoire Performed at the TMEA & ACDA Conventions (2011-2018)

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to catalogue and analyze the choral repertoire performed by invited choirs at the TMEA annual convention from 2011 to 2018 and compare that data to similar data from the ACDA biennial national conference. This will inform readers of what music is being performed by "the best" choirs in Texas as a part of their convention programs and how that compares to a national conference. This study will also provide useful information and discussion topics to the organizations that sponsor these concerts. A database of TMEA Invited Choir Repertoire was collected from publicly available information and analyzed for trends. Primary findings include a lack of balance between musical genres with a heavy reliance on new music, a lack of racial and gender representation in both the composers of music and the ensemble directors, and a majority of performing ensembles coming from large, metropolitan areas in Texas. The researcher plans to continue cataloging the TMEA choral repertoire and expand this study in the future with 10 to 15 years of data. Extensive further study will be required to contextualize and better understand many of these findings and topics discussed throughout.