I began looking back on my 60-plus years of music study and performance, which began in 1952 when I first took piano lessons from Mrs. Meyer at age 5, and then, two years later, when I became church organist at the St. Spyridon Greek Orthodox Church in Sheboygan, Wisconsin (my father, a dentist, was […]
From Our Readers
For Singers: Don’t Relax, Worry
“If you’re nervous, that means you care and you want to give your best.” – Adriana Lima Whether you’ve been singing since Beethoven figured out which end of the pen the ink went on or this is your first performance ever, concert night can (will) bring on the nerves. It’s natural; for months, you’ve been […]
The Four Functions of a Church Choir
Since starting at my current church, the choir has rallied behind four “functions” of a church choir and has been central in helping the church become what song-enliveners affectionately call a “singing congregation.” As the director of a church choir I use four functions to explain why the church choir exists. Those priorities help determine […]
For Singers: The Concert is WHEN?
“Spectacular achievement is always preceded by unspectacular preparation.” – Robert H. Schuller There are two answers to the question, “What’s happening tomorrow?” if it’s posed to a member of a chorus the night before a concert: “We have a concert tomorrow night, I can’t wait.” “We have a concert tomorrow night…what do I do? AUGH!!!” […]
The Challenges…and Joys…of Traveling with an Older Choir
I’ve got the travel bug…and, luckily, I conduct an adult community choir filled with plenty of women who feel the same way I do about seeing the world. So many countries, so little time. In the four years since I founded the Bucks County Women’s Chorus we’ve embarked on two international tours. The first took […]
Singing for a New World
At the most recent NATS conference there was a featured concert led by Met Opera star Renée Fleming. She often ends concerts with a sing-a-long number, and at this concert she led the audience of singing teachers in “I Could Have Danced All Night.” Then she spoke to the crowd about the most recent shooting […]