Latest Blog Posts
The Conductor as Yogi: The Freedom of Intention
It’s 6:20 AM on New Year’s Day. I’ve seen the flurry of “Happy New Year!” texts from family and friends (who made it to midnight, unlike me) and I pause, thinking, “another year, a new year ahead.” I imagine the countless resolutions being made around the world in this moment and though I am pretty positive by nature, I […]
Choral Ethics: Ring Out the Old, Ring in the New….
“Ring out the false, ring in the true.” Alfred Lord Tennyson Happy New Year, ChoralNetters! It is 2026, can you believe it? 2025 has dragged on and on with something new—and crazy—often happening daily. How are things going for you? Do you feel there is there light at the end of the tunnel? Are you […]
Choral Ethics: Let There Be Peace on Earth
Let There Be Peace on Earth “This will be our reply to violence: to make music more intensely, more beautifully, more devotedly than ever before.” Leonard Bernstein For the month of December I’m rerunning some Choral Ethics blogs from years past with a few modifications where needed. Today’s is THE MOST REQUESTED December Blog or […]
Choral Ethics: Christmastime Is Here
“Christmas is a season not only of rejoicing but of reflection.” Winston Churchill I’m rerunning some Choral Ethics blogs from years past with a few modifications where needed. Two of my MOST REQUESTED December Blogs will also be making their yearly appearances. In a few days, it will be Christmas Eve. Your plans have been […]
Choral Ethics:”…….and the tongue of the dumb shall sing”
I’m rerunning some Choral Ethics blogs from years past with a few modifications where needed. Two of my MOST REQUESTED December Blogs will be making their yearly appearances, including today’s.~MLGA I love “Messiah”. Truth be told, it is probably one of my favorite large choral works. There’s a little something for everyone–from show piece arias […]
Choral Ethics: Why Music?
“Music is a moral law. It gives soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination, and charm and gaiety to life and to everything.” Plato Why do we love music? And why make it our life’s work? I’ve been pondering this question as I organize some of my ChoralNetters favorite holiday […]
ChoralEd, Performing Choral Music – Nigeria – Jude Nwankwo
In a recent ChoralEd episode, host Micah Bland sat down with Jude Nwankwo, a distinguished Nigerian composer and choral director, to explore the vibrant world of Nigerian choral music. For those outside of the culture, approaching this music can feel daunting, but as Nwankwo explains, with a little research and a lot of respect, it’s […]
The Conductor as Yogi: “The Only”
“And the mind becomes fit for concentration.” Patanjali, on dharana Admit it—you’re distracted. You might call it “busy,” “multi-tasking,” “overwhelmed,” or “the norm for this time of the year.” But do you struggle to stay with one thing at a time without checking messages, doing a chore, letting the dog out, ordering a holiday gift or a coffee-to-go, […]
Choral Ethics: Being Grateful
“I am grateful for what I am and have. My thanksgiving is perpetual.” Henry David Thoreau Today’s Choral Ethics blog is a revisit and one of Choral Ethics most requested blogs, edited to be timely. Happy Thanksgiving, ChoralNet! ~MLGA I always try to be grateful, and I remain grateful, despite much upheaval in our world. […]
Choral Ethics: Old School or New?
“Anyone who stops learning is old, whether at twenty or eighty. Anyone who keeps learning stays young. The greatest thing in life is to keep your mind young.” Henry Ford A few weeks ago, I ran into a young friend and colleague in the grocery store. Both of us were pressed for time but wanted […]

