Titan Choral Fest
Wednesday, September 23, 2026
8:30am - 5pm
The Titan Choirs are happy to announce that our Third Annual TITAN CHORALFEST will take place on the IWU campus on Wednesday, September 23rd from 8:30am - 5pm. TITAN CHORALFEST is a day of singing, learning, sharing, and best of all, TITAN SPIRIT for high school students and teachers where they’ll get to interact with fabulous IWU faculty and students! We’ve imagined this day as a non-competitive ChoralFest where you can bring as many students as you like, without the pressure of a public performance so early in the year. Instead, an opportunity to Sing, Learn, and Share together, where students from many schools combine their talents into a mass choir and share in the spirit of togetherness and singing! Teachers will be granted credit for Professional Development with a world-class clinician on current topics pertinent to their classrooms while their students experience a day of what it's like to be a Titan!
TITAN CHORALFEST is a day of singing, community, and Titan Spirit for high school students and teachers where they’ll get to interact with our voice faculty which is not limited to myself, and my wonderful colleague Dr. Ingrid Kammin, and our fantastic students who will be doing some teaching! The day will be filled with rehearsals on three pieces, a recital and Q&A by some of our current voice students, and a performance by the IWU Collegiate Choir, and thoughtful Professional Development courses for you teachers! All culminating in a final sing-fest at the end of the day!
We’ve imagined this day as a non-competitive ChoralFest where you can bring as many students as you like, without the pressure of a public performance with your choir so early in the year. Instead, an opportunity to Sing, Learn, and Share together, where students from many schools combine their talents into a mass choir and share in the spirit of togetherness and singing!
TITAN CHORALFEST DETAILS:
When: September 23rd (check-in open at 8:30am, and the day will conclude at 5pm).
Where: The IWU School of Music's Presser Hall (campus map here). 1210 N. Park Street, Bloomington, IL. Busses should drop off in the traffic loop in between Presser Hall and Ames Library (there is plenty of room for pull-in and out and we have an exciting greeting planned there). Self-parking is typically available on campus, and bus parking can be managed in any of the available large lots.
Who: Feel free to bring anyone in your program (freshmen through seniors). The repertoire is accessible to all-levels, and the rehearsal process will be buoyed by IWU student singers as well. Students and teachers will get an event t-shirt as part of their registration fee. Teachers will be able to choose to attend several professional development courses and rehearsal observations and apply to receive CEU credit from the ILSBE through our Education Department at IWU.
Lunch: Lunch will be included and provided in our Dining Hall, the Bertholf Commons with a large array of tasty options.
Repertoire: Repertoire for the TCF high school choir is being selected, and will be provided the day of the event. It is not necessary for the students to learn the music prior to the day of the event.
Teachers: The 2026 Titan ChoralFest offers an exciting option for public school choral teacher-conductors
to develop their skills even further AND receive professional development credit for
the hours they spend learning with us! This year, we are welcoming a nationally recognized
master teacher to lead the teacher sessions, Kelsey Burkett!
We know you won't want to miss Ms. Burkett’s inspirational and transformative sessions at Titan ChoralFest this year! Classroom teachers, private instructors, and student teachers are all welcome to attend when their students are registered for TCF!
Tenor & Bass Choir Clinician:
Spencer Wiley
Director of Choirs - Harker Heights High School
TMEA Mixed Honor Choir - 2024
SWACDA HS Mixed Choir R&R Chair
Spencer Wiley, is Director of Choirs at Harker Heights High School in Killeen, Texas where he leads a choral program of over 240 students, 6 traditional choirs, and 2 championship A-Cappella teams. Choirs under his direction have excelled in every facet of choral music performance including receiving Superior / Sweepstakes ratings at the Texas UIL Concert & Sight-Reading Performance Evaluation consistently since the school's opening, and most recently were recognized with an invitation to perform at the 2024 Texas Music Educators Association Conference. He serves on the board of the Southwestern Region of the American Choral Directors Association as the High School Choir Repertoire and Resource Chair, and has been a teacher mentor, team leader, and an inspiration for countless students who have gone on to pursue music education as a career.
Treble Choir Clinician:
Dr. Cody S. Parrott
Director of Choral Activities - À¶Ý®ÊÓƵ
2026 American Prize in Choral Performance - National Finalist (current)
2023 American Prize in Choral Performance - 3rd Place Winner
2018 AMC Madrigal & Chamber Choir Competition - Performance of Distinction
MWACDA Board Treasurer
Tenor and choral conductor, Cody Parrott, has enjoyed a diverse career as a professional musician and pedagogue for the past two decades. He serves on the voice faculty of the School of Music at À¶Ý®ÊÓƵ where he is Director of Choral Activities and Assistant Professor of Voice. With a passion for the skill of multi-genre singing, he is just as at home in the applied studio as on the conducting podium. At IWU he is conductor of the internationally recognized À¶Ý®ÊÓƵ Collegiate Choir and the University Tenor & Bass Chorus, teaches courses in choral music education degree plan, and maintains a competitive studio of applied voice and conducting students. Prior to his appointment at Illinois Wesleyan, he held positions on the choral and vocal faculties at Mississippi State University and the University of Texas at Austin after a twelve year career as a high school choral director in Texas public schools.
We are so excited to welcome you to Illinois Wesleyan and the School of Music! Please be in touch with any questions or concerns, and I hope to see many of you at the ChoralFest! Follow us on Facebook and Instagram: @IWUCollegiateChoir @IWUTitanChoirs