We all recognize a well-paced rehearsal when we experience one. What does it mean to create a well-paced rehearsal? I think one of the most important things is to plan in advance for variety: hard work on some individual pieces or sections of pieces, run-throughs of more familiar music, alternating faster with slower […]
Rehearsing well
How can you make your rehearsals more efficient and accomplish more? How can your rehearsals motivate and inspire your singers? That’s the topic of my next series of blog posts. This is an area that I strongly believe is both craft and art. But what do I mean by that? There is a […]
Creating a Positive Culture in Your Choir – V
Back to the idea of creating a positive culture in your choir: Expectations are a large part of how our singers learn a culture. These can be (and are) the expectations we have for our singers: Are your expectations clear? (would your singers be able to articulate them if someone asked them?) Do your […]
Happy New Year!
I know it’s not choral, but enjoy–Happy New Year to everyone on ChoralNet! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vO1go37g2LE
Michael Jordan: Failure is why I succeed
In this Nike commercial, Michael Jordan talks about his failures–shots missed, games lost–but points out it’s why he succeeds. Sounds like Carol Dweck’s work on “mindset,” doesn’t it! Have a great holiday season, everyone! http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=45mMioJ5szc
Slowing down
Again, as I’m finishing up the semester (and chairing a search committee), I’ll draw from a previous blog post–this one about slowing down to speed up–does that sound intriguing? Once again, it has a connection to the culture we build in our choir–and in our fast-paced, multi-tasking world this is a challenging culture to build. […]