Latest Blog Posts

What are you currently doing to attract singers and grow your choir? What are you telling folks to get them to join you in a singing community? We talked in last month’s blog about communicating the value of choir, especially outside of musical circles – the “business of choir” per se. This week we continue […]

I realize that it’s been several weeks since I’ve written. It’s been quite a busy summer for me because I have a big life update! Earlier in the summer, I was offered the position of Director of Music Ministries at St. Andrew Presbyterian Church in Iowa City, Iowa. As a result, I stepped down from […]

The August 2022 issue of Choral Journal is online and features an article titled “Reflective Practice and the Choral Director” by Emily Mason. You can read it in its entirety at acda.org/choraljournal. Following is a portion from the introduction. _________________ For choral directors, the start of a new school year brings excitement and anticipation of the great music that […]

Avoid doing these 11 Things at the First Rehearsal and you will ensure a successful start to your school year. Any one of these 11 things can ruin your very first rehearsal and set you on the wrong track for the entire year.     Check out my latest blog post:  11 Things to Avoid Doing at […]

*Racism* is the social construction that necessitates our continued & (mostly) blind belief in & upholding of “race” ideology & its correlated languages/practices. We just continue to fool ourselves into thinking that “race” is *just* “skin color,” phenotype, DNA, or culture. Dr. Sheena Mason With the rise of anti-racist discourse and initiatives, many people are […]

I am taking a bit of a Choral Ethics break during the summer, and this is a Choral Ethics Blog repeat, taken from Choral Ethics blogs from 2018 through 2019. We will also have a guest blogger a time or two.  I will be working on the fall’s Blogs during the summer, so if you […]

This is the third post in a monthly series. https://choralnet.org/archives/660007 Happy August, Choral Directors! If you’re a school teacher or following a similar schedule, you are gearing up for the opening of choir season!  Not gearing up too hard, though. We have a few weeks. As you’re starting to gently think about your season, maybe you’re […]

Charles Bruffy is one of my favorite conductors (and people). I’ve known Charles since 2008 when I attended the Westminster Conducting Institute and sang Duruflé’s Requiem with him. Since then, I’ve observed him conduct professional groups, collegiate groups, church choirs, and high school festivals, and watched him work with conductors in masterclass settings. I’m proud […]

The August 2022 issue of Choral Journal is online and features an interview with Duncan Tuomi, the winner of the 2021 Raymond W. Brock Memorial Student Composition Competition. You can read it in its entirety at acda.org/choraljournal. Following is a portion from the introduction. _________________ The Brock Competition is operated by ACDA’s Composition Initiatives Committee, and the […]

The process of purchasing choral sheet music is antiquated and in serious need of an overhaul. In fact, if you stop and think about how we order our sheet music, it would appear we are back in 1975. This blog post explains the 7 reasons why ordering most choral sheet music is ridiculous. It then provides […]