“Ethics is knowing the difference between what you have a right to do and what is right to do.” Potter Stewart There have been two music/choral ethics incidents in the news in the last week or so. I will not name names or places but you can probably figure out who is who from the […]
Choral Ethics
Choral Potpourri: Choral Ethics; Not Important Enough
“No person is important enough to make me angry.” Thomas Carlyle I have mentioned a few times in this blog I dislike whiners and tattletales. It’s the result of being the oldest of six children; the quickest way for me to tune out your story is to whine or tattle. I made sure my own […]
Choral Potpourri: Choral Ethics; Conductor Cults
“The great leaders are like the best conductors – they reach beyond the notes to reach the magic in the players.” Blaine Lee A few weeks ago, I had lunch with an old friend, Jay*, who is a choir friend of mine. He teaches and directs in the city, so we don’t always have time […]
Choral Potpourri: Choral Ethics; April is Autism Awareness Month
“Autism is part of who I am.” Temple Grandin It’s time for my annual Autism Awareness Month blog post. For those of you who are not aware of the reason why I write one every year; my eldest son has autism. April is just another month for our family since EVERY month is autism awareness […]
Choral Potpourri: Choral Ethics; The Care and Feeding of Your Board
“Feed your brothers and sisters simply, graciously, with generous care, and you will secure a place in their heart.” Maximillian Degenerez The artistic director of a large choral organization in a suburban Midwestern setting, Dina* was astonished by the lack of communication between art groups when she first arrived in the community. Always one to […]
Choral Potpourri: Choral Ethics; Doing the Right Thing
“Do the right thing. It will gratify some people and astonish the rest.” Mark Twain About half of all emails I get are from folks who want my opinion about the right thing to do. I’ve written about this before; many choral directors don’t trust their instincts any longer and want validation. I don’t blatantly […]