SUSANNA PEEPLES - Choir Director at Granite Bay High School and CCDA Central Region Honor Choir Coordinator

I became involved in ACDA right out of college, my dear mentor and friend Germán Aguilar got me involved. I was blown away by the vast wealth of knowledge I learned in my first conferences. I felt like I got so much information I wasn’t ready to implement until I was running my own choral program, and that many college programs can’t possibly be expected to cover. In my first year teaching I met many incredible teachers who took me under their wings from established college directors to other first year teachers. Ten plus years later, I have become a much better teacher by being a member of ACDA, but more than that I’ve met a community of people who would love mountains to help me and I would for them, too! To me “I am ACDA” means to continually grow in my own teaching, all while trying to lift others up by sharing in fellowship and best practices. (Wow that sounds really ed-speak but I mean it!). What I am excited about right now is my choir has saved and fundraised for the last few years, and we are so excited to be participating in the Pacific Basin Music Festival in Honolulu this coming March after our first out of state choir tour was cancelled in April of 2020!