arrange • compose • conduct
Choirs should travel. This week, I’m making a list of the reasons why. The memories. You won’t remember today’s rehearsal. You might not even remember next week’s concert. In the context of a choir life, the sheer number of rehearsals and choir concerts means you can’t create lifelong memories from […]
Choirs should travel. This week, I’m making a list of the reasons why. It’s good for your program. A choir tour is great for the whole choir program – including the singers who go on the tour and those who don’t. Why? Here are just some of the reasons. Publicity. […]
Choirs should travel. This week, I’m making a list of the reasons why. The connections. I’ll never forget meeting choirs from every part of the globe at the World Choir Games in 2012 and 2014. I’ll never forget sharing the stage with choirs from Denmark, Florence, Australia, and many other […]
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 […]
Part of experience is knowing what’s coming more often. The stress of novelty – even good novelty – can be overwhelming. For example, today I am taking 43 high school students to Spain. Some of them have never left our state before, let alone the country. I have little doubt […]
I have posted this Tour Q&A around a week ahead of each of our three international trips. (We use a private Facebook group to spread information before and during the tour.) It gets revised with pertinent information of course, but the intent and tone remains the same throughout. If you’re […]
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. […]