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By Michael McGlynn I was brought up as a Roman Catholic. My parents endeavoured to give me every opportunity to be exposed to a vast range of music, strongly encouraging our explorations, be they rock or classical music. In school the main exposure to singing was musical drama in the form of Gilbert and Sullivan […]
Freedom Is the Oxygen of the Arts
By Dr. William O. Baker In preparation for recent performances of Beethoven works, I read Jan Swafford’s magnificent biography of the composer: Beethoven: Anguish and Triumph. If you enjoy reading about our musical heroes, I commend this book to you. I also highly recommend Swafford’s earlier biography of Brahms. In Beethoven’s “middle period,” the composer […]
A Life Filled With Music
By Robyn Hilger All the best pieces of my life have been connected to music. Music class is where I discovered where I excelled, learned important skills like work ethic and collaboration, and where I first practiced being a leader. And, as a music teacher, I found that I had the opportunity to impact the […]
What’s Hot and What’s Not? Tell Us What YOU Think!
By Rebecca Lord What music is being programmed for our nation’s choirs and why? What issues or criteria weigh most heavily in the minds of those choosing repertoire and where are conductors turning for ideas and inspiration? Are there solid trends or are our choirs all over the map? Become part of the answer to […]
Observing Ramadan in the Music Classroom
By Bobbi Elkamely Twenty years ago, I experienced my first Ramadan. It was one of the most difficult experiences in my life. I had only recently converted to Islam and was struggling to find the balance in my life as a new Muslim post 9/11. While the Muslim community was supportive, my friends and family […]
Performing the Bach Passions as a Jew
By Ayana Haviv Tomorrow I begin rehearsals on Bach’s St. Matthew Passion, as I have done with countless Passions over the years, and as always I am steeling myself for the isolation and alienation I feel as a Jew singing this intrinsically and unquestionably anti-Semitic text of an equally unquestionable masterpiece. In the great classic […]