NC Sings! 2025

 NCSings! 2025

One Day Choral Festival for Grades 4 -12 

with Award-winning Conductors

The North Carolina Chapter of the American Choral Directors Association (NC ACDA) invites North Carolina conductors to bring singers to participate the 2025 NC Sings! event, on Saturday, October 11, 2025, in conjunction with the Fall NC ACDA state conference on the campus of Queens University in Charlotte.

NC Sings! is an annual one day choral festival for singers where all of the music is learned on site. That's right, no extra rehearsals ahead of time to teach the notes. School, church, and community choir conductors select and register motivated singers, and the master conductors do the rest. The choirs will begin rehearsals at 8:30 am, and present a concert at 4:00 pm. All rehearsals and the performance will take place on the campus of Queens University. 

Guidelines for Nomination:

Conductors are advised to nominate singers who demonstrate the following for the appropriate level:

• Reads and performs rhythm, pitch and musical expression accurately

• Respect, motivation, and understanding of ensemble

Treble Choir:  Open to singers in 4th through 8th grades with unchanged voices. The clinician for this year is Robyn Lana, Founder and Managing Artístic Director of the Cincinnati Youth Choir Ensemble-In-Residence at the Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, and serves on the Music faculty at Miami University. 

SATB Choir:  Open to singers with changed voices in 9th through 12th grades.

This year´s clinician is Adrian Maclin, the 2025 Grammy Award recipient for Outstanding Music Educator! He is the choral director at Córdova High School in Cordova, Tennessee. 

Registration:

• Each conductor may initially register up to eight (8) singers per choir.

• Conductors are requested, but not required, to bring balanced groups to each choir. Treble Choir-equal numbers of sopranos and altos. 

SATB Choir-quartets.

• Conductors with multiple professional appointments (e.g., church choir, community choir and/or school choir) are encouraged to register singers from each organization.

• The cost is $40 per singer. (Please note, registration is not complete until payment is received.)

Registration is now open! Secure your spots early, as space is limited. To register, please complete the form found on the link below. Once you complete and submit the registration for your group, you will receive an invoice from which you may pay online, or mail a check (non-refundable)  https://gformsapp.com/f/1uEwJLOpqhvmHe6idcBRRY9vNNHZtZ5h-9Tcfx_rlFgM/en/

Registration forms and payments must be submitted by Friday, September 12, 2025. (payment is non refundable)

Don't miss this opportunity to inspire your students with fun, new friends, and a fantastic choral experience! 

Robyn Lana's Biography:

Robyn Lana is the Founder and Managing Artistic Director of the Cincinnati Youth Choir Ensemble-in-Residence at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music and proudly serves on the choral faculty of Miami University. Interpreting choral music for diverse audiences in a way that is relevant to young people while maintaining the highest standards of music education and performance sums up her work.

Mrs. Lana has served as conductor and clinician across the United States, Europe, and Asia. Lana has served on the choral faculty at Xavier University and has been a guest professor in the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music’s choral department.

Level III Orff certified, she has taught in elementary schools, most recently on the faculty of the Montessori Academy of Cincinnati. Lana is the editor of a choral series in her name with Santa Barbara Music Publishing. Her book, Voices in Harmony, published in 2017, is a collaborative effort that celebrates many successful philosophies in choral education. She also is also published in Chorister Guild’s The Chorister, Chamber Music America’s CMA Matters, and ACDA’s Choral Journal for which she also served as guest editor of the of three issues. In addition to serving ACDA at state and regional levels, Robyn has served Nationally as Children’s Choir and Community Youth Repertoire and Standards Chair and Chair of ACDA Advocacy and Collaboration. She currently serves on the Chorus America Board of Directors.

Adrian Maclin's Biography:

Adrian Maclin is a nineteen year veteran choral music educator, currently in his twelfth year as director of choirs at Cordova High School. As a product of Memphis City Schools, Maclin was inspired by his middle and high school choral directors to become a music educator. A graduate of Philander Smith University, he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Music with emphasis on vocal performance. 

Under Maclin’s direction, Cordova High School choirs have performed around the United States, including the Southern Division Conference of the American Choral Directors Association; the Tennessee Music Educators Association conference; and Carnegie Hall. In 2025, Maclin led the Cordova High School choirs on their first international performance tour to England and France. His ensembles are widely known for their inspiring, thought provoking, and moving performances. His teaching philosophy includes evoking music excellence with skills that carry each student to a successful life beyond his classroom. In addition to Adrian’s work at Cordova, he serves on the Music Leadership Team for the Memphis-Shelby County School district, and on the board of the West Tennessee Vocal Music Educator Association as Past-President. He is the State Choral Chair for the Tennessee Music Educators Association, and has served on the board for the State Chapter of the American Choral Directors Association.

Maclin has faithfully served as the Minister of Music Mount Moriah-East Baptist Church two decades, and as the Assistant Artistic Director for the Memphis Choral Arts as primary conductor for the Memphis Men’s Chorale.  

Adrian is a frequent festival adjudicator and guest clinician in the Memphis area, and throughout the southeast at district and state levels, as well as the National Baptist Convention Lucie E. Campbell Music Workshop. In 2020, Adrian was recognized by the Country Music Association Foundation as one of their Music Teachers of Excellence Award. Most recently, Mr. Maclin was named the  2025 Music Educator Award recipient presented by the Recording Academy and Grammy Museum. 

Maclin has two daughters, Madison and McKenzie, who are the apples of his eye.