It doesn’t matter how long I have taught. How many fall semesters I have started as a conductor, teacher, leader, administrator. Human. There is always a mix of excitement, curiosity, trepidation, and exhaustion, even before we begin. Welcome to our life. It was Monday morning, the first day of fall classes. I had been preparing in some sense for […]
Choral Clarity
The Conductor as Yogi: Take What You Need
My blog schedule this year has coincided more than once with concert weeks for me, which means as I sit down to write, I am absorbed with those tasks, thoughts, and emotions that emerge from peaking and sharing performances. Trying to clear space to think deep thoughts. Hmm. Maybe a different strategy is needed right now. I recall […]
The Conductor as Yogi: Leading Towards Whole
“…Responsibility is a necessary condition for the wholeness and fullness of life, and he who cannot assume it may be denied the greatest opportunity which life offers to anyone: to be a whole person, to be right with the world, to belong.” Voices 12: Choosing Life With a Purpose by Robert K. Greenleaf When I wrote The […]
The Conductor as Yogi: The Freedom of Intention
It’s 6:20 AM on New Year’s Day. I’ve seen the flurry of “Happy New Year!” texts from family and friends (who made it to midnight, unlike me) and I pause, thinking, “another year, a new year ahead.” I imagine the countless resolutions being made around the world in this moment and though I am pretty positive by nature, I […]
The Essential 4Bs Every Choir Director Needs To Master
What if the key to running a thriving, stress-free choir classroom came down to just four essential elements? As a high school or middle school choir director, you’re constantly managing expectations, student engagement, and your own workload. But the most successful directors have mastered a simple but powerful framework—the 4Bs. What are they? And more importantly, are you in control […]
Overworked & Burnt Out? Choir Directors, You Deserve Better!
NEW BLOG POST! Are you a middle or high school choir director struggling to balance your passion for teaching with a life outside the classroom? It is possible to build a thriving choir program without burning out! My latest blog post dives into what it really takes to be a successful, energized, and fulfilled choir […]