On March 15, 2020, governing entities began formal shutdowns to reduce the spread of the COVID-19. The Graduate Wind Conductors Association (GWCA) was founded during the midst of the global pandemic to serve fellow graduate students. While institutions were forced to transition to fully-remote learning, the GWCA was able to form an online community that enabled students to stay connected during these unprecedented times. 

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Since its inception, the association has provided an inclusive platform to offer extended opportunities for wind conductors to collaborate, develop, and network with their conducting colleagues. Notable contributions during the midst of the pandemic included a series of professional online webinars on topics related to gesture, programming, thesis/dissertation prep, work-life balance, along with several other topics related to wind conducting. Featured conductors in the series included Tonya Mitchell-Spradlin, Rodney Dorsey, H. Robert Reynolds, and other esteemed pedagogues in the field.

 

Additionally, the GWCA has committed to being a safe, inclusive, and welcoming space for its members to seek guidance with professional and personal achievements during their graduate work. With over 1,000 members, the GWCA Facebook Community offers a supportive environment for members to continue to create, exchange, inspire, alongside the next generation of wind conductors.

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Our organizational policies can be found here