Richard Sparks

Many of us have gravitated towards a system of "just" intonation, rather than the tempered scale that's used for tuning pianos. You may not have even thought about this and simply accepted that the piano is the arbiter of what's in tune and what's not. However, equal temperament is really a compromise tuning system (and […]

As I started to outline potential posts in this series I came up with a ridiculous number–only some of which may actually happen before the summer hiatus! One of the problems is that so many areas overlap–you can't talk about vowel without talking about vocal technique or your idea of an ideal sound. So some posts […]

Intonation is an incredibly important subject for all choral conductors, but one that isn't simple. In this next series, I'll write about different aspects of choral intonation. Not only what does it mean to sing "in tune," but how do you help your choir sing better in tune?   When I say "isn't simple," I […]

This is the last (I think!) in the series–although as my choirs know, when I say, “one more time” . . . I’m rarely going to do that!   Let me first give a link to a wonderful article: http://www.bulletproofmusician.com/how-many-hours-a-day-should-you-practice/   This deals with individual practice, but has much to do with choral rehearsal as […]

Back to rehearsal technique after recovering from ACDA!   Verbal: Don’t talk too much! By the same token, in varying pacing, there can be good times to let them sit back and talk about the background of the piece or something similar – it’s also efficient to take “pencil” time to give all markings for […]

First, thanks to Karen Fulmer, Tim Sharp, and the entire team of planners, volunteers and staff who made the convention possible. I thought it was a very strong conference and was so glad the weather cooperated (perfectly!) since one of the downsides of the Arts District is few restaurants and enough distance from hotels that […]