Ramona M. Wis I have become even more aware of the power of words, including the words of the pieces we study and prepare with our choirs. This past fall, we chose pieces that helped us to process the issues and challenges of our current world. The words of Kyle Pederson’s powerful work, “Can We Sing the […]
The Conductor as Yogi: The Eyes Have It
I received a new webcam from Santa this year (thanks, Santa!). My previous model worked fine but this one tracks my movements so whether I sit, stand, or go to my yoga mat, I can be seen fully by my students. Pretty cool, and certainly less distracting than constantly adjusting tech during rehearsal. But one thing a […]
The Conductor as Yogi: An End and A Beginning
We are wrapping up this year—and what a year. It is typical now to look back and to look forward, considering the past and planning for the future. In our current world, the past is revealing on so many levels and the future is still (always) a question mark. When I began this blog in late June, […]
The Conductor as Yogi: Restock the “Well”
Ramona M. Wis I remember when our daughter would come home from college at the end of each school year and seemingly slept for 2 weeks. There was this huge release from an “always-on” pace, countless activities and responsibilities, heavy intellectual, artistic, and emotional challenges, and the pressures of proving oneself in an academic and professional […]
The Conductor as Yogi: Gratitude and Contentment
Ramona M. Wis “By contentment, supreme joy is gained” Patanjali’s Yoga Sutra II.42 Writing about gratitude and contentment as we near Thanksgiving is not particularly original. Yet, this year, it may be more challenging than ever to be grateful or content when so much of our lives has been upended. At the outset, let me say […]
The Conductor as Yogi: A Meditation for Singers
Ramona M. Wis We are nearing the end of a year that will forever remain in our minds, our hearts, and our personal narratives. A year that, when we look back, will be that slowly unfolding “moment” where we dug deep, fought a relentless pandemic, considered serious questions and made important decisions, found new skills and […]