PSICA FESTIVAL 2005

Minutes/Report

Colleagues:

This will serve as a report, summation and record of activities for the 76^th annual PSICA Festival hosted by UC Irvine at Concordia University on Saturday, March 5, 2005. Please send additions or corrections to me, <Huszti@cox.net>, and I will forward a revised report to Don Caldwell to post on the PSICA website.

The luncheon and business meeting was held at the Faculty Lounge at 11:30 a.m. Members present included Tom Miyake (CSULA), Don Caldwell (Cal Tech), Desiree La Vertu (Cal Tech), Iris Levine (Cal Poly), Jon Talberg (CSULB), Steve Gothold (Scripps), Mary Breden (Loyola), Jeff Bernstein (Occidental), Donna Di Grazia (Pomona), Magen Solomon, (USC), and Joe Huszti (UCI). Member institutions not represented included Biola, Cal Lutheran, CSUF, CSUN, and Whittier.

William Weinert and host coordinators from UC Irvine were introduced. Magen Solomon was welcomed as the representative and conductor at USC. During the regular business session, following the luncheon, two motions were approved. First, a maximum $2,500 for expenditures for the festival would be made available to the host institution (moved by Bernstein, seconded by Talberg). Second, a $250 fee for up-dating the interactive capabilities of the PSICA website was approved (moved by Bernstein, seconded by Talberg). Next years festival date will be February 25, 2006, hosted by Occidental College, which will be celebrating its centennial year. Claremont Colleges have offered to host the 2007, festival on March 3, 2007. The revised institutional hosting schedule through the year 2020 is posted on the website.

Iris Levine suggested the annual business meeting be followed by the luncheon. Tom Miyake announced this would be his final PSICA Festival as he will retire at the end of this academic year. Special recognition was made to Mary Breden as President-elect of ACDA. A lively and insightful discussion on choral issues was carried out by the membership.

William Weinert presented a very successful masterclass on ≥Secular Romantic Part Songs for Mixed Voices≤ with approximately 50 singers in attendance.

The festival concert began at exactly 6:30 p.m.!! A wonderful evening of music making by each of the nine participating choirs was presented in the CU Center. At the reception following the festival concert, each director received William Weinertπs adjudication comments of the performances. The CD recordings of the festival are due to be mailed to each association member by Friday, March 11, 2005.

The membership is encouraged to peruse the association website <psica.org>, and especially those members who were not able to correct and update their membership listing. Please read the by-laws (draft?) and make corrections or suggestions for up-dating and completing several sections. Should the membership make a recommendation for the position of Executive Secretary?

Many thanks to the membership for cooperating and meeting deadlines. Thank you also for your patience, good humor and willingness to be flexible to make the festival a success. It is a privilege to be associated with colleagues and musicians of your quality.

Welcome to Jeff Bernstein as President of PSICA!

Respectfully submitted,

Joseph Huszti, President

Pacific Southwest Intercollegiate Choral Association

March 5, 2005