04/09/2022
Long time no post everyone!
We will be beginning to showcase our amazing new members through
Spotlights🌟! To start us off is Miranda Esparza
Miranda is our Webmaster 📱 and comes from Homewood Flossmoor High School in Flossmoor IL. Her go to karaoke song 🎤 is Breathe from In the Heights! But if she wasn’t a vocalist she’d be playing the flute since she’s played it since the 5th grade and is very passionate about band! She is also excited for ACDA to continue to do good for the VanderCook community as well as the city of Chicago as a whole!
09/10/2021
Don’t forget to stay hydrated!
04/02/2021
It’s photo Friday! We want to congratulate our ACDA student conductors from last night! Amazing job everyone!
03/12/2021
Hello VanderCookies! make sure to look out for recitals happening this month!
02/16/2021
Hello VanderCookies! Scan the QR bellow and join the fun!
01/07/2021
Welcome Naomi! 🎵
Naomi Rivera went to high school at Pritzker College Prep. She was in choir all 4 years, and in her last year joined the competition choir and jazz band. They traveled to Philadelphia and won first place and to Boston for jazz band winning 4th Place. A fun fact about Naomi is that she was a self taught pianist until about 14 years old, when she got her first teacher. Naomi likes horror films, and loves animals! Naomi’s favorite composer is Beethoven. His piece Fur Elise was the reason Naomi wanted to learn piano. But she also loves Bach, Mozart, and Chopin!
01/06/2021
Welcome Jenna! 🎶
Jenna Rapisarda received her BFA in music theatre from The Hartt School and is currently working towards her masters in music education. Jenna grew up taking voice lessons and playing french horn and piano. Since graduating from undergrad, she has been performing around Chicago in musicals. Jenna loves watching reality tv to unwind and some good food always lifts her spirits! Adam Guettel, Stephen Schwartz, Ahrens and Flaherty and William Finn are among Jenna’s favorite composers of musical theatre.
12/20/2020
Welcome Julia! 🎵
Julia Sariñana is a vocalist at VanderCook, and has also been playing piano for a few years! She is from San Jose, California and graduated from Willow Glen High School. A fun fact or sad fact, depending on who is reading this, is that Julia has never watched or read any of the Harry Potter series.
Julia had a lot of fun in percussion techniques this semester and she is very much looking forward to learning all that she can these next few years!
12/11/2020
Welcome James! 🎶
James Sinclair is a first year TCEP student from Chicago, IL. He received his Bachelors in Music at Luther College, in Decorah, IA, in 2020. While at Luther, James was a part of the Nordic choir for three years and participated in other extracurricular ensembles around campus. Other than music, he is an avid cribbage player, who also enjoys playing ultimate frisbee and watching baseball. James’ favorite composer is Alice Parker!
12/09/2020
Welcome Brian! 🎵
Brian Pavlak is a vocalist and bass player here at VanderCook! He grew up in New Lenox, IL and attended Lincoln-Way West High School. Brian played in his high school’s orchestra, jazz band, and wind ensemble on string bass, and sang in the choirs and musicals!
Some interesting things about Brian are that he originally planned on majoring in screenwriting but then changed his mind after Dr. Sinclair visited his high school, he referees legacy soccer games in his free time, and he is an ordained minister through the Universal Life Church.
Brian’s favorite composer is John Mackey!
12/05/2020
Welcome Karen! 🎶
Karen Vivero is a vocalist at VanderCook from Joliet, IL. Karen went to Joliet Central High School, and has been singing in choir since she was in 6th grade (but started singing when she was nine!). She was the Vice President of her high school choir program, is fluent in Spanish, and loves scary/paranormal things. If she wasn’t in music education, she would probably be involved in law. Karen’s favorite composer is Steven Pyter!
10/31/2020
Boo! 👻 Happy Halloween from VanderCook ACDA! Have a spooky and safe Halloween!!! 🎃
10/28/2020
Check out these photos of VCM students in their Halloween spirit week costumes from hero day and Disney day! Send us your pics and we’ll post them here, too!
10/13/2020
Meet our Executive Board!
10/07/2020
ACDA Halloween Spirit Week!! 🎃👻
Get your costumes ready! VanderCook ACDA is having a Halloween spirit week October 26th through the 30th.
Please join us in celebrating the spooky season!
08/26/2020
⭐️Teacher Interview Tuesday⭐️
It’s time for our last August teacher interview! This week we have Mr. Frank Blackman from Gwendolyn Brooks Middle School in Oak Park.
Be sure to check out our other teacher interviews from August and our July interviews!
08/25/2020
The Fall 2020 semester is here! Good luck everyone! Here are a few memories from last year 💜
08/24/2020
Let us remember: One book, one pen, one child, and one teacher can change the world.
- Malala Yousafzai
08/19/2020
The ACDA 2021 National Conference Goes Virtual!
To ensure that we keep our members and choirs safe, our conference steering committee has determined that this pivot is necessary.
Details on the conference will be forthcoming on our website at acda.org/conferences/
Details on the conference are currently being worked out. Unfortunately, we very much regret that because of the situation, national Honor Choirs have been cancelled.
Check back often for updates at acda.org/conferences/
08/18/2020
⭐️Teacher Interview Tuesday⭐️
This week’s Teacher Interview Tuesday is featuring Mr. Matthew Butler from LaSalle-Peru Township High School!
Make sure you check out our other August interviews with Ms. Katia Schmitt and Mr. Tim DeBoer, and our July interviews!
01/07/2021
01/06/2021
01/02/2021
12/22/2020
12/20/2020
12/12/2020
12/11/2020
12/09/2020
12/05/2020
11/26/2020
11/03/2020
10/31/2020
10/28/2020
10/13/2020
10/07/2020
09/22/2020
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