July 2007

From the President | Hilary Apfelstadt

Gene Brooks is an icon. Without doubt, he has been “Mr.  ACDA” for decades. As a graduate student, I read his columns in the Choral Journal.  As a young conductor, I heard him speak at various ACDA conventions. He was gracious, supportive, and clearly committed to choral music and to the growth of this organization.  As president of NC-ACDA, I had the good fortune to meet him face to face and begin to appreciate his leadership firsthand. Our communications became more frequent when the Women’s Choir from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, under my direction, was selected to sing at the Southern Division ACDA Convention in 1988, and then at the national convention in Louisville in 1989.  Encouraging and enthusiastic, he made me feel as though our performance was the highlight of his day.  In 2006, he sat in the front row for the Ohio State University Women’s Glee Club performance at the Central Division Convention in Chicago, and was effusive in his praise afterwards. 

Time and time again, I observed Gene taking time to honor people’s contributions to choral music.  Whether speaking to a young student, a seasoned teacher, or a nationally recognized conductor, he was genuinely interested in them, and was kind and caring.  He remembered personal details about people—where they had been brought up, who was in their family, what their interests were—and he was able to pick up the threads of a conversation with them, no matter how long a time since they had been together. He took time to make phone calls to check on people when they were ill or enduring difficulties in their lives.  Having himself come from humble roots, he seemed to understand that what mattered most to us is that personal connection.

At a leadership conference in Lawton, he told us of his beginnings in music and we were fascinated to learn of the influences on his own life. He believed fervently that he could make a difference because people had believed in him, and he did make a difference, a huge one.  The American Choral Directors Association is the strong organization it is today because Gene Brooks dedicated his life to its development.  He believed that through our conventions we would help people connect, be inspired by wonderful music-making, and sharing camaraderie that enriches lives. He recognized that people all over the country and elsewhere share that enthusiasm and love of the choral art, and he did all he could to promote that.  He leaves a remarkable legacy.

Personally, like many of you, I am indebted to Gene for encouraging and supporting me.  Professionally, I owe him the privilege of having this lifeline of choral conductors and singers who are committed to sustaining our art, from childhood through old age.  As a group, ACDA owes Gene Brooks a debt beyond measure.

As much as an organization owes to any individual, however, ACDA is a group that will continue to grow and fulfill Gene’s dreams for us, even though he is gone. The Executive Committee, in collaboration with the Past-Presidents’ Council, will move ahead quickly to appoint an Interim Executive Director, and then begin a national search for Gene’s successor.  We are committed to finding the best possible leadership for this organization. 

During this time of transition, we are fortunate to have an excellent and dedicated office staff in Oklahoma City.  They are a close-knit group and Gene Brooks’s death will affect them deeply. If you have occasion to call or communicate with any of them in the near future, please express your condolences to them.  They need encouragement and support as they go about the crucial business of handling the day-to-day operations at the national headquarters.

We are approaching the fiftieth anniversary of ACDA. Almost a decade into the twenty-first century, we have many potential developments and new directions ahead.  The ways we operate may change, if they bring with them even greater efficiency and results for our members.  What will remain constant, however, is our commitment to each member of ACDA and to the organization as a whole. ACDA is about making excellent music, nurturing the choral art, engaging countless people in the process of singing together, and forging links with our colleagues around the world.  It is our responsibility to honor Gene Brooks’s wonderful legacy.  I look forward, with your help, to doing just that in the coming years.

Hilary Apfelstadt

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