The realities of our new “normal” are becoming more apparent each day as we end one semester and plan for the way things might look in the fall. Many things have changed and, as the “visionary adapters” that we are, we have taken things in stride and made necessary changes to our teaching, our communication, […]
“Here Rests In Honored Glory”
By Donald B. Miller On December 28, 2018, New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo signed a law making “Here Rests In Honored Glory” New York State’s Official Hymn of Remembrance in honor of all American Veterans. The composition is scored for SATB chorus, three trumpets, two trombones, tuba, timpani, and organ. This work is intended […]
The Philosophy Behind the Sight-Reading Imperative
By Stuart Hunt Why your students will love you for raising the bar I struggle writing this. My passion for building musicianship drove me to create a business whose sole focus is to address literacy in the three parts of sight-reading: counting interval recognition part-singing For me it is both imperative for our students who […]
Is Imposter Syndrome Keeping You Away from ACDA Conferences?
By Brenda Winkle Do you sometimes feel that no matter your experience, your educational achievements, and your work ethic, you continue to hope no one finds out that you are, in fact, an imposter? That’s imposter syndrome. Before we go any further, let’s clear up one thing: if you are taking your career seriously enough […]
The Primacy of Rhythm: Practical Understandings of this First Musical Skill
By Stuart Hunt “Rhythm is the art of beautiful movement” – Augustine of Hippo Putting the horse in front of the cart when discussing rhythm, let’s take a moment to examine the “why” of rhythm, followed by the “how to,” as both teach and learn. The “why” can guide our path to excellence and the […]
Centering Vocal Pitch Is Not Difficult, and Can Be Great Fun!
By Stuart Hunt Beside accurate counting, looking ahead to “pre-hear” rhythms and pitch (audiating), singing accurately and in-tune is a primary skill for all vocalists. But is it typically taught, or just caught? Our instrumental colleagues have posters that read “Tune it or die !”, which presumably refers to effort, not impending doom. Think about […]