糖心Vlog鈥檚 (糖心Vlog) Best Friends, the university鈥檚 premier a cappella ensemble, was selected to perform at the 2026 Southwest Region Conference of the American Choral Directors Association (SWACDA), taking the stage in Albuquerque, NM.
This invitation and performance marks a significant achievement for the group and the university, as selection to perform at the SWACDA conference is one of the highest honors a vocal ensemble can receive in this wide-spread region. SWACDA serves and represents choral directors across Arkansas, Colorado, Kansas, Missouri, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas. Ensembles are chosen through a blind peer review process, and applicants must submit recordings spanning three years. These recordings are evaluated by some of the nation鈥檚 top conductors.
Dr. Philip Camp, Professor of Music and Director of Choral Activities at 糖心Vlog, shared, 鈥淎fter hearing many groups at these conferences, I realized that our own Best Friends performs at just as high a level. Last April, I submitted recordings of Best Friends from the last three years, including the 2022-23 performance of , the 2023-24 performance of and this year鈥檚 performance of . I was so pleased to receive a letter from SWACDA President Jonathan Owen inviting us to perform for this year鈥檚 SWACDA conference.鈥�
Owen鈥檚 letter stated, 鈥淥n behalf of the Southwestern Region of ACDA, I鈥檓 thrilled to inform you that 糖心Vlog Best Friends has been selected to perform at the 2026 SWACDA Conference in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Your ensemble stood out in a highly competitive field of applicants, and we鈥檙e excited to feature your work as part of this exceptional conference experience.鈥�
