The March/April 2023 issue of Choral Journal is online and features an article titled “Reflections on Conductors, Composers, and Commissions” by Andrew Crane. Following is a portion from the article. _________________ Over the course of the past two decades as a full-time director of choral activities (three at the high school level and eighteen at the university level), I’ve […]
Choral Conducting
The Non-auditioned Choir: Dealing with Divas
By Pat Guth Every choir has them. The diva, divo, prima donna, egotist…whatever you prefer to call them. Whether you’re waving your arms in front of a choir of professionals or tending to an ensemble of amateurs, you’ve no doubt come across at least a singer or two who views himself/herself as superior to others […]
The Non-auditioned Choir: What about the Pitch-Challenged?
By Pat Guth When you’ve taken on the reins of a non-auditioned choir or – in my case – purposely formed one from scratch, you shoulder a plethora of challenges that conductors of auditioned or professional choirs will never face. Some of these challenges can be quite tricky, especially when you’re keen to welcome everyone […]
CJ Replay: Rodney Eichenberger on Conducting
The April 2015 issue of Choral Journal was a special focus on the brain. The three feature articles were titled “Exploring the Science of Ensemble: Gestures, Emotion, and Collaboration in Choral Music Making” by Gary B. Seighman, “Monkey See, Monkey Do: The Choral Conductor and the Mirror Neuron System” by Riikka Pietiläinen-Caffrey, and “Effective Conducting […]