ACDA Arkansas 2026 Summer Conference

ACDA Arkansas will host its annual Summer Conference in Downtown Little Rock July 19-22, 2026.
About this Event

CONFERENCE DATES: July 19 - 22, 2026

RESERVE YOUR ROOM AT THE DOUBLETREE by HILTON here:

Rooms can be booked at the group rate until 06/19/2026 or until the block is sold out.

Use the link pasted below or follow the step-by-step directions

https://www.hilton.com/en/book/reservation/deeplink/?ctyhocn=LITMBDT&groupCode=CDT90H&arrivaldate=2026-07-19&departuredate=2026-07-22&cid=OM,WW,HILTONLINK,EN,DirectLink&fromId=HILTONLINKDIRECT

Step by Step Directions:

1. Go to DoubleTree by Hilton in Downtown Little Rock, Arkansas
2. Enter arrival/departure dates
3. Click the "Special Rates" box
4. Enter "90H" in the Group Code box
5. Click the "Check Rooms & Rates" box. The group rate of $125.00 per night is available for Standard King and Double Queen rooms.

Guests can also call 1-800-HILTONS and reference the ACDA Arkansas Summer Conference room block to receive the discount.

Sunday, July 19, 2026

🕑: 04:00 PM - 08:00 PM
7-9 Treble Honor Choir Rehearsal
Host: Tammy Carney
🕑: 04:00 PM - 08:00 PM
10-12 Common Region Chorus Rehearsal
Host: Dr. Katherine Rohwer
🕑: 06:30 PM - 08:00 PM
Arkansas ACDA Board Dinner Meeting
Host: ACDA Arkansas Board
Monday, July 20, 2026

🕑: 07:00 AM - 04:00 PM
Conference Registration
Host: Michael Brown
🕑: 08:00 AM - 08:30 AM
Opening Session/Welcome
Host: ACDA Arkansas Presidents
🕑: 08:00 AM - 08:30 AM
ArkMEA: Welcome & Opening Session
Host: Jann Knighten, ArkMEA State President
🕑: 08:30 AM - 08:50 AM
ArkMEA: Advocacy Mini-Session
Host: Jazzmone Sutton, NAfME Senior Manager for State Advocacy
🕑: 08:30 AM - 09:20 AM
Interest Session 1: Efficient Rehearsals for Wide Skills Gap
Host: Jeff Wall, Northeastern State University
🕑: 08:30 AM - 11:30 AM
Honor Choirs : Morning Rehearsals
🕑: 09:00 AM - 10:15 AM
ArkMEA: Making Learning Stick
Host: Jann Knighten, ArkMEA State President
🕑: 09:00 AM - 10:50 AM
Reading Session: Tenor-Bass/Treble
Host: Cassandra Hernandez
🕑: 09:00 AM - 11:30 AM
Conducting Symposium - Score Study Session
Host: Dr. Gabe Lewis-O'Conner, University of Kansas
🕑: 10:30 AM - 11:50 AM
ArkMEA: Demonstrating Measurable Student Growth in Elementary Music
Host: Beth Hendrix, ArkMEA President-Elect
🕑: 12:00 PM - 01:30 PM
Lunch
🕑: 01:30 PM - 03:30 PM
10-12 Common Region Chorus: Afternoon Rehearsal
🕑: 01:30 PM - 03:30 PM
Conducting Symposium - Conducting Gesture
Host: Dr. Gabe Lewis-O'Conner, University of Kansas
🕑: 01:30 PM - 05:00 PM
7-9 Treble Honor Choir: Afternoon Rehearsal
🕑: 03:00 PM - 03:50 PM
Gesture as Teaching: The Intersection of Conducting and Singer Movement
Host: Dr. Morgan Luttig, University of Alabama
🕑: 03:00 PM - 03:50 PM
ArkMEA: Uke Can Do It! Using Ukuleles In Your Elementary Classroom
Host: Beth Hendrix, ArkMEA President-Elect/LRSD
🕑: 04:00 PM - 04:50 PM
Interest Session 2: Reaching Across The Table: Using Musicals to Build Communi
Host: Crystal Aronson, Gosnell High School
🕑: 07:00 PM - 08:00 PM
Performance Session 1: Honor Choir
Host: Lorissa Mason
🕑: 08:30 PM - 11:30 PM
Karaoke
🕑: 11:00 AM - 11:50 AM
Yes, And: Establishing Culture in the Choral Program
Host: Dr. Morgan Luttig, University of Alabama
🕑: 01:30 PM - 02:50 PM
Reading Session: Jr. High/Sr. High
Host: Oscar Quiroz
🕑: 01:30 PM - 02:50 PM
ArkMEA: Folk Dance: Bringing Community Together
Host: John Mark Junkins, Fayetteville Public Schools
🕑: 03:45 PM - 05:00 PM
10-12 Common Region Chorus: Workshop Rehearsal
🕑: 05:00 PM - 06:30 PM
Dinner
🕑: 04:00 PM - 04:50 PM
ArkMEA: Roundtable: Measuring the Climate of Elementary General Music in AR
Wednesday, July 22, 2026

