1960 - 1964 Conventions

The first two TCDA Conventions were held in Dallas, and all Conventions since have been held in San Antonio. Following is a recap of each Convention since 1955. This information was taken from Convention Programs and other archival references in the TCDA offices in Austin. Special thanks to former TCDA Executive Secretary J Marvin Pollard for gathering information from TCDA’s early years.

If you have any additional information that would make this TCDA Convention history more complete, please contact TCDA.

1960  •  5th Annual Convention and New Music Reading Clinic
Hilton Hotel, San Antonio, August 24-26

Officers
President - J B Furrh
Vice President - Michael Johnstone
Secretary/Treasurer - Harold Greenlee
Historian-Parliamentarian - Alfred Skoog
Sergeant-at-Arms - Karl Hickfang

Session Conductors
Morris Beachy (Sacred Mixed); Vernon Moody (JrHigh Mixed); Walter Ehret (Secular Mixed, Pop-Showtune-Novelty, 2nd Secular Mixed); Gene Kenney (male chorus, girls chorus); A M Autrey (Spirituals Mixed); Robert Fordyce (Sacred Mixed); Lois Rhea, accompanist

Elementary Program
Concert/Clinic - John J Socha, Director, Immanuel Lutheran Church Children's Choir, Giddings
Demonstration Clinic - Developing Reading Ability, Miss Marci Wyle, Follet Publishing Co

Entertainment 
Chordsman Chorus (barbershop), Ray Anthony, Director

Business
Constitutional amendments re-naming offices and duties Officers elected (see 1961 Convention)

1961  •  6th Annual Convention and New Music Reading Clinic
Granada Hotel, San Antonio, August 16-18

Officers
President - J B Furrh
Past President - B R Henson
1st Vice President - Mike Johnston
2nd Vice President - Karl Hickfang
3rd Vice President - Alfred Skoog
Secretary/Director - Harold Greenlee
Executive Secretary - J F Lenzo, Jr

Session Conductors
B R Henson and Maj Samuel Kurtz (Selections for choir and band); Dr Frederic Fay Swift (Sacred Mixed);
Don Malin (Girls Chorus, Sacred Mixed, Secular Mixed); Lawrence McQuerrey (New Contest Selections); B R Henson (New Contest Selections); Earl Wilhoite (Boys chorus, Showtunes and Novelties)

Elementary Program
Elementary Vocal Techniques, Cloys Webb
Publisher's music representatives presented demonstration clinics – Mary Ann Vaughan, Marci Wylie, Betty Indihar, James E Green, Philip Grice and Arnold Paris

Demonstration Clinic
Sight Reading Methods - Earl Wilhoite with the North Shore Jr High Choir of Galena Park

Entertainment
Air Force Band of the West (Lackland AFB, San Antonio), Maj Samuel Kurtz, Director

1962  •  7th Convention and New Music Reading Clinic
Gunter Hotel, San Antonio, August 1-3

Officers
President - Michael Johnstone
Past President - J B Furrh
1st Vice President - Alfred Skoog
2nd Vice President -Anthony Castellanos
3rd Vice President - John A Magee
Secretary/Treasurer - Aurelia Scogin
Executive Secretary - Joseph F Lenzo, Jr

Reading Sessions/Conductors
Robert Landers & Maj Samuel Kurtz (Music for Combined Band and Choir)
Howard E Akers (SSA)
Jack Litten ((SATB Secular, Novelty - Showtunes - etc)
Edward H Hamilton (Sacred Music, UIL Contest Music)
Robert Sanders & The Singing Sergeants (Male Chorus)
A M Autrey (Secular Music, UIL Contest Music)
Neil Kjos, Jr (Elementary Music, Sacred & Secular)
David Foltz (Sacred and Secular)

Elementary Division
Bob Buchanan, Mona Rodda, Cloys Webb, and Ann Anderson (Elementary and Sr High Symposium)
Mary Ann Vaughan (two Elementary Demonstrations)
David Foltz (Demonstration of Vandre Sight-Reading)

Clinics/Workshops
Ed Hamilton, Wesley Coffman, Howard Akers, Wayne Bedford. (Church Music Symposium)
Cloys Webb (Boys Chorus Techniques, Junior High)
Robert Landers and the Singing Sergeants (Male Chorus Demonstration)

Concerts/Entertainment
Tony Castellanos, Central Junior High of Brownsville
Robert Landers, The Singing Sergeants
Ma. Samuel Kurtz, The Airforce Band of the West and the Commander's Dance Band

Significant: Texas Orchestra Directors Association organizational meeting and reading sessions.

