“To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven…” Ecclesiastes 3:1 Yesterday was Ash Wednesday and with it begins another season. If we are church musicians, Lent began….ready or not….even if we have not recovered from the Christmas Season. If we are not church musicians but in academia, we […]
The Choral Life
Choral Ethics: Don’t Let the Door Hit Ya!
“Ethics and equity and the principles of justice do not change with the calendar.” D. H. Lawrence I have gotten over 30 emails about one choral conductor during the last few years. Those who contacted me were past and present singers and even one of his former accompanists. There have been several from colleagues. All […]
Choral Ethics: Catching Up
“Theater people are always pining and agonizing because they’re afraid that they’ll be forgotten. And in America they’re quite right. They will be.” Agnes de Mille Today we revisit two Choral Ethics stories. One is a follow-up with a happier ending. And the other is not totally a happy ending. Do you remember Jackie*? Her […]
The Conductor as Yogi: Deep Processing
I’m a deep processor by nature. I think through most tasks and plans in a detailed way, use my foresight to the best of my ability and yes, sometimes take a long time making even a simple decision (please, no 8-page restaurant menus for me). Deep processing, I have read, is a sign of intelligence (I’ll […]
The Conductor as Yogi: The Freedom of Intention
It’s 6:20 AM on New Year’s Day. I’ve seen the flurry of “Happy New Year!” texts from family and friends (who made it to midnight, unlike me) and I pause, thinking, “another year, a new year ahead.” I imagine the countless resolutions being made around the world in this moment and though I am pretty positive by nature, I […]
Choral Ethics: Let There Be Peace on Earth
Let There Be Peace on Earth “This will be our reply to violence: to make music more intensely, more beautifully, more devotedly than ever before.” Leonard Bernstein For the month of December I’m rerunning some Choral Ethics blogs from years past with a few modifications where needed. Today’s is THE MOST REQUESTED December Blog or […]