Sandra Milliken is widely recognised as a provider of choral music workshop services both in Australia and overseas.
Over many years, Sandra has developed extensive experience in working with choral conductors and singers of all ages. Consequently, she is in high demand as a workshop clinician, travelling extensively within Australia and overseas to provide her services in workshop situations and as part of choral music festivals.
In delivering these choral music experiences, Sandra draws on her wide experience as a classroom music teacher, conductor, composer and arranger. She also draws extensively on her broad knowledge of the choral music repertoire across a wide variety of genre.
A skilled presenter with a charismatic personality, her sessions are always enthusiastically received. Participants are stimulated by the experience and leave with feelings of newly acquired knowledge, enhanced skills and abilities, and a renewed enthusiasm to “keep singing!”
In response to Covid19 restrictions, Sandra has been developing alternative service delivery models including the use of Zoom and video live streaming via YouTube.
Sandra Milliken – Music Educator
I have long held an interest in, and commitment to, providing choral music education opportunities for both conductors and choristers. I am especially keen to enhance the knowledge and skills of those conductors who are in the early stages of developing their craft. I also have a long-standing commitment to fostering youth and women’s choirs and to developing initiatives that will help to ensure that choral music maintains a high cultural and community profile in Australia. Along with this is a strong desire to enhance the awareness of Australia’s choral music profile in overseas countries.
In 1996, I was tasked with guiding the establishment of the choral program for the annual Northern Territory Youth Music Camp. Since then I have conducted workshops for the Early Music Society of Queensland, the Canberra Choral Society and various school and community choirs.
In November 2001 I received my first international invitation to travel to Shanghai (in the People’s Republic of China) as guest conductor for the Asia Pacific Activities Conference (APAC) Choir Festival. This annual festival brings together young choristers from English-speaking international schools located in a number of South-East Asian countries including China, Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea, Vietnam, and the Philippines.
In January 2002, I travelled to Finland to present choral workshops and lectures on Australian choral music at several leading schools and tertiary institutions. This visit to Finland also gave me the opportunity to continue my Finnish choral repertoire research and language studies.
In 2003, my youth choir, VoiceWorks, successfully auditioned to perform at Festival 500 in St John’s, Newfoundland, Canada. This gave me the opportunity to present a paper on Australian choral music at the associated Phenomenon of Singing International Symposium. Since then I have had the opportunity to present interest sessions on Australian choral music at the national conference of the American Choral Directors Association.
Recent Choir and Festival Workshops
2022
Cuskelly College of Music Winter School, Tenterfield NSW
- Course Lecturer – Song Writing & Arranging
- Conductor – Massed choirs and Big Chilly Sing
Anglican Schools Music Festival
- Massed choir conductor
2021
Hong Kong International Choral Festival, Hong Kong.
- Online Workshop: Choral Creativity – Composing and Arranging with Your Choir.
Cuskelly College of Music Virtually Summer School 2021, Brisbane.
- Choral Repertoire Session: Milliken
- Workshop: Arranging for Choir
2020
Cairns State High School, Cairns.
- Composer mentoring Year 12 student via distance learning
Queensland Kodaly Choir, Brisbane.
- Online workshop: Missa piccola (Milliken)
2019
Cairns State High School, Cairns.
- Workshop: Cairns State High Chamber Choir weekend retreat
Asia Pacific Choral Summit, Hong Kong.
- Workshop: The Technical Tool Box
- Repertoire Reading Session: Sandra Milliken
- Workshop: Diocesan Girl’s School Junior Choir
2017
Australian National Choral Association, Choralfest, Brisbane.
- Repertoire Reading Session for Mixed Choirs: Sandra Milliken
2016
Various Choirs.
- Workshops: International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) Application in the Choral Situation
2015
Cairns Junior Choral Society, Cairns.
- Choral Weekend: workshop clinician
2014
RelaxSing Tuscany, Italy.
- Choral Workshop Week: Choral Director
2013
Catholic Schools Music Camp, Rockhampton.
- Choral Director and Massed Choir Director.
2012
WomenSing, San Francisco Bay Area, California, USA.
- Youth Inspiring Youth, Young Composer Competition finals. Mentoring, workshop and judging.
Singapore Youth Festival, Singapore.
- Workshop: Achieving Choral Excellence (Secondary Choirs)
- Workshop: Engaging Artistry in Secondary School Choirs
- Workshop: Approaching a Challenging Piece
2007
Association of British Choral Directors – Singposium, Birmingham, UK.
- Workshop: Warmups from Around the World.
Choral Music Workshop Enquiries
Please contact Sandra to discuss her availability if you are seeking the services of a choral music workshop presenter.
