51st Annual Summer Symposium 2025
July 21-24, 2025
Central College, Pella, IA
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We are excited to bring ICDA’s 51st Symposium “inspire” to you July 21-24, 2025!
It was a mere 28 years ago that we met at Symposium and we have been inseparable Symposium buddies ever since. It’s our hope that others will find their lifelong bestie at our, or any, Symposium as well.
Inspiration can come from anywhere, anything, anyone and at any time. Our goal was to bring all types of inspiration to this symposium whether it’s self-care/awareness, new conducting skills, elementary choral/classroom ideas, surviving middle school, curricular fulfillments, the list goes on. Inspiration has a domino effect, so whatever goodness you take away in these four days is sure to be passed along to someone else, maybe another teacher in your district, another choral director, a student or a partner. It will spread!
We are especially excited about our concerts. Seriously, we start off on Monday with two Iowa All-State concerts, both Show Choir and Jazz Choir! On top of that goodness we have the iconic group dating back to the 40’s, The Four Freshmen. Turn the page to Tuesday and enjoy two more concerts, the award winning Sweet Adelines quartet The Ladies, followed by the Gabriel Espinosa Quintet with Kim Nazarian from New York Voices. Wednesday we offer up our very own Retired Choir as well as the internationally known a capella group The Real Group from Sweden. There will be a strong finish on Thursday with the Directors Choir under the direction of Andre Thomas.
Another part of Symposium we will circle back to is interactive social events. We have such fond and funny memories of skits and competitions from our social events in the past. All that laughter and cheering others on helped to draw us together as a membership. Those who laugh together, work together! And let us tell you, we have laughed every time we’ve gotten together to work on this Symposium! No, really, we have. Have you seen our videos on the ICDA Facebook page? Come prepared to either participate or sit back and enjoy, laugh and cheer each other on at this year’s evening activities.
So, please, join us this summer and be ready to be inspired…and…together we’re better!
Tami & Terry
Symposium Sponsors
Coe College - Symposium Sponsor
Waldorf University - The Real Group Sponsor
Wartburg College - Dr. André Thomas Sponsor
ICDA Endowment - The Real Group Sponsor
Hal Leonard - Roger Emerson and Greg Gilpin Sponsors
Headliner
Choirs
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All-State Show Choir
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All-State Jazz Choir
Participatory Choirs and Events
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Conducting Masterclass with André Thomas
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Director's Chorus with Director André Thomas
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Retired Choir with Director Mike Esser
Presenters
 Ryan Beeken |  Ott |  Reid_QuadrioReunion_2018 |
|---|---|---|
 Schaefer |  Espinosa |  Kim Nazarian |
 André Thomas |  Karla McClain |  Kevin Shorner-Johnson |
 Ashley Maiers |  Adam Orban |  Nicole Lamartine |
 Saleel Menon |  Lynn Brinckmeyer |  Dave Larsen |
 Kendra Friar |  Greg Gilpin |  Roger Emerson |
 Mary Cohen |  Steve Danielson |  Kelsey Legore |
 Brian Johnson |  Jeffery Murdock head shot |
Terry Rabbitt
2025 Symposium Co-Chair
Terry Rabbitt grew up on a farm a few miles outside of Gowrie. After graduating from Morningside University (then College) with a BME, she taught at Clarksville, BGM, AHSTW then finished her time in education with 14 years at Nodaway Valley. Terry has been an adjudicator for IHSMA for over 30 years and served as the SouthWest District Chair for ICDA 2006-2010. She has directed many honor and festival choirs, including the 2002 Opus 7/8 grade Treble Clef Choir. In retirement, she has worked as a tour coordinator for Good News Tour and Travel, opened and ran a B&B in Winterset, accompanied the Winterset High School Choir for four years and is currently in her fifth year as the Carroll High School Choir collaborative accompanist (getting to work with her bestie, Tami Meiners!) as well as being a Realtor.
Terry and her husband Pat have 6 kids, 5 grandkids and a golden retriever named Felix. They enjoy traveling, camping, spending time with family and friends and are almost done with renovations on their 4th, and last, home!
Tami Meiners
2025 Symposium Co-Chair
Tami Meiners is the 7-12 Choir Director at Carroll Community Schools in Carroll, Iowa. Meiners will be starting her 33rd year of teaching this fall and is honored to have Terry Rabbitt as her collaborative accompanist on a daily basis. Prior to her current position, Meiners taught at Audubon Community Schools for 24 years and Dallas Center-Grimes for 5 years before that. She grew up in Harlan, Iowa and earned a BS in vocal music from Northwest Missouri State University in Maryville, MO.
Meiners was the 2023 5/6 Opus Honor Choir Director. She also served as the 5/6 Opus Honor Choir Chair and Sounding Board editor through the years. She is blessed to have a wonderful husband, Alan Meiners and 3 beautiful children, Grant, Will and Lydia.