July 13-17, 2026

Overview

Tilikum Choir Community proudly presents our Choral Conductors Workshop, providing professional development for choir conductors at all levels, with special emphasis on the important role non-verbal skills can play in rehearsal and performance.

  • Explore movement activities designed to improve intonation, timbre, rhythmic accuracy, and to expand dynamic range.
  • Examine the effect of the conductor’s posture and gesture on vocal production and choral tone.>
  • Experience how effective pacing and affirmative instruction improves both focus and retention in the choral rehearsal.
  • Enhance practical conducting skills during daily master classes.
  • Enjoy daily reading sessions from a large packet of octavos personally selected by the CCW Staff.

The Choral Conductors Workshop is a vital extension of the Tilikum Choir Community's mission to provide choral education and performance opportunities for all members of the community.

 

Headliner

Jason Max Ferdinand

Jason Max Ferdinand, Professor – Conductor – Composer – Speaker, serves as the Director of Choral Activities at the University of Maryland, College Park. He is the founding artistic director of The Jason Max Ferdinand Singers: An Ensemble of Exceptional Talents, and was the director of choral activities, chair of the music department, and a full professor at Oakwood University, where he conducted the Aeolians of Oakwood University. He is a published author and composer with GIA Publications, featuring the book, Teaching with Heart: Tools for Addressing Societal Challenges Through Music, and The Jason Max Ferdinand Choral Series (Walton Music). Ferdinand maintains an active schedule as a guest conductor and lecturer at schools, universities, churches, and choral festivals and conferences, domestic and international.

A native of Trinidad & Tobago, Ferdinand received his Bachelor of Arts in Piano Performance from Oakwood College (now Oakwood University), his Master of Arts in Choral Conducting from Morgan State University, and his Doctor of Musical Arts in Choral Conducting from the University of Maryland. He attributes a lot of his success to the many influential people and experiences that helped shape him into who he is today. He is thankful for his parents, Dr. T. Leslie and Mary Ferdinand, who are both retired educators. He and his siblings, Alva Ferdinand, JD, PhD, and Abdelle Ferdinand, MD, attribute any academic accomplishments they have attained to their parents. He is married to Meka, who is a registered nurse, and they are the parents of Caleb, Ava, and baby JameĢ„.

 

Featured Conductors

Edith Copley

Edith A. Copley is a regents' professor emeritus at Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff where she served as director of choral studies from 1993-2021. She conducted the highly acclaimed Shrine of the Ages Choir and taught undergraduate and graduate courses in conducting and graduate choral literature. The Shrine of the Ages Choir performed at state, regional and national conferences of the American Choral Directors Association and the National Association for Music Education. NAU choral ensembles under her direction also toured internationally to Western Europe, the Peoples Republic of China, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Bulgaria, Istanbul, Estonia, and Latvia. Dr. Copley has received numerous honors, including NAU School of Performing Arts Centennial Teacher of the Year Award, Arizona Music Educator of the Year, Arizona ACDA Outstanding Choral Director Award, and the Weston H. Noble Award from her alma mater Luther College in Decorah, Iowa. Dr. Copley has her own choral series with Santa Barbara Music Publications and is in high demand as a conference clinician, festival adjudicator, and guest conductor in the US and abroad.

Coty Raven Morris

New Orleans native Coty Raven Morris is a conductor, composer, poet, and community-centered music educator who believes deeply in the transformative power of collective singing. Her compassion for music-making in diverse communities fuels every aspect of her work—from the rehearsal room to the concert hall. She is the Hinckley Assistant Professor of Choir, Music Education, and Social Justice at Portland State University, where she mentors the next generation of teacher-artists. A proud alumna of Texas State University-San Marcos, she studied with Drs. Lynn Brinckmeyer and Joey Martin, and earned her Master of Music in Choral Conducting from Michigan State University under Drs. David Rayl, Jonathan Reed, and Sandra Snow. Morris is a two-time Music Educator Grammy Finalist (2024, 2025) and a Yamaha '40 Under 40' honoree. She was awarded the Hays CISD Linebarger Academic Recognition Award and Galena Park ISD's Dazzling Diamond Award for her outstanding mentorship and leadership. Her national presence continues to grow through frequent keynote appearances and clinician roles at ACDA and NAfME events. She has served as a chorus master and artistic collaborator with Portland Center Stage, the Oregon Symphony Orchestra, and Choirs of America. She also hosts for All Classical Radio and the International Children's Arts Network (ICAN), fostering creativity and joy for listeners of all ages.

 

Workshop Details

All registrants participate in daily practical conducting instruction with our Master Conducting instructors and staff.  Various warm-up techniques and their effect on the voice are explored. Special emphasis is given to the important role non-verbal skills can play in rehearsal and performance. All registrants participate as the choir for the reading and conducting sessions.

 

Preliminary Schedule

 

Social Time

Some of the fun things we have planned, from our Schedule.
 

River Pig Saloon
Happy Hour

Picnic at the Washington
Park Rose Gardens

Wine tasting at
Manzanita NW

Singing with
Beer Choir

 

Large Octavo Packet

The octavo packet of approximately 100 selections is carefully reviewed and hand-picked by the Conducting Faculty. The packet includes octavos representing a wide range of periods, styles, voicings, and genres appropriate for varied ages and ability levels. These choral arrangements have proven to be a valuable resource for conductors seeking high-quality, recently published literature, while also including a selection of trusted and well-established works. The octavos will be actively used throughout the workshop experience.

 

Professional Development Units

Graduate credit may be earned by workshop participants through Central Washington University at a cost of $125 per credit. Details regarding credit options, enrollment procedures, and requirements will be provided to participants during the workshop.

 

Master Class Conductor Positions

Additional $100 fee

Conducting Student Selection
Participants interested in being considered as Conducting Students will submit a conducting audition video as part of the registration process. Selected Conducting Students will receive one-on-one time with the Conducting Faculty, as well as regular podium time throughout the week.

Conducting Audition Video Requirements
Please prepare a demonstration of your conducting skills, including clear beat patterns and gestures, expressive phrasing, cueing and releases, and dynamic contrast/musical shaping. You will be asked to provide an external link to one unedited video (5–10 minutes total) when you register for the workshop.

Applicants will be notified via email if they are among the 10 Conducting Students selected to participate. Of those selected, 5 students will be invited to conduct during the final concert on the evening of Friday, July 17.

Registration Opens
February 1