“It is not in the stars to hold our destiny but in ourselves.” William Shakespeare Like many of you, during these past 20 months, I’ve done much self-reflection. I constantly questioned myself, hoping answers will lead me to understand myself. What kind of person and choral leader am I, or do I WANT to be? […]
Leadership
Choral Potpourri/Choral Ethics: Smart People
“A fool thinks himself to be wise, but a wise man knows himself to be a fool.” William Shakespeare I like smart people. I enjoy their observations and insights. I love being around them and learning something new. I am convinced that when I work with smart people, I am (and feel) smarter. Do you […]
The Conductor as Yogi: Our Wellness Reset
Every moment is a fresh beginning. T.S. Eliot With my last CAY post (“Beginning . . . Again”), I began again as a blogger after a summer off for recalibration and for research on an article for this month’s Choral Journal focus issue on mental health. In Breath, Body, and Being: A Yoga-Inspired Choral “Practice,” […]
Choral Potpourri/Choral Ethics: Being Present in the “Now”
“No man can taste the fruits of autumn while he is delighting his scent with the flowers of spring.” Samuel Johnson Today we’ve made it through our second Pandemic September—-YIPPEE! Things are both better and worse than they were last September, depending on how you look at it. But we’ve made it through, which is […]
Choral Potpourri/Choral Ethics: A Time For All Things
“I trust in nature for the stable laws of beauty and utility. Spring shall plant and autumn garner to the end of time.” Robert Browning I was finally able to see my dear friend, Denise, * in person a few weeks ago. I’ve written about her before but can’t remember what I’ve used as her […]
The Conductor as Yogi: Beginning . . . Again
“The heaviness of being successful was replaced by the lightness of being a beginner again, less sure about everything. It freed me to enter one of the most creative periods of my life.” Steve Jobs What happens when we prepare to start a new job? We do the research, find ways to build trust […]