One of my favorite things to do is search for repertoire for my ensembles. There is nothing like introducing a piece, rehearsing it, and have it transform listeners and singers. As a church musician, I also spend quite a bit of time connecting hymns, anthems, and liturgy to the theme, Scripture passage(s), and liturgical season […]
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Songs of (re)Imagining: B.E. Boykin
Dr. Brittney E. Boykin is a native of Alexandria, VA. She began studying piano at 7-years-old with Mrs. Alma Sanford, who taught her through multiple competitions. Dr. Boykin studied piano at Spelman College with Dr. Rachel Chung, and after graduation, attended Westminster Choir College, where she was awarded the R and R Young Composition Prize. […]
The Conductor as Yogi: The Spirit of Work
What do you think of when you hear the word “work?” Some days, “work” feels like these dictionary definitions: Exertion, Labor, Toil, Slog, Drudgery. Ouch. Just reading these words makes us feel heavy, even if they accurately describe how we feel right now. It’s not that we don’t still love our art or care about […]
Enabling Transformational Experiences: Music for Social Change
In addition to serving as Director of Music and Worship Arts at Mandarin United Methodist Church in Jacksonville, FL, I also sing in the Festival Singers of Florida, a 100-voice auditioned choir comprised of music educators and conductors from all over Florida and beyond. Thankfully, my church had the privilege of hosting this inspiring choir […]
Songs of (Re)imagining: Mari Esabel Valverde and the Swedish Song
You may know composer Mari Isabel Valverde from her work “When Thunder Comes,” or “Patterns on the Snow,” which was an ACDA consortium from 2016. Many know Ms. Valverde from her music that connects to equity… or, perhaps because of one of her identities as Mexican-American or transgender. And yes, she is a leader in […]
The Conductor as Yogi: Our Olympic Journey
I love watching the Olympics. Summer or winter, sports I like or those I have little knowledge about—it doesn’t matter, because it is always the human-interest element behind the athlete’s journey that draws me in. The summer Olympics occur when I am not teaching or conducting full time. I am in big picture mode then, […]