By Ramona M. Wis I have to admit, I am feeling the heat. Virtual rehearsal planning. Technology. Pandemic updates. Constant communication. Summer heat. Conductors are tough folks—we know what it’s like to feel the heat and find ways to get through it. Though “no pain, no gain” is usually considered an athlete’s mantra, musicians live this, as well. Usually the […]
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Non-auditioned Choirs – and Their Conductors – Are at the Heart of Community Singing
By Pat Guth For the first 40 years of my musical career, I spent a lot of time dealing with “imposter syndrome” – that nagging feeling when you doubt your accomplishments and have a persistent internalized fear of being exposed as a “fraud.” Maybe you’ve been there, too. It’s not uncommon among artists of all […]
The Conductor as Yogi: Still the Mind Chatter
By Ramona M. Wis Last week, we looked at the importance of “making space” if we want something new, presumably better, to enter our lives. By releasing pursuits, ideas, or habits that no longer serve us, we make space to move forward to new opportunities, insight, or energy. To some degree, this release requires detaching from the […]
Young Trebles: The Silence of a Children’s Choir in the Time of COVID-19
By Corey Carleton The treble voices are clear, strong, and at times overwhelm the acoustics of Fellowship Hall at a Presbyterian church on Colorado Boulevard in Pasadena. It’s a large, live room. “Are you heavy or light?” Fernando Malvar-Ruiz asks his Concert Choir. Malvar-Ruiz is “Mr. Fernando” to his singers, and Artistic Director of the […]
The Conductor as Yogi: From Holding Space to Making Space
By Ramona M. Wis The first time I heard the phrase “holding space” was from a colleague describing her experience with someone going through a tough time. “I just held space for her,” she said. It was a phrase I was not familiar with but soon started seeing everywhere (or maybe it was just “blue car syndrome,” […]
Consonants: Partnering with Vowels – An Eclectic Overview
Vowels carry emotion and music,while consonants carry context, intent, and meaning. This series on vowels and consonants is intended to stimulate you to dig deeper into your own practice with your choir, or your voice studio. At some point, in your conducting or performing, you must decide on basics tenets of where a note begins […]