“The opposite of a fact is falsehood, but the opposite of one profound truth may very well be another profound truth.” Niles Bohr Leo*contacted me a while ago wanting to share his story. It isn’t the kind of story you think it will be, he was the one who left. Leo directed a choral program […]
Choral Culture
Choral Potpourri/Choral Ethics: Truth to Tell
“Truth is always strange, stranger than fiction.” Lord Byron Since writing about Choral Ethics here on ChoralNet, I have received many emails. Folks who contact me either want to thank me or to tell me their stories. And their stories are amazing. Some seem outlandish at the outset, but then I follow up by asking […]
Choral Potpourri/Choral Ethics: It’s All Right!
“Life is not a matter of holding good cards, but of playing a poor hand well.” Robert Louis Stevenson I hate whiners. When my boys were young, they knew I would not “hear” them if they complained in a whiny voice. They could complain about life not being fair or that someone got a bigger […]
Choral Potpourri/Choral Ethics: My Own Choral Ethics Dilemmas
“The first step in the evolution of ethics is a sense of solidarity with other human beings.” Albert Schweitzer I tootle along in the local music world, trying to be professional, trying to be kind. My singers will tell you they have rarely seen me upset in rehearsal, even working with some difficult people. I […]
Choral Potpourri/Choral Ethics: Taking Stock and Making Resolutions
“It is always during a passing state of mind that we make lasting resolutions.” Marcel Proust Last week, I blogged about trying to remain calm as the end of the semester/choir year approached. Several of you contacted me about how timely this blog was, and I THANK YOU for your kind comments! This week, in […]
Choral Potpourri/Choral Ethics: Perfectly Calm
“With the coming of spring, I am calm again.” Gustav Mahler During the first part of my choral career, I was also a dancer, ballet teacher and choreographer. My ballet background, coupled with understanding and the ability to read complicated scores, made me a natural to choreograph musicals on all levels. I specialized in making […]