Chris Munce

“If you are there for the music, you’re in the wrong profession. It has to be student centered, or you will burn out.” In this episode Elise and I explore various ways for teachers, in music and otherwise, to avoid feeling like the job takes more than it gives. If you need a pick me up in time for school to start, this is the episode for you!

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Elisa Janson Jones specializes in helping music educators build, grow, and manage thriving school music programs. With an MBA alongside her degree in music, she is also a coach and consultant to small businesses and nonprofits around the country, and serves as the conductor of her local community band. She has been teaching music for nearly 20 years and currently holds the prestigious position of elementary music teacher at a private K-8 Catholic School in Grand Junction, Colorado. Elisa has presented at state, national, and international music education conferences. She is the founder of the International Music Education Summit and the author of The Music Educator’s Guide to Thrive.

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Elisa is also the host of the Music Ed Mentor podcast. Find her show in iTunes, Google Play or your favorite platform!

Links:

​https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0772QLF1G/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_U_hHKHCb9SQ717D

See more about Choralosophy and the multimedia Choral Content at www.choralosophy.com

In this episode I share a small part of my “suck list” as well as my “not suck” list to demonstrate the healthy balance we all must have between acknowledging our struggles and giving ourselves credit where credit is due. I will also offer a short reflection on the National ACDA Convention including WHY I MISSED THE AEOLIANS concert at Helzberg Hall and the inspiration of Eph Ehly’s session at the Folly Theater, “What’s Really Important.” Finally, I will be responding to some Choralosopher responses from our Facebook page. Several listeners responded with one item from their “suck” and “not suck” lists.

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• I am horribly messy and unorganized.
• If it is not written into my calendar, I forget it and even that is no guarantee…
• In the classroom, I am not good at sticking to a plan, so I don’t even make one.
• Musically, I have a MUCH better ear for pitch than I do for rhythm, so often times I struggle to hear the trickier patterns in my head. This also causes my to avoid music with those challenges…
• Keyboard skills are not where I want them to be.
• I am not good at reading people’s body language and recognizing their emotional needs.
• I am not a good listener. Working on it… Way better than I used to be….

See more about Choralosophy and the multimedia Choral Content at www.choralosophy.com

In this episode I make the shocking claim that there is no such thing as a choir. Then I bring on Stephen Rew for a discussion about connecting with students on an individual level.

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In the second part of this episode, I look to Anthony Maglione for insight into this topic from the collegiate perspective.

See more about Choralosophy and the multimedia Choral Content at www.choralosophy.com

Below you will find the full text of my essay discussed at the beginning of the first part of the episode.

Something on my mind today as I prepare young minds for a year of learning and growing as human beings through the medium of Choral Music, is the value of an individual identity in a group setting. So many people try and solve the problems of group dynamics by asking members of an association to subvert their “selves” to the group. “Disappear into the fold.” In so many group settings, including my beloved Choral Art, we are asked to “blend in.” In many choirs, “blend” is achieved by people taking everything that is special about their individual voice out of the equation. I teach the concept very differently. My ideal is that the singer adds everything that is the best about their ability to the best of the other members. We try to get rid of the average and the inefficient parts that exist in everyone. Use your strengths, and lean on your neighbor for your weaknesses. The end result is a sum that is greater than its parts and is still cohesive and unified. The metaphor to life and society should be self-explanatory.A more generic term for a group of people working together is a “team.” What is a team? Well, a team has some different dictionary definitions:

1. a number of persons forming one of the sides in a game or contest: a football team.
2. a number of persons associated in some joint action: a team of advisers.
3. two or more horses, oxen, or other animals harnessed together to draw a vehicle, plow, or the like.

