From October 1 to 3, choral directors from across Idaho gathered at the Cathedral of the Rockies in downtown Boise for three days of singing, learning, and reconnecting. Thank you to everyone who came, presented, performed, and helped make the weekend happen.
Our headliner: Coty Raven Morris
We were honored to welcome Coty Raven Morris, Hinckley Assistant Professor of Choir, Music Education, and Social Justice at Portland State University. She was a GRAMMY Music Educator Award finalist in 2024 and 2025, and she founded Being Human Together, a community for music educators. Coty led four sessions over the weekend:
Discovering Your Inner Superhero: Authentic Teaching in Today’s Classroom
Keeping It R.E.A.L.: Culturally Relevant Teaching in Today’s Classroom
Cultivating Creativity Under Pressure: A Community Sing
I Lead With My Spirit: An Interactive Choral Rehearsal, which closed the conference on Saturday morning
Her focus on compassion, wellness, and the power of singing together set the tone for the whole weekend.
Thursday: Kicking things off
The conference opened Thursday evening with registration and hors d’oeuvres, then a welcome and an R&R community-building session. Next came the reading session, with titles chosen by our Repertoire & Resources chairs across every area, from children’s and middle school choirs to vocal jazz, TTBB, worship, and new works by Idaho composers. The night ended at Barbarian Brewing Downtown for the traditional Beer & Root Beer Choir, hymnals in hand.
Friday: Sessions and concerts
Friday was full. Between Coty’s sessions, attendees chose from four interest sessions:
More Than a Score: Connecting Singers, Composer, and Music with Steve Danielson
Building Communities, Relationships and Rapport with Cassie McBean
A Shared Breath: Empathetic Approaches in the Choral Rehearsal with Evan Stoor, University of Idaho
The Paradoxical Choir: How Releasing Ownership Strengthens Ensemble Excellence with Seth McMullen and Premium Blend
Concert Hour 1 in the Sanctuary featured:
Summitvue Middle School Summit Choir, directed by Joshua Brueggemeier
Thunder Ridge High School Chamber Choir, directed by Rand Matheson
After dinner together in Fellowship Hall, the evening’s Gala Concert featured:
Lumina Treble Chorus, directed by Lindsay Whittig
Essential Jazz, directed by Linda Schmidt
Boise Philharmonic Master Chorale, directed by Dr. Richard Hutton
Three awards were presented:
Daniel Dyer received our Emerging Director Award
Brandi Cook received our Conductor of the Year Award
Quinn VanPaepeghem received our Hall of Fame Award
Saturday: Bringing it home
Saturday started with breakfast and roundtable discussions. Next was Encounter Choir! with Adriana Caloca-Sene and Columbia High School Con Brio, followed by Coty’s interactive rehearsal. We finished with a coda, a group photo, and final remarks.
Professional development credit
If you attended, you can still earn professional development credit through Boise State University Extended Studies. Register by October 15, 2026. Questions can go to Extended Studies Customer Service at (208) 426-1709 or ExtendedStudies@boisestate.edu.