Latest Blog Posts

#64: Friday, October 2, 2020 Missa Brevis by Adolphus HailstorkSSAA, a cappella This four-movement Missa Brevis by Adolphus Hailstork is a gem for unaccompanied treble or women’s choir, with unexpected strengths both for teaching music literacy and for performance. I learned about this piece, along with additional works by Hailstork and others, from Dr. Marques […]

“To a philosopher all news, as it is called, is gossip, and they who edit and read it are old women over their tea.” Henry David Thoreau Throughout the month of October, I’d like to revisit some of the staple issues of Choral Ethics. I’ve written a BUNCH about each of these subjects during the […]

By Rebecca Lord Although we are unable to sing together freely during this perilous time, opportunities to collaborate virtually around the world are skyrocketing! The world is literally at our fingertips and there are extraordinary experiences to be had making new connections and building bridges across continents and cultures, as well as finding new treasures […]

By Ramona M. Wis Planting trees early in spring,  we make a place for birds to sing in time to come.  How do we know? They are singing here now. There is no other guarantee that singing will ever be. ~