I received a new webcam from Santa this year (thanks, Santa!). My previous model worked fine but this one tracks my movements so whether I sit, stand, or go to my yoga mat, I can be seen fully by my students. Pretty cool, and certainly less distracting than constantly adjusting tech during rehearsal. But one thing a […]
The Choral Life
The Conductor as Yogi: An End and A Beginning
We are wrapping up this year—and what a year. It is typical now to look back and to look forward, considering the past and planning for the future. In our current world, the past is revealing on so many levels and the future is still (always) a question mark. When I began this blog in late June, […]
The Conductor as Yogi: Restock the “Well”
Ramona M. Wis I remember when our daughter would come home from college at the end of each school year and seemingly slept for 2 weeks. There was this huge release from an “always-on” pace, countless activities and responsibilities, heavy intellectual, artistic, and emotional challenges, and the pressures of proving oneself in an academic and professional […]
The Conductor as Yogi: Gratitude and Contentment
Ramona M. Wis “By contentment, supreme joy is gained” Patanjali’s Yoga Sutra II.42 Writing about gratitude and contentment as we near Thanksgiving is not particularly original. Yet, this year, it may be more challenging than ever to be grateful or content when so much of our lives has been upended. At the outset, let me say […]
The Conductor as Yogi: A Meditation for Singers
Ramona M. Wis We are nearing the end of a year that will forever remain in our minds, our hearts, and our personal narratives. A year that, when we look back, will be that slowly unfolding “moment” where we dug deep, fought a relentless pandemic, considered serious questions and made important decisions, found new skills and […]
The Conductor as Yogi: Action as Agency
By Ramona M. Wis Rise Up! There shall never be another season of silence. Deepen your sympathy, then convert it to action. Pray every single second of your life, not on your knees but with your work. Think your best thoughts, Speak your best words, Do your best work. There is so much yet to […]