Latest Blog Posts

“My work today is perceived as being classic, but when I first started out, it was a break from the norm. Since then, I have continued to reinvent myself. I don’t change my style, but I allow it to evolve.” Giorgio Armani The courage to be yourself, looking at things from your own perspective, takes […]

Understanding the audio signal chain is a foundational component of operating audio equipment. Choral directors should be familiar with the chain to properly set-up or fix audio equipment.  The flow of audio follows a specific path through various components: Throughout the signal chain cables (XLR or quarter-inch) are used to connect the various pieces of […]

“…Responsibility is a necessary condition for the wholeness and fullness of life, and he who cannot assume it may be denied the greatest opportunity which life offers to anyone:  to be a whole person, to be right with the world, to belong.”  Voices 12: Choosing Life With a Purpose by Robert K. Greenleaf When I wrote The […]

“All religions, arts and sciences are branches of the same tree.” Albert Einstein Like many of you, I conduct a choral organization in a community with several other choral groups besides mine. And like you, I often wonder if members of my audience are also members of theirs. One of the lessons I’ve learned in […]

“To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven…” Ecclesiastes 3:1    Yesterday was Ash Wednesday and with it begins another season. If we are church musicians, Lent began….ready or not….even if we have not recovered from the Christmas Season. If we are not church musicians but in academia, we […]

“Ethics and equity and the principles of justice do not change with the calendar.” D. H. Lawrence I have gotten over 30 emails about one choral conductor during the last few years. Those who contacted me were past and present singers and even one of his former accompanists. There have been several from colleagues. All […]

“Theater people are always pining and agonizing because they’re afraid that they’ll be forgotten. And in America they’re quite right. They will be.” Agnes de Mille Today we revisit two Choral Ethics stories. One is a follow-up with a happier ending. And the other is not totally a happy ending. Do you remember Jackie*? Her […]

In the 21st century, possessing the skills to operate various technological resources has become a significant advantage for music educators. For choral directors, gaining expertise in audio equipment is incredibly beneficial, especially given the wide range of ensembles and performances that now require amplification. Beyond the stage, directors frequently need to produce high-quality audio recordings […]

I’m a deep processor by nature.  I think through most tasks and plans in a detailed way, use my foresight to the best of my ability and yes, sometimes take a long time making even a simple decision (please, no 8-page restaurant menus for me). Deep processing, I have read, is a sign of intelligence (I’ll […]

“No man ever got very high by pulling other people down. The intelligent merchant does not knock his competitors. The sensible worker does not knock those who work with him. Don’t knock your friends. Don’t knock your enemies. Don’t knock yourself.” Alfred Lord Tennyson Choral Ethics is re-visiting some of our most discussed Choral Ethics […]