“Professionalism in art has this difficulty: To be professional is to be dependable, to be dependable is to be predictable, and predictability is esthetically boring – an anti-virtue in a field where we hope to be astonished and startled and at some deep level refreshed.” John Updike Maude* began last fall’s concert cycle the way […]
Self Care
Choral Potpourri/Choral Ethics: Wasting Time
“Time is the most valuable thing a man can spend.” Theophrastus A few weeks ago, I wrote about a problem ChoralNetter Trudy* was having at her church job. Everyone in this congregation was tardy, from the clergy to the choir to some members of the congregation for services. She was thinking about resigning but had […]
The Conductor as Yogi: Here Comes the Sun
Little darling, it’s been a long, cold lonely winter Little darling, it feels like years since it’s been here Here comes the sun, here comes the sun And I say, it’s all right George Harrison There’s something about the sun—its warmth, its golden hue, its energy. Even the coldest winter days can feel warmer when […]
Choral Potpourri/Choral Ethics: Appearing to Get Along
“While you are proclaiming peace with your lips, be careful to have it even more fully in your heart.” Francis of Assisi If you’ve been reading my Choral Potpourri/Choral Ethics blogs for any length of time, you know I HATE GOSSIP! Hate it. Detest it and LOATH it, especially in a choral setting. It […]
Choral Potpourri/Choral Ethics: On Time
“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 […]
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. […]