(An excerpt from the interest session “Beyond Burnout Prevention: Embodied Wellness for Conductors,” presented by Amelia Nagoski during the 2014 ACDA Eastern Division Conference) Embodied is the term that psychologists are using to replace the misleading term "mind-body." They hope to eliminate the misconception of the "mind-body connection," since to speak of the "connectedness […]
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Conference Morsel: Register Transition
(An excerpt from the interest session “What, Why, How: Working with the Male Voices in Your Choir,” presented by Jefferson Johnson during the 2014 ACDA Southern Division Conference) To avoid undesirable tone quality and flatting, male singers need to be taught ways to negotiate the chest and head registers. (For some the term […]
Conference Morsel: Let the Aging Voice Shine
(An excerpt from the interest session “Choral Singing for Baby Boomers and Beyond: Celebrating the Aging Voice,” presented by Jeanne Kelly during the 2014 ACDA Eastern Division Conference) My best advice to anyone working with older adult choirs is Don’t Dumb it Down! Our older adult singers want to be challenged and respected. They […]
Speaking of Voice: “Freeing the Natural Voice & Avoiding the ‘I’m Sick’ Syndrome” by Mary Lynn Doherty
FREEING THE NATURAL VOICE AND AVOIDING THE ‘I’m Sick’ SYNDROME by Mary Lynn Doherty “Fear of losing the voice is one of the main causes of losing the voice” (Linklater, 1976, p. 196). Writing to you from the Chicago area, I am starting to hear birds chirping and it is no longer […]
“Five from the Folder: Junior High/Middle School” by Laurel Farmer
FIVE FROM THE FOLDER: JUNIOR HIGH & MIDDLE SCHOOL by Laurel Farmer 1. “Chili Caliente.” David Giardiniere, Three-part mixed. Shawnee Press 35027085 Peppy little song about chili peppers, nods to Rossini’s “Barber of Seville,” elicits smiles from singers and audience alike. Percussion could easily be played by choir members. Teaches staccato, tenuto, and triplets. […]
The Young Conductor X – leadership 2
My last post introduced the importance of leadership (or the ability to lead) to be a successful conductor. Most of us learn much of what we know about leadership from our own conductors/mentors/models. This is one of the most important ways we learn. But one can be more systematic and explore the rich literature […]