1963  •  8th Convention and New Music Reading Clinic
Gunter Hotel, San Antonio, July 31 - August 2

Officers
President - Michael Johnstone
ImPast President - J B Furrh
1st Vice President - Anthony Castellanos
2nd Vice President - B Jack Glover
3rd Vice President - John Magee
Secretary/Treasurer - James A Ramsey
Executive Secretary - Joseph F Lenzo, Jr

Reading Sessions/Conductors
Captain Robert Landers Howard, the Singing Sergeants and Air Force Band of the West (Band & Chorus music)
A C Voran (SATB Sacred, SSA and Elementary Sacred)
Lee Kjelson (Showtunes, Novelties, Spirituals, SATB Secular)
T W (Jack) Dean (SATB Sacred)
Capt Robert Landers (TTBB Secular)
Arnold Perris (SSA and Elementary Secular)
Wayne Roe (SSA and Elementary Sacred)
Gene Kenney (Renaissance, Baroque, Madrigal, SATB Sacred)
Frank McKinley (Renaissance, Baroque, Madrigal. TMEA All-State Choir music, 1964)
Wesley Coffman (SATB Sacred)
Kenneth Cuthbert (Combined Choral and Orchestral Reading Session)

Elementary Division
Arnold Perris (Elementary Demonstration)
Various presenters (Textbook Companies' Presentation of New Books Grades 1-3, two sessions)
Mary Beck Stevens (Reading Program in the Elementary Choral Field;Reading Program, grades 1-3 & 4-6)
Jack Chambliss (Musical Activities and Background for Singing, Grades 1-4; Ear-Training and Reading, grades 5-6)
George W Robinson (A String Program for Elementary) joint TCDA-TODA session
Audio-Visual screening: ("Music, the Expressive Language," and "Introduction to Music Reading"

Church Music (in addition to Sacred Reading sessions)
A C Voran, Edward Hamilton, Jack Dean, Wesley Coffman, Jack Chambliss, Aurelia Scogin. (Church Music Panel Discussion
Jack Dean (The Contemporary Anthem: It's Style and Performance)

Concerts/Entertainment/Lectures
Singing Sergeants Concert and Social
John A Kiassch (lecture on "Acoustics")
Lee Kjelson, Luncheon speaker
Nancy Schonfield, demonstration Elementary students from Austin

Significant: Texas Orchestra Directors Association: 2nd Annual New Music Reading Clinic and Workshop

Officers
President - Cloys Webb
Past President - Michael Johnstone
1st Vice Presid - Anthony Costellanos
2nd Vice President - Jack Glover
3rd Vice President - Jim Casey
Secretary/Treasurers - James Ramsey
Executive Secretary - Michael Johnstone

Reading Sessions/Conductors 
(the clinic program is unclear regarding specific conductors for each reading session).
Houston Bright; Curtis Hansen; Gene Kenney; Vernon Moody; J. Clark Rhodes; Earl Willhoit and some Workshop clinicians.
(SATB Sacred - two sessions)
(Renaissance, Baroque and Madrigal - 2 sessions)
(Elementary, Junior High, Senior High Treble - two sessions)
(SATB Secular)
(Chorus and Orchestra combined)
(SATB Novelties, Spirituals and Showtunes)
(TTBB General)
(TMEA All-State Choir)

Elementary Division
Martha Jim Palmer (The Rhythmic Approach to Understanding Musical Notation", grades 1-6 - three sessions)
Jack Chambliss (Elementary Music Methods - two sessions)
Marcheta Hixson (Part-Singing: Worth the time and effort? - two sessions)
Palmer, Chabliss and Hixson (Panel Discussion: Elementary Music and It's Approach)

Church Music Division
Joe Liles (Lecture and discussion: Church Music Promotion)
Claude Bass (The "Contemporary" Anthem in Worship)
Wesley Coffman, Claude Bass andJoe Liles (Presentation of New Church Repertoire and summary of discussion).

Concerts/Entertainment/Address
Paul Williams, Director, Low a Star, a cantata by Robert Graham by the Highland Hills Baptist Junior Choir
William A Hunt, Director, concert by the Valley Civic Chorus.
J Clark Rhodes, President, American Choral Directors Association

Business: TCDA Board named J Marvin Pollard to the position of Executive Secretary