Follow your own true north in programming as a conductor.
There are a lot of shoulds for conductors. I’ve heard conductors say, “Every ACDA performance program should include a Baroque or Renaissance piece.” I’ve heard conductors say, “Every student should graduate high school having sung X, Y, and Z.” I’ve heard conductors say that anything remotely pop should wait until after choirs have sung their ‘main course’ music.”
If any of those values ring true to you, there is no fault in using them to guide your programming. But I think that it’s much more important to follow your own true north. Program music that you respond to. If you don’t love the Mozart “Ave Verum Corpus” then you shouldn’t be programming it every 2-4 years. If your ACDA program is all 21st Century music because that’s the music that lights you up, then more power to you!
When you embrace your own self as a conductor, you find more joy in your daily work. You personally get more out of the music. You also have more enthusiasm, which is infectious and helps your students become more enthusiastic.
Forget should. Program the things you must program.