“Music expresses that which cannot be said and on which it is impossible to be silent.” Victor Hugo It is the most wonderful time of the year, so the song goes, and it is, really. But it is also one of the most difficult times of the year. There are challenges we may face, despite […]
Difficult Times
Choral Ethics: Monstering
“Whoever fights monsters should see to it that in the process he does not become a monster. And if you gaze long enough into an abyss, the abyss will gaze back into you.” Friedrich Nietzsche Earlier this summer, I read a review of a book I thought might be interesting to review here on Choral […]
Choral Ethics: Our Eighth Anniversary
“Love in all eight tones and all five semitones of the word’s full octave.” Stephen Fry Happy anniversary to US! It’s hard to believe it has been eight years since Scott Dorsey asked me to become a regular ChoralNet Blogger. At first, I worried about having enough material to write a regular blog on something […]
Choral Potpourri/Choral Ethics: Aftermath of Abuse
“The greater the power, the more dangerous the abuse.” Edmund Burke Might be triggering. Maddie* and I have been emailing back and forth for weeks. Her story—only part of what I will share here—is tragic. As fantastic as it may sound, it is all true. And that is part of the tragedy of it; it […]
Choral Potpourri/Choral Ethics: Floundering Aimlessly
“If one does not know to which port one is sailing, no wind is favorable.” Lucius Annaeus Seneca There has been much difficulty in my life as of late, too complicated and personal to go into here, but it has caused me to cancel my chamber choir’s June concert. Too distracted since January, I have […]
Choral Potpourri/Choral Ethics: Listening
“I like to listen. I have learned a great deal from listening carefully. Most people never listen.” Ernest Hemingway Listening is a very important component of our Choral profession. We listen to our choruses in rehearsal for mistakes. We listen to the concerts we attend and the concerts we conduct. We listen to music for […]