Latest Blog Posts

The Music Department is an alternate universe where pupils are often unrecognizable from who they are outside of it. The shy become confident. The agitated become calm. The lonely become included. The quiet become heard. And the lost become found. Music reveals the real child. Vaughan Fleischfresser You probably recognize this colleague just by looking at him […]

I am taking a bit of a Choral Ethics break during the next few weeks, and this is a Choral Ethics Blog repeat. My review of a new biography of Margaret Hillis will be on December 1. But if you have a Choral Ethics dilemma or query or comment in the mean time, please email […]

Equanimity is an important concept in mindfulness practice and cultivating equanimity can be a primary benefit of a regular meditation practice. Equanimity is a mindset that reflects the capacity to take life as it comes, and not become caught up in anything that happens to us. It gives us a sense of balance and the […]

From my experience, Thanksgiving falls at just the right time of year. There is something magical about eating good food with friends and family, followed by a day of rest and relaxation. At least that’s been my tradition. I grew up in Princeton, NJ, where my parents live. Typically, I visit for at least a […]

The November/December 2022 issue of Choral Journal is online and features an article titled “The Aging Voice: Challenges and Exercises” by Jennifer Trost. Following is a portion from the introduction. _________________ All her life, my great-aunt Eleanor loved to sing, especially in church choirs. However, I remember a story told about her last choral experience, which did not have […]

It’s almost TURKEY TIME! Are your students acting like wild turkeys right now? Are you looking to fill the final rehearsals before Thanksgiving? I’ve got a plan for you. It will cost you nothing and be fun and productive! The entire plan and resources will be provided in this blog post! A Thanksgiving Choral Lesson […]

As we put the pandemic further and further in our rearview, many of us are confronted with new realities related to how, when and WHY we need to advocate for our programs, our profession and our art form. For example, I have found myself needing to have more conversations with school board members, administrators, parents and even colleagues about the value of a robust and rigorous music education. In this posting, I am going to direct you to TWO recent Choralosophy conversations which approach the topic of Advocacy.

I am taking a bit of a Choral Ethics break during the next few weeks, and this is a Choral Ethics Blog repeat. My review of a new biography of Margaret Hillis will be on December 1. But if you have a Choral Ethics dilemma or query or comment in the mean time, please email […]

By Dr. Tim Westerhaus Are you burned-out? Exhausted? Feeling behind or inadequate as our choral programs are smaller in numbers or skills in this year of emerging-from-the-pandemic? How can we intentionally rebuild our programs, and where can we find the energy to do so? How can we honor this stage of our journey (for ourselves […]

Just in case we have to take another lap…are you prepared? In the first year of the pandemic, the General Accounting Office posted results of their research in 2020-21, the first year of the pandemic (GAO, May 2022). They depicted the obstacles to learning – what we all experienced to some degree – like this: […]