arrange • compose • conduct
Posts specifically about choral music
One of the things I love most about the choral community is how proactive it is. Choral leaders are planners and communicators. They see what’s coming, and they want to plan for it, face it head on, and communicate about it. With the very real issues facing group singing in […]
In times of upheaval, I lean on touchstones–works of art that have shaped me and the continue to be sources of inspiration, influence, and solace. It might be rereading a favorite novel, a cherished poem, a movie, or (especially often) a favorite album with a good pair of headphones. My […]
Choir directors were served up some bleak, bleak news via a webinar sponsored by NATS, Chorus America, ACDA, the Barbershop Harmony Society, and the Performing Arts Medical Association. It was hard to hear the information the scientists, physicians, and vocal music experts shared and not feel pessimistic about the near-term […]
Greek thinkers separated love into multiple varieties, rather than the single overarching word we have in English. Much has been written about these different types of love. The choir can be a great place to explore the love that the Greeks called philia, which is often translated in English as […]
Choral educators often urge their singers not to show it on their faces when they mistake. The idea is that, if we don’t show that we made the error, most of the audience might not know. I think the truth is even better than that. I think that an audience […]
I am sitting in rehearsal watching 19 outstanding high school singers from across Michigan on system, working hard through a multiple-divisi arrangement by Tim Buchholz, in preparation for their concert Friday night at the Michigan Music Conference. I am sitting in rehearsal watching 19 outstanding high school singers from across […]
Some singers never learn the joy of getting beyond the notes and rhythms. It’s obvious when they aren’t in a hurry to get past learning of the notes. If they knew the joy that awaited, they’d want to hurry up and get there! Alice Parker says that she can only […]
I desperately, passionately, unreservedly do not want to conduct my ensembles through compliance leadership. I am not, and refuse to be, a chair-throwing, yelling, lap-demanding leader. Part of that is temperament–that type of behavior would fit me exceedingly poorly. But a much bigger part has to do with my aspirations […]
Choir directors suffer from long-term project overload. Think about it: every one of your projects is a delayed-gratification project. Concert days are eight weeks in the making. You start planning and prepping your musical months before it opens. Even your educational goals can be years in the making – giving […]
It’s easy to get traction starting around a week before a concert, give or take. Suddenly, the looming public performance helps your students get into gear and make big leaps forward. The challenge is to get traction further ahead of the concert. If you can gain traction when the concert […]