“Firmness in enduring and exertion is a character I always wish to possess. I have always despised the whining yelp of complaint and cowardly resolve.” Robert Burns I can’t stand whiners. Maybe it’s because I am the oldest of six, the mother of three and the aunt of 12 (that doesn’t include the 4 great-nieces […]
Leadership
Choral Potpourri: Self-Fulling Prophesy
“America’s future will be determined by the home and the school. The child becomes largely what he is taught; hence we must watch what we teach, and how we live.” Jane Addams I have been around the performing arts, LITERALLY, all of my life. With an opera singer mother and a tap/ballet dancer/choreographer/stage director father, […]
Choral Potpourri: Choral Ethics; Choral Ethics in the News
“Ethics is knowing the difference between what you have a right to do and what is right to do.” Potter Stewart There have been two music/choral ethics incidents in the news in the last week or so. I will not name names or places but you can probably figure out who is who from the […]
Choral Potpourri: Choral Ethics; Conductor Cults
“The great leaders are like the best conductors – they reach beyond the notes to reach the magic in the players.” Blaine Lee A few weeks ago, I had lunch with an old friend, Jay*, who is a choir friend of mine. He teaches and directs in the city, so we don’t always have time […]
Choral Potpourri: Choral Ethics; The Care and Feeding of Your Board
“Feed your brothers and sisters simply, graciously, with generous care, and you will secure a place in their heart.” Maximillian Degenerez The artistic director of a large choral organization in a suburban Midwestern setting, Dina* was astonished by the lack of communication between art groups when she first arrived in the community. Always one to […]
Choral Potpourri: Choral Ethics; Doing the Right Thing
“Do the right thing. It will gratify some people and astonish the rest.” Mark Twain About half of all emails I get are from folks who want my opinion about the right thing to do. I’ve written about this before; many choral directors don’t trust their instincts any longer and want validation. I don’t blatantly […]