By Stuart Hunt Beside accurate counting, looking ahead to “pre-hear” rhythms and pitch (audiating), singing accurately and in-tune is a primary skill for all vocalists. But is it typically taught, or just caught? Our instrumental colleagues have posters that read “Tune it or die !”, which presumably refers to effort, not impending doom. Think about […]
From Our Readers
Was Anybody Listening? A Teacher Looks Back
By Debbie Aurelius-Muir This particular day began as every day had. It was Thursday. Not that that made a difference. Every day started the same. The bell rang at 8:22 a.m. and by 8:25 a.m. my special education class arrived. There were 14 students and one aide. I often struggled with it. I never intended […]
Unearthing a Lost Masterpiece: A Conversation with Michael Driscoll
Question: You had not heard of the late African-American composer Florence Price until you read a New Yorker article about her in February 2018. As Alex Ross, the author, wrote: “She is widely cited as one of the first African-American classical composers to win national attention, and she was unquestionably the first black woman to […]
Two Pet Peeves: An Open Letter to Educational Choral Publishers
The following article was submitted by Lon Beery._________________________ Many choral arrangers and composers also serve as choral directors, especially those who write for the educational music publishing market. This is advantageous, as those who write for our students are often those who know first-hand the specific abilities and interests of students at various age levels. […]
10 Ways Choral Programs Can Prepare for #GivingTuesday and End of Year Fundraising
By Amy Zucchi, Edco (an ACDA partner) This year, there are two things music lovers are doing: seeing Bohemian Rhapsody at the movies and donating to their favorite music organizations for #GivingTuesday. Now that they’ve seen Bohemian Rhapsody, they’re coming to donate. Are you prepared? #GivingTuesday, the biggest donation day of the year, is happening […]
Kenyan Choral Music, A Recent Historical Perspective
Image via The following is written by Dale Rieth, _________ With all of the recent attention to the International Conductor’s Exchange Program and specifically this year’s pipeline to Kenya, I wanted to share an historical perspective from my own Kenyan research in the 1990’s. In fact, this article might serve as a “prequel” to today’s […]