“Time is the coin of your life. It is the only coin you have, and only you can determine how it will be spent. Be careful lest you let other people spend it for you.” Carl Sandburg Trudy* began a very nice church job last fall. Wonderful clergy, wonderful congregation, and wonderful choir. There’s only […]
Self Care
Choral Potpourri/Choral Ethics: The Glamorous Life
“Any girl can be glamorous. All you have to do is stand still and look stupid.” Hedy Lamarr Being a musician, any type of a musician, is hard work. Practicing every day, rehearsing with others, listening to other performers, studying scores, and doing research about the music being practiced, rehearsed, and listened to IS work. […]
Choral Potpourri/Choral Ethics: More Light
“Hope is being able to see that there is light despite all of the darkness.” Desmond Tutu Genie* tells me she suffers from SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder). She’s an elementary school music specialist as well as a professional church musician and every year, it hits her full force right after Christmas. It lessens in intensity […]
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, […]
Choral Potpourri/Choral Ethics: She Was…..
To all my sister-conductors and my fellow Maestras She was tired. Tired of being belittled and tired of being dismissed because she was a woman. Her abilities were taken for granted because she made it look easy. She worked hard, harder than her male colleagues but it was never acknowledged. She was tired of petty […]
Choral Potpourri/Choral Ethics: Be Nice
“It is nice to be important, but it’s more important to be nice.” John Templeton Joselin* has been a friend of mine for many years. We first got to know each other at a choral conference and have corresponded (first by snail mail, then email) ever since. Occasionally, we’ll see each other in person at […]