arrange • compose • conduct
Posts specifically about choral music
Choirs should travel. This week, I’m making a list of the reasons why. The growth. Many academic choirs prepare a piece for a single performance, then put it away to move onto other music. There is educational value in it, but it overlooks one of my favorite opportunities for growth: […]
Choirs should travel. This week, I’m making a list of the reasons why. The spaces. I love our home auditorium, and I love many of the spaces we get to sing in with out choir, week to week. Any space is an opportunity to share what we love, after all. […]
Choirs should travel. This week, I’m making a list of the reasons why. Travel brings a choir closer together. The world turns off when you travel – the day-to-day commitments are gone. The connections deepen when you travel – because you’re together so much of the time. The tiredness of […]
Choirs should travel. This week, I’m making a list of the reasons why. Choirs should travel because it opens up the world. Honestly, we all should travel for that reason, but choirs get some special advantages there. As an example, consider my 2018 experience at St. Peter’s Basilica, Easter Monday […]
What are we singing on tour? The Rockford High School Touring Choir heads on the road to Spain next week, with performances in Barcelona, Montserrat, Valencia, Toledo, and Madrid. In preparation for the tour, 43 students have been rehearsing roughly monthly since August, preparing an hour of a cappella repertoire. […]
Some of the best teaching I’ve ever done has been in bringing my students to a concert. When students hear high-level versions of what they’re working on, so many lessons get driven home. A concept I’ve been working on for months becomes instantly understandable because they’ve heard it done right. […]
You’ve got to plan ahead for long trips. We’re working on a very slow ballad in Shades of Blue, requiring breath support for phrases that always feel like they’re going one beat longer than you expect. The thing that makes the difference is planning like you’re going on a long […]
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 […]
A piece and your ensemble’s relationship with it will continue to evolve after its first performance. Best to let that evolution happen before the official premiere! Premiere performances can bring a lot of stress. The performers feel a duty to bring the piece to life in its first performance. There […]
I’ve been experimenting with a new strategy in my after school rehearsals: starting optional vocal warmups before the rehearsal starts. At 2:45, we start a one-hour rehearsal. At 2:35, I start doing some basic vocal warmups. It’s optional to attend – they have all already sung today, and their voices […]