“Life is not a matter of holding good cards, but of playing a poor hand well.” Robert Louis Stevenson I hate whiners. When my boys were young, they knew I would not “hear” them if they complained in a whiny voice. They could complain about life not being fair or that someone got a bigger […]
Choral Potpourri/Choral Ethics: My Own Choral Ethics Dilemmas
“The first step in the evolution of ethics is a sense of solidarity with other human beings.” Albert Schweitzer I tootle along in the local music world, trying to be professional, trying to be kind. My singers will tell you they have rarely seen me upset in rehearsal, even working with some difficult people. I […]
Choral Potpourri/Choral Ethics: Aftermath of Abuse
“The greater the power, the more dangerous the abuse.” Edmund Burke Might be triggering. Maddie* and I have been emailing back and forth for weeks. Her story—only part of what I will share here—is tragic. As fantastic as it may sound, it is all true. And that is part of the tragedy of it; it […]
Choral Potpourri/Choral Ethics: Floundering Aimlessly
“If one does not know to which port one is sailing, no wind is favorable.” Lucius Annaeus Seneca There has been much difficulty in my life as of late, too complicated and personal to go into here, but it has caused me to cancel my chamber choir’s June concert. Too distracted since January, I have […]
Choral Potpourri/Choral Ethics: Taking Stock and Making Resolutions
“It is always during a passing state of mind that we make lasting resolutions.” Marcel Proust Last week, I blogged about trying to remain calm as the end of the semester/choir year approached. Several of you contacted me about how timely this blog was, and I THANK YOU for your kind comments! This week, in […]
Choral Potpourri/Choral Ethics: Perfectly Calm
“With the coming of spring, I am calm again.” Gustav Mahler During the first part of my choral career, I was also a dancer, ballet teacher and choreographer. My ballet background, coupled with understanding and the ability to read complicated scores, made me a natural to choreograph musicals on all levels. I specialized in making […]