“We can hear the silent voice of the spiritual universe within our own hearts.” Ruth St. Denis It’s been a tough week, in several months’ worth of tough weeks. I’m exhausted, heart-sick and worried, and not necessarily in that order. I feel helpless and hopeless and a bit frightened. Today I had planned to write […]
Leadership
Choral Potpourri/Choral Ethics: The Not-So-Merry Month of May
“The month of May was come, when every lusty heart beginneth to blossom, and to bring forth fruit.” Thomas Malory I had big plans for May 2020, BIG PLANS. On May 1, I was to be singing with my Alumni Chorus (along with the Kiddos in the Conservatory Chorus and Orchestra), performing my favorite large […]
Choral Potpourri/Choral Ethics: Choral Music Will Survive Only If We All Help
“We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.” Albert Einstein I’ve been having an ongoing email dialogue with a friend and colleague since we aren’t able to see each other. We email each other once a week or so since our state’s “shelter-in-place” order went into effect in […]
Choral Potpourri/Choral Ethics: Be Strong
“Follow your honest convictions and be strong.” William Makepeace Thackeray I miss my choir; Kari, Deb and Marcella, my sopranos. And I miss Cindy (not really an alto but sings alto for me) and Althea, my altos. I miss Emile my sturdy tenor and I was just getting to know Bob, my new baritone. Ben, […]
Choral Potpourri/Choral Ethics: Everything I Need to Know I Learned in Dance Class
“My dance classes were open to anybody, my only stipulation was that they had to come to the class every day.” Merce Cunningham Last week, I blogged about my early training as a dancer; what it meant to me, how it has shaped and led me to the choral profession. My ballet-life and my choral-life […]
Thoughts on These Times, by Lynne Gackle
The realities of our new “normal” are becoming more apparent each day as we end one semester and plan for the way things might look in the fall. Many things have changed and, as the “visionary adapters” that we are, we have taken things in stride and made necessary changes to our teaching, our communication, […]