This is the fifth blog post in a series: https://choralnet.org/archives/662762 Happy October! How ya’ doin’? My fall has been an absolute whirlwind of chaos and beauty. My ensemble numbers are finally rebounding and the enthusiasm of my students/singers is contagious! And fortunately, that’s been the only contagious thing! Excuse me while I knock on lots […]
Others
Stillness: Crucial for Spiritual and Musical Depth
As a church musician, I believe that the confidence ensembles have makes a profound difference in their ability to lead worship. Part of that means knowing what choir needs. Sometimes that’s the appropriate technical information with ringing or singing; for example, a reminder about breathing for a vocal choir or flow in how a bell […]
The Conductor as Yogi: Letting Go
“Letting go” is hardly a surprising topic for a yoga blog. But for the conductor? Now there’s an interesting exploration. Letting go is central to yoga and other wisdom practices. We sit on the mat and focus on our breathing, letting go with each exhale. We consider the words of poets and sages, of scripture […]
Beginnings: Establishing Systems for a Smoothly Run Music Ministry
“You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems.” James Clear This humbling and empowering quote is from a book called Atomic Habits by James Clear. From my experience, life is easier when systems are in place. For example, keeping an apartment, house, or workspace organized […]
Difficult Conversations: A Path Toward Positive Outcomes
By Alex Gartner Let’s play a game. The rules are simple: hold up five fingers. Ready? Put a finger down if you’ve ever received a scathing email. Put a finger down if you’ve ever been yelled at over the phone. Put a finger down if a parent or supervisor has raised their voice in your […]
The Conductor as Yogi: The Illusion of “Done”
We are list makers, task accomplishers, and detail managers. We juggle between our professional and personal lives, never really stopping for long because there is always one more item on the list, one more email to send, one more errand to run. When we finish that, we think, then we will be “done.” The only […]