“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 Ethics
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 […]
Choral Potpourri: Choral Ethics; Almost There
“Nothing is a greater impediment to being on good terms with others than being ill at ease with yourself.” Honore de Balzac We are almost finished with another Lenten, Holy Week and Easter season. Church musicians are rounding the corner, heading toward the end of the finish line of their busiest six weeks, exhausted and […]
Choral Potpourri: Choral Ethics; Some Advice Bears Repeating, Part Two
“There is no harm in repeating a good thing.” Plato Last week, I wrote about recently getting emails concerning three problems I know I have addressed before in this Blog. I wrote about one of those re-occurring problems—tardiness. This week, we will tackle the other two. Absences Like the tardiness issues from last week, if […]
Choral Potpourri: Choral Ethics; Some Advice Bears Repeating, Part One
“There is no harm in repeating a good thing.” Plato I have been regularly writing the Choral Potpourri/Choral Ethics ChoralNet Blog since the fall of 2015. During the last two and a half years, I have received one or two emails every week. There are times which are busier than others, but the emails are […]
Choral Potpourri: This Is What A Conductor Looks Like
“There is a special place in hell for women who don’t help other women.” Madeleine K. Albright March is Women’s History Month, so forgive me if I rant a bit this week. This is a month when we in the arts feature women composers on concerts, ballet companies feature women choreographers (there is a ballet […]