Latest Blog Posts

“He, who every morning plans the transactions of the day, and follows that plan, carries a thread that will guide him through a labyrinth of the most busy life.” Victor Hugo I am sure you are busy. In fact, I know you are busy this week. This week, Holy Week is the distillation of all […]

Knowledge of basic audio equipment is quickly becoming an essential feature of the job in today’s music classroom. For those with limited experience, ChoralEd episode 52 offers a quick guide to help you get started.  In this episode, the basic audio setup is demonstrated using a microphone, XLR cable, mixer, and speaker.  Each step of […]

Between the Staves: Choral Questions, Candid Answers, is fresh take on the classic advice column—this time for all things choral music! Modeled after the beloved “Dear Sally” format, this blog will answer your questions about choral music education, performance, and leadership. Whether you’re curious about vocal technique, rehearsal tips, repertoire selection, or the “other” side […]

Choral Ethics has a Guest Blogger today. Benjamin Amenta is a keyboardist and composer based in the South Suburbs of Chicago. He is Dean of the Northwest Indiana Chapter of the American Guild of Organists. By Benjamin Amenta As part of my own observance for women’s history month this year, I would like to share […]

“Let us be grateful to people who make us happy, they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom.” Marcel Proust Serena* is happier in her present situation than she ever was in her past positions. She’s beginning her third year and knows it was pure luck to find this job. She is an […]

“This is the strange thing: Dancers don’t age.” Twyla Tharp I am a dancer. Descended from Chicago Dance Royalty my father, Charles Grass, was Bob Fosse’s vaudeville partner and Ruth Page’s assistant. My parents met during an Opera Theater of Chicago production of “The Bohemian Girl,” when Dad served as stage director/choreographer and Mom was […]

“My work today is perceived as being classic, but when I first started out, it was a break from the norm. Since then, I have continued to reinvent myself. I don’t change my style, but I allow it to evolve.” Giorgio Armani The courage to be yourself, looking at things from your own perspective, takes […]

Understanding the audio signal chain is a foundational component of operating audio equipment. Choral directors should be familiar with the chain to properly set-up or fix audio equipment.  The flow of audio follows a specific path through various components: Throughout the signal chain cables (XLR or quarter-inch) are used to connect the various pieces of […]

“…Responsibility is a necessary condition for the wholeness and fullness of life, and he who cannot assume it may be denied the greatest opportunity which life offers to anyone:  to be a whole person, to be right with the world, to belong.”  Voices 12: Choosing Life With a Purpose by Robert K. Greenleaf When I wrote The […]

“All religions, arts and sciences are branches of the same tree.” Albert Einstein Like many of you, I conduct a choral organization in a community with several other choral groups besides mine. And like you, I often wonder if members of my audience are also members of theirs. One of the lessons I’ve learned in […]