Knowing yourself is the beginning of all wisdom. Aristotle You may be peaking for a year-end concert or finalizing details for Easter services. Or perhaps you just finished that massive collaboration that took months of planning. Exhausted? No doubt. Exhilarated? Hopefully. Still feeling the heat? Yup. Now is the best time for some self-study. The […]
Leadership
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*, a choir friend of mine. He teaches and directs in the city, so we don’t always have time to actually […]
The Conductor as Yogi: Making Sense One Note at a Time
“The key to the mystery of a great artist is that for reasons unknown, he will give away his energies and his life just to make sure that one note follows another … and leaves us with the feeling that something is right in the world.” Leonard Bernstein One note following another. The linear, technical, […]
Choral Ethics: Women Conductors
“Nobody would comment on what clothes male conductors wear. Or if they kind of put on some weight or something like that, and maybe their jacket is a little bit too tight. But if that happens to me as a female, then that’s immediately pointed out.” Ruth Reinhardt Several years ago, I was at a […]
Choral Ethics: This Is What A Conductor Looks Like
“There is a special place in hell for women who don’t help other women.” Madeleine K. Albright March is Women’s History Month, and I’ll be blogging about women conductors for a few weeks. But today I’ll begin with a Sarcasm Rant. Women’s History Month is a month when we in the arts feature women composers […]
Choral Ethics: “Maestra Manners” Explains All
“Fine manners are the mantle of fair minds.” Louisa May Alcott Do you ever say “please” to your singers? Or is it always a command to “turn to page 3, top score, measure 2?” If you occasionally said, “please turn to page 3….” would the sky fall? When was the last time you said “thank-you” […]