ACC-GTM Announce First Scholar in Residence for 2018 Convention

The American Conference of Cantors (ACC) is pleased to announce the first scholar-in-residence for the June 2018 joint convention with their affiliate, the Guild of Temple Musicians (GTM) to be held in Dallas, Texas. 

Dr. Jonathan Palant, who is on faculty at the University of Texas at Dallas and is founder and conductor of both Credo, a 130-member community choir, and the Dallas Street Choir, a musical outlet for those experiencing homelessness and disadvantage, will be sharing his time and expertise with members of the ACC and GTM. 

Members of the Dallas Street Choir will be participating in the convention's Wednesday morning, June 27th, worship service--Shacharit--immediately followed by Palant's keynote address, "Creating harmony in unusual spaces.” Wednesday afternoon, Palant will present a workshop to convention attendees, "The Non-Negotiables to Creating Harmony in the Musical Mishpacha: It takes more than musical proficiency and informed vocal technique to be a solid conductor-teacher-song leader."  This workshop explores methods for establishing trust and respect, thus creating a safe space for all musicians. "It's best when singers trust their conductor-teachers, are able to take musical risks, and without exception, respect those with whom they sing," said Palant. Additionally, Palant will participate in a webinar program prior to the convention to introduce attendees to his choirs and topics. 

Dr. Palant is minister of music at Kessler Park United Methodist Church, adult choir director at Temple Shalom Dallas, and is employed by the Dallas Independent School District to mentor middle and high school vocal music teachers.

The ACC-GTM convention will be held at the Westin Galleria Hotel in Dallas, Texas from June 24-28, 2018. Registration information will be released soon and will be available to members-in-good-standing of the ACC and GTM. Visit the ACC website or follow our convention planning on Facebook for more information as it becomes available. 

Dr. Palant's upcoming conducting engagements include all-state choirs in Illinois and North Carolina, along with lectures in Florida, New York, and Texas. This past year, Dr. Palant presented at the American Choral Directors Association Divisional Conference in Sioux Falls, and at area music conferences in Arkansas, Iowa, and New Mexico. In June, Dr. Palant made his Carnegie Hall conducting debut performing with renowned artists Frederica von Stade, Harolyn Blackwell, Jake Heggie, and Broadway composer Stephen Schwartz.

From 2007-2011, he served as Artistic Director of Dallas’ Turtle Creek Chorale. Prior to that, Palant held collegiate teaching positions at Western Kentucky University and Madonna University, Livonia, Michigan. He taught secondary choral music at University School, an all-boys independent school in Cleveland, Ohio, and San Pasqual High School in Escondido, California.

Dr. Palant sits on the board of directors of the Intercollegiate Men’s Choruses and has served on the state board of the Michigan chapter of the American Choral Directors Association and Youth First Texas where he was founder and conductor of Dallas PUMP!, a choir serving at-risk youth.

In 2016, Musical America named Palant one of their “Innovators of the Year” for establishing the Dallas Street Choir. 

Both Palant’s book, Brothers, Sing On! Conducting the Tenor-Bass Choir, and his Brothers, Sing On! Choral Series are published by the Hal Leonard Corporation.

Dr. Palant holds degrees from Michigan State University, Temple University and the University of Michigan.

The ACC, through its support for and cultivation of excellence among cantors, strengthens Reform Jewish life in North America. ACC cantors are equipped to be attentive to the joys and challenges that members within a congregation face over the course of their lives, using both their unique calling to music and prayer and their shared responsibilities for offering spiritual leadership to congregations. ACC members also can help lead their congregations and by extension, the Reform Jewish movement in North America, to a bright future.

The ACC maintains rigorous standards for ordination/certification, offers deep support for the professional needs of cantors, advocates with passion for the evolving role of the cantorial vocation, and cultivates ever-increasing professional excellence among its members.

Committed. Sacred. Strong. Beautiful. Forward-Facing.