“Being the Queen is not all about singing, and being a diva is not all about singing. It has much to do with your service to people. And your social contributions to your community and your civic contributions as well.” Aretha Franklin Two ChoralNetters recently have shared their Divas stories with me. I was raised […]
Choral Culture
Choral Ethics: Ignore the Dependable at Your Peril
“Professionalism in art has this difficulty: To be professional is to be dependable, to be dependable is to be predictable, and predictability is esthetically boring – an anti-virtue in a field where we hope to be astonished and startled and at some deep level refreshed.” John Updike Maude* began last fall’s concert cycle the way […]
Choral Ethics: Overlooked
“You have a good many little gifts and virtues, but there is no need of parading them, for conceit spoils the finest genius. There is not much danger that real talent or goodness will be overlooked long, and the great charm of all power is modesty.” Louisa May Alcott Gwen*, we can all agree, is […]
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. This week, in the midst of all your busyness, I suggest you do some work in preparation for NEXT year. Have a […]
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 […]
Choral Ethics: MayDay
“The only thing that could spoil a day was people. People were always the limiters of happiness except for the very few that were as good as spring itself.” Ernest Hemingway One of my favorite seasonal celebrations is May Day. Today IS May Day and I hope it is lovely where you are. The history […]