“Perfection is not attainable, but if we chase perfection we can catch excellence.” Vince Lombardi I wrote about perfection here at Choral Potpourri a few years ago. My opinions are essentially this; while I believe in striving for perfection, I rarely achieve what others might hold up as perfection. I am (mostly) okay with that. […]
The Choral Life
Choral Potpourri: Self-Fulling Prophesy
“America’s future will be determined by the home and the school. The child becomes largely what he is taught; hence we must watch what we teach, and how we live.” Jane Addams I have been around the performing arts, LITERALLY, all of my life. With an opera singer mother and a tap/ballet dancer/choreographer/stage director father, […]
Choral Potpourri: Choral Ethics; Not Important Enough
“No person is important enough to make me angry.” Thomas Carlyle I have mentioned a few times in this blog I dislike whiners and tattletales. It’s the result of being the oldest of six children; the quickest way for me to tune out your story is to whine or tattle. I made sure my own […]
Choral Potpourri: Choral Ethics; Conductor Cults
“The great leaders are like the best conductors – they reach beyond the notes to reach the magic in the players.” Blaine Lee A few weeks ago, I had lunch with an old friend, Jay*, who is a choir friend of mine. He teaches and directs in the city, so we don’t always have time […]
Choral Potpourri: Choral Ethics; April is Autism Awareness Month
“Autism is part of who I am.” Temple Grandin It’s time for my annual Autism Awareness Month blog post. For those of you who are not aware of the reason why I write one every year; my eldest son has autism. April is just another month for our family since EVERY month is autism awareness […]
Choral Potpourri: Choral Ethics; The Care and Feeding of Your Board
“Feed your brothers and sisters simply, graciously, with generous care, and you will secure a place in their heart.” Maximillian Degenerez The artistic director of a large choral organization in a suburban Midwestern setting, Dina* was astonished by the lack of communication between art groups when she first arrived in the community. Always one to […]