Does a Choral Director Have a Responsibility to Model Good Conversations?

When we stand in front of choirs, we frequently stand in front of diverse groups of humans. And yes, diverse in terms of race, gender identity, gender expression, religion and much more. But, one sometimes overlooked reality is that we also stand in front of individuals with diverse VIEWPOINTS. Diverse world views, political views, philosophical traditions, etc.

So, as we prepare to go on some type of Thanksgiving break from the stress of school, and start to spend more time on Social Media, I invite you to think about the version of yourself that you project to the world. Will all of your choir members feel welcome if they see how you speak to people that disagree with you? What if THEY disagree with you? Will they still feel valued? Or, do we have a responsibility to provide a safe place for growth and learning where all feel welcome. As Dr. Eph Ely famously says, “Once the teacher gives the answer, the thinking stops.”

In this conversation, I speak with Angel Eduardo, the author of “Three Tips for Having Difficult Conversations” to discuss ways that we can have better conversations, and more importantly MODEL productive disagreement.

Perhaps the MOST contentious topic being discussed online right now is SCHOOLS. Should we be open or closed? As many regular readers and listeners know, I have been interviewing many COVID experts since May on this show. In Episode 49 I interview MD and PhD Epidemiologist Dr. Tracy Høeg about what the data is showing so far in terms of transmission of Covid at school. So, my hope is that my colleagues will educate themselves on that data prior to engaging in online debates.

See more about Choralosophy and the multimedia Choral Content at www.choralosophy.com

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