Gloria Chien & Timothy Westerhaus

Interest Session 5

1/26/24 | 8:45-9:45am

Contemplation & Choral Music for Self-Resilience

Session Description

Explore compassionate meditation resources and practices to build self-resilience as a choral conductor
and to promote well-being in rehearsal and performance settings. During this hands-on contemplation
session, we will cultivate an awareness of resilience and a vocabulary of emotional states. Presenters
will teach practical and easy-to-implement skills that can improve emotional well-being. They will share
practical applications in rehearsal and performance, using choral music as a vehicle to foster self-
awareness and cultivate compassion. The session closes by experiencing a model of public, guided
contemplation by integrating elements of live choral music, resilience skills, and question-focused
reflections to foster resilience and compassion among audiences.

Clinician Bio

Dr. Gloria (I-Ling) Chien is an Associate Professor in the Religious Studies Department at Gonzaga University, specializing in Asian religions and Buddhist meditation. Inspired by her research on the Tibetan Buddhist lojong (mind training) tradition, she became a certified instructor in the Cognitively-Based Compassion Training® contemplation program developed at Emory University.

Dr. Tim Westerhaus serves as Director of Choral Studies at Northern Arizona University, directing the M.M. in Choral Conducting program and coordinating eight choral ensembles. He serves as Artistic Director of Master Chorale of Flagstaff and Choral Arts Northwest, based in Seattle. He is a Past-President of Northwestern ACDA.