“What is a weed? A plant whose virtues have never been discovered.” Ralph Waldo Emerson Today is the first Thursday of December. In normal times, I’d be reminding you to slow down and relax. Perhaps I’d be clever and suggest you stop and take time to smell the Christmas Cookies. In years past, I’d advise […]
Difficult Times
Choral Potpourri/Choral Ethics: Being Grateful
“I am grateful for what I am and have. My thanksgiving is perpetual.” Henry David Thoreau I always try to be grateful. In this very strange season of Thanksgiving for this year, I am still trying to be grateful. Our world is in upheaval but there is one thing I know for certain; there is […]
Choral Potpourri/Choral Ethics: Guest Blogger
Today we have a Guest Blogger, my accompanist and assistant, Ben Amenta, who is also my son. He has a few ideas about how we can get through the next few months as well as prepare for the time we can all sing together. With much love, MLGA Choir Present and Future: How Choral Musicians […]
Choral Potpourri/Choral Ethics: Time for Us All
“This is no time for ease and comfort. It is time to dare and endure.” Winston Churchill Our lives seem to be out of whack this year. Everything we do in our profession has been changed, rescheduled, revamped, reformatted, and rethought. Nothing we do is as it was, and we are struggling in ways we […]
Choral Potpourri/Choral Ethics: Regrets, I’ve Had A Few
“Maybe all one can do is hope to end up with the right regrets.” Arthur Miller As I write this, it is the week before our presidential election. I decided to write this week’s Blog BEFORE the election because I wanted to be clear minded and not influenced by events of the week. And I […]
Choral Potpourri/Choral Ethics: August 2020
“Around me I saw women overworked and underpaid, doing men’s work at half men’s wages, not because their work was inferior, but because they were women.” Anna Howard Shaw For the last Thursday of August 2020’s Choral Potpourri, I would like to share some thoughts about women conductors. I hope you will share some of […]