Of the above definitions, we are the most familiar with #1. The sports context. This definition tends to work in that setting because everyone’s goals are aligned. Everyone wants to win. They compete together for everyone’s mutual interest.
What happens when two individuals within a group have conflicting interests? Too often organizations treat their human members like they are using #3 as the definition. The person who can find the most people on their side, bully’s the minority and claims the virtue of having the “team’s” best interest at heart. The next step is to chain the minority to the yoke of guilt by saying, “Who are you to go against the will of the team?” This mentality is so psychologically damaging to all involved yet we do it every day at all levels of our society, from government all the way down to the elementary school playground. The damage comes in the overall reduction of the quality of the group’s output, but more importantly it damages the self-esteem of the individuals in the group. Yes that’s right…the self-esteem of the individual is MORE important than the output of the group. Why? There is no such thing as a group.
A group, like a forest, is an abstraction. (A creation of the human imagination in the abstract.) Meaning that they are creations of the human mind in the abstract, not in reality. Don’t believe me? Drive to the nearest group of individual trees, and point to the “forest.” Now draw a straight line from your finger and it will land on…an INDIVIDUAL tree. The lesson to be learned by this example is that without the reality of the individuals, the abstraction of the group would not exist. Therefore, the healthy self-esteem and confidence of the individual must be maintained. Then and only then, can a “group” achieve greatness.As a conductor, I try to find as many opportunities as possible to make individuals feel important. Find the special skills each singer has figure out a way to use them in a rehearsal. Have individual conversations as much as possible. Give individuals jobs or tasks that set them apart. See a shy kid do something great? Embarrass them by giving them a shout out in front of the whole choir. All of this can be very hard to do in large choirs. In all honesty, I haven’t figured out how to do it yet for every single one of the 400+ singers that I lead between church, school and professional ensembles. It doesn’t mean I cant try. #goals

A special JOINT production of the Kantorei Summer Choral Institute and the Choralosophy podcast that took place on June 19th, 2019. Each of the guests were in Kansas City working with the 120 regional young singers that participate in a one of a kind week of intense rehearsals, collaboration with adult professional educators and performers, and finally, a performance in beautiful acoustical venues. While they were here, I thought it would be great to sit them all down and pick their brains. This special episode features Dr. Allen Hightower of the University of North Texas, Dr. Alyssa Cossey of the University of Arizona and Robert T. Gibson of Reed Academy in Springfield, MO.

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I moderated a broad range of topics from the stories that led each of the guests to where they are today, their philosophies on programming, representation, tone building and much more. As always, if you have anything to add after listening, be sure to head over to FB, and join the Choralosophers private group and share your thoughts. You can also find the show on Twitter and Instagram! I hope you enjoy!

See more about Choralosophy and the multimedia Choral Content at www.choralosophy.com

A talk about the role of the choral conductor with Bradley Ellingboe. Is the physical gesture the most important thing we do? Most would be probably say no. For Brad and I, it barely sneaks into the top 5! Here is the list:

• Ear for pitch/rhythm
• Conducting gesture
• musical imagination
• Motivational skills
• Verbal fluency

How would you arrange these in order of importance? Listen to find out our rankings.

“Remember, the things that we learned most easily are often the most frustrating for us to teach.”

Bradley Ellingboe

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See more about Choralosophy and the multimedia Choral Content at www.choralosophy.com

“The more visible you are in your community, the harder it is for your program to be taken away or damaged.” -Chris Munce

Below you will find a deep two part conversation in which I approach two colleagues about their thoughts on how we “tell our story” as Choral Musicians.

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In the first part I speak with an intrepid Music Educator and Conductor, Dr. Elise Hepworth from Missouri Western State University. We discuss both the formal and informal ways that teachers can advocate for their classrooms and the choral art.

Part 1: On Advocating for Music Education with Dr. Elise Hepworth

In the second part, I chat with composer Dale Trumbore. The conversation around advocacy spins more into the world of composition, community performance, publicity and other ways that we take Choral Music OUTSIDE of the classroom.

Part 2: On Advocating for Choral Music as an art form with Dale Trumbore

See more about Choralosophy and the multimedia Choral Content at www.choralosophy.com