State Festival (Grades 4-9)

Nominations are now open for the 2025 State Festival!
The nomination deadline has been EXTENDED to November 22, 2024

🔗 2025 State Festival Nomination Form & PD Registration 🔗

The MEACDA State Festival is a nomination-based honors choir festival for students in elementary and middle school. We seek to use the honor choir experience to help inspire students to return and invest more in their home choirs, and to serve our mission.

Date: Saturday, March 29, 2025
Location: Cony Middle & High School – Augusta, ME
Choir Structure:
- Acadia Choir – grades 4-6, treble voices
  - Hattie Skvorak, manager
- Cadillac Choir – grades 6-9, cambiata/tenor/bass
  - Benjamin Holbrook, manager
- Katahdin Choir – grades 7-9, treble voices
  - Camille Saucier, manager
Cost:
- Students:
  - $40/student (of ACDA members)
  - $45/student (of non-ACDA members)
- Directors/Teachers:
  - FREE for those sending students!
  - $25/director if attending PD (two 45-minute sessions) and not sending students

Three festival choirs allow us to meet the needs of all advanced singers during different stages of vocal development.

Expert guest conductors bring new ideas, diverse programming, sound vocal pedagogy to singers, and professional development to teachers.

Using a nomination-based selection process allows teachers to advocate for students who may otherwise by hesitant to audition during this time of rapid change.

An affordable fee structure removes barriers and promotes equity among Maine’s singing communities.

Including grades 4-9 allows us to promote ensemble leadership and build bridges across school levels, ensuring all students in the state of Maine have access to a state-wide honors festival.

View/Download the Brochure

Criteria for nominated singers:

Musical Readiness
- can easily match pitch
- adjusts tone, intonation, and volume to match others
- has basic score-reading skills (can locate measures, understands dynamics, articulations, basic rhythmic values)
- is able to produce a tone that is clear, free of tension, and steady
Rehearsal Etiquette
- actively listens to instruction
- has no major behavioral referrals on record
- is able to regulate behavior independently
- maintains proper posture and engagement during rehearsals

Stay tuned for the release of our professional development sessions!

Past State Festival Conductors:

2025 – Sophia Miller (Acadia), Kirsten Oberoi (Katahdin), & Rob Finch (Cadillac)2017 – Dr. Judy Bowers
2024 – Krystal Morin (Acadia), Kenneth Griffith (Katahdin), & Matthew Murray (Cadillac)
2023 – Emily Ellsworth (elementary) & Dr. Rollo Dillworth (middle school)
2022 – Elena Efthimiou
2019 – Dr. Henry Leck (elementary) & Dr. Jessica Nápoles (middle school)
2018 – Dr. Patrick Freer