Latest Blog Posts

Are you looking for activities to “fill up” the final rehearsals of the school year? If so, I have 8 different ideas that may help you and your choir to end your year on a high note! The goal we should have is to “fill up” our rehearsals, not to “fill in” our rehearsals. I […]

“Life is not a matter of holding good cards, but of playing a poor hand well.” Robert Louis Stevenson I hate whiners. When my boys were young, they knew I would not “hear” them if they complained in a whiny voice. They could complain about life not being fair or that someone got a bigger […]

ChorTeach is ACDA’s quarterly online publication, designed for those who work with singers of all levels. Following is a list of the articles in the Spring 2023 issue! A full annotated ChorTeach index is available online at acda.org/chorteach. Over 160 articles are organized into seventeen categories. For submission information, to view the index, or to read the latest issue, […]

This week, I FINALLY respond to the many requests I got to share my thoughts on the movie “Tár,” starring Cate Blanchett. So, consider this my review of the movie. I talk about the tension in the film between the stereotypes of the “conductor” as a male, power abusing, egomaniac alongside the movie’s portrayal of […]

“The first step in the evolution of ethics is a sense of solidarity with other human beings.” Albert Schweitzer I tootle along in the local music world, trying to be professional, trying to be kind.  My singers will tell you they have rarely seen me upset in rehearsal, even working with some difficult people.  I […]

by Dr. Jeffery Wall   During our monthly Advocacy and Collaboration Committee meetings we always talk about unique collaborations or transfers we hear or see from our colleagues as a way to spark ideas or celebrate what folks are doing. What’s a transfer? According to the recent book by Jessica Nápoles and Rebecca B. MacLeod, […]

Wednesday, May 17, 2023 By Dr. Robert Bode April was poetry month, so the Advocacy and Collaboration Committee posted weekly ideas, stories, and even favorite poems on their social media platforms to celebrate. Week one featured a poem by poet, author, and choral conductor, Dr. Robert Bode. This sparked a conversation – what better person […]

For most of us, the performing season or year has ended or will end, soon.  With a combination of celebration and relief, we look forward to the change that summer represents.  But before getaways, let’s look at the takeaways; let’s tidy up the desk of our minds as we wrap up and make space for […]

The May 2023 issue of Choral Journal is online and features an article titled “A Gateway to Ukrainian Choral Music: Guide to the Ukrainian Language and Lysenko’s “Prayer for Ukraine” by Marika Kuzma. Following is a portion from the introduction. _________________ n recent decades, American choirs have been exploring Eastern European choral repertoire with ever greater frequency and […]

Choirs are not a democracy.   Yes, we want to empower our students, but we are still in charge.   If we are in charge, shouldn’t we be responsible for the students who work for us?   Student officers represent us and they represent our ensemble members.   Here is an approach that allows the RIGHT […]