Choral Ethics has a Guest Blogger today. Benjamin Amenta is a keyboardist and composer based in the South Suburbs of Chicago. He is Dean of the Northwest Indiana Chapter of the American Guild of Organists. By Benjamin Amenta As part of my own observance for women’s history month this year, I would like to share […]
Others
The Conductor as Yogi: Leading Towards Whole
“…Responsibility is a necessary condition for the wholeness and fullness of life, and he who cannot assume it may be denied the greatest opportunity which life offers to anyone: to be a whole person, to be right with the world, to belong.” Voices 12: Choosing Life With a Purpose by Robert K. Greenleaf When I wrote The […]
The Conductor as Yogi: Deep Processing
I’m a deep processor by nature. I think through most tasks and plans in a detailed way, use my foresight to the best of my ability and yes, sometimes take a long time making even a simple decision (please, no 8-page restaurant menus for me). Deep processing, I have read, is a sign of intelligence (I’ll […]
Choral Ethics: Putting Folks Down
“No man ever got very high by pulling other people down. The intelligent merchant does not knock his competitors. The sensible worker does not knock those who work with him. Don’t knock your friends. Don’t knock your enemies. Don’t knock yourself.” Alfred Lord Tennyson Choral Ethics is re-visiting some of our most discussed Choral Ethics […]
Choral Ethics: Our Choral Culture
“Habits change into character.” Ovid Many of us, especially in community-based programs, complain we don’t have enough singers to do the repertoire we really want to do. If we are a mixed group, we long for more tenors or baritones or basses but don’t seem to retain them when we get them. After years of […]
Between the Staves: Choral Questions, Candid Answers
Between the Staves: Choral Questions, Candid Answers, is fresh take on the classic advice column—this time for all things choral music! Modeled after the beloved “Dear Sally” format, this blog will answer your questions about choral music education, performance, and leadership. Whether you’re curious about vocal technique, rehearsal tips, repertoire selection, or the “other” side […]