🕑: 08:00 AM - 08:50 AM
ACDA Arkansas General Business Meeting
Host: Dr. Nick Farr, ACDA Arkansas President
🕑: 09:00 AM - 09:50 AM
Interest Session 6: *Efficient Rehearsals for Ensembles with Wide Skill Gaps
Host: Dr. Jeff Wall
🕑: 10:00 AM - 10:50 AM
Interest Session 7: *How to Speak Like an Administrator
Host: Tanner Oglesby
🕑: 11:00 AM - 11:50 AM
Interest Session 8: Music and Social and Emotional Learning
Host: Ren Robertson, Caney Creek HS
🕑: 12:00 PM - 12:50 PM
Reading Session: Children & Community Youth/Elementary
Host: Carla Summers
🕑: 01:00 PM - 01:30 PM
Door Prizes/Checkout with J & B Music
🕑: 01:30 PM - 02:30 PM
Arkansas ACDA Board Meeting (Lunch)
Host: ACDA Arkansas Board
Tuesday, July 21, 2026

🕑: 07:00 AM - 04:30 PM
Conference Registration
Host: Michael Brown
🕑: 08:00 AM - 09:20 AM
Reading Session: Show/Contemporary/Jazz & Music in Worship
Host: Jim Bob Llyod
🕑: 09:00 AM
ArkMEA General Business Meeting
Host: ArkMEA Board
🕑: 09:30 AM - 10:20 AM
Interest Session 3: Sight Reading 101 & Mastering the Sight Singing Room
Host: Tanner Oglesby
🕑: 09:30 AM - 10:50 AM
ArkMEA: Symphony of Specials: Collaborating with Art, Library, STEM, and P.E.
Host: Stephanie Williams, 2026 Arkansas Teacher of the Year
🕑: 08:00 AM - 11:30 AM
Conducting Symposium
Host: Dr. Gabe Lewis-O'Conner, University of Kansas
🕑: 10:30 AM - 11:20 AM
Interest Session 4: A Moment in Time
Host: Cherie Collins
🕑: 11:00 AM - 11:50 AM
ArkMEA: The Stress-Free Stage: Using Canva to Automate Your Concert Prep
Host: Stephanie Williams, 2026 Arkansas Teacher of the Year
🕑: 11:30 AM - 12:00 PM
Vendor Talk
🕑: 12:00 PM - 01:30 PM
Lunch
🕑: 01:30 PM - 02:20 PM
Interest Session 5: *Building a High School Music Technology Course
Host: Lisa Hatfield
🕑: 01:30 PM - 02:20 PM
ArkMEA: Vibe Coding 101: Empowering Music Teachers to Build Their Own Tech
Host: Stephanie Williams, 2026 Arkansas Teacher of the Year
🕑: 01:30 PM - 02:30 PM
Conducting Symposium - "The Dress Rehearsal"
Host: Dr. Gabe Lewis-O'Conner, University of Kansas
🕑: 02:30 PM - 03:20 PM
Caution! Singers at Play: The Power of Engaging Rehearsals
Host: Dr. Morgan Luttig, University of Alabama
🕑: 02:30 PM - 03:20 PM
ArkMEA: Gamifying Cross-Curricular Connections
Host: Stephanie Williams, 2026 Arkansas Teacher of the Year
🕑: 03:30 PM - 04:50 PM
Reading Session: Community/Collegiate
Host: Dr. Lorissa Mason
🕑: 03:30 PM - 04:50 PM
ArkMEA: Advocacy Strategies for Music Educators
Host: Jazzmone Sutton, NAfME Senior Manager for State Advocacy
🕑: 05:00 PM - 05:20 PM
Trailblazer Award Presentations
Host: ACDA Presidents
🕑: 05:30 PM - 07:00 PM
Dinner
🕑: 07:30 PM - 08:30 PM
Performance Session 2: President's Concert with Symposium Chorus
Host: Melinda Williams
🕑: 09:30 PM - 12:00 AM
President's Soiree
Host: J&B Music