When circus elephants are very young, they are tethered to a pole in the ground for training purposes. One of the elephant’s back legs has a collar around it, attached to a chain, which leads to a pole that is anchored in the ground. The young elephant walks a little ways, but then comes to […]
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Why Won’t My Middle School Choir Sing Part 5
This is the 5th and final posting in the five-part series called “Why Won’t My Middle School Choir Sing?” To start with the first reason, click here! Reason #5: We don’t know how to introduce music. It is possible to turn this age group against a new piece of music in the three minutes of […]
This week on Find Your Forte: Cutting the cheese and Patrick Dupree Quigley
We often seek permission and approval from others in order to live the life we wish to live, both personally and professionally. The problem is that when we do this we give up control of our lives to everyone else but ourselves. Since we love what we do so much, there is a very blurry […]
ACDA Directors Respond to a National Crisis
Tonight I watched and listened as choral directors, each members and leaders within ACDA, led choirs to sing in remembrance of those that have lost their lives in the recent senseless acts of violence in the US. I remain stunned, but somehow grateful, that there are choral directors and choirs available to sing and to […]
Then Comes “Experimentation” on the Journey to Innovation
Who doesn’t know the mission of the Star Trek voyages, narrated by William Shatner in the original series? The mission was stated at the first of every episode: “Space: the final frontier. These are the voyages of the starship Enterprise. Its five-year mission: to explore strange new worlds, to seek out new life and new […]
Why Won’t My Middle School Choir Sing Part 4
This is part 4 of the series “Why Won’t My Middle School Choir Sing?” Click here to see the first post in the series! Reason #4: We focus too much on technique and not enough on developing their true artistry. In my 24 years of teaching this age group, I’ve seen lots of middle school […]