“‘Do you know, I always thought unicorns were fabulous monsters, too? I never saw one alive before!’ ‘Well, now that we have seen each other,’ said the unicorn, ‘if you’ll believe in me, I’ll believe in you.’” –Lewis Carroll; Through the Looking Glass Several weeks ago, I was at my usual SAMBA (a community arts/municipality/business […]
Choral Potpourri: Remembering Our Mentors
“You have to do your own growing no matter how tall your grandfather was.” Abraham Lincoln Like many of you, I’ve been cleaning out my rehearsal briefcase and assorted rehearsal bags during the last few weeks. The centerpiece of each rehearsal bag, besides my folder of music, is a legal pad folio with a pen […]
Choral Potpourri: Choral Conductors Behaving Badly
“Etiquette means behaving yourself a little better than is absolutely essential.” Will Cuppy I get so many emails from people wanting to complain or wanting me to weigh in on someone else’s behavior or to come up with a solution. Often, it is singers complaining about their choir directors. Sometimes, it’s choir directors complaining about […]
Choral Potpourri: Why I De-Brief My Choir
“Comedy is not funny. Comedy is hard work and timing and lots and lots of rehearsals.” Larry Hagman It’s now been over a week since our spring concert. It was a lovely performance, for the most part, but some things happened during this concert cycle no one could have predicted. After losing a bass and […]
Choral Potpourri: Pausing and Taking a Breath
“Be like the bird who, pausing in her flight awhile on boughs too slight, feels them give way beneath her, and yet sings, knowing she hath wings.” Victor Hugo I am taking the week off (and wrote this several weeks ahead of the actual Blog posting). My concert was last Sunday, and I have […]
Choral Potpourri: Thanking the People We Should
“Sometimes our light goes out but is blown into flame by another human being. Each of us owes deepest thanks to those who have rekindled this light.” Albert Schweitzer The choral year is winding down with the academic calendar closing, the concert year finishing and church choir year ending with Pentecost or Trinity Sunday. My […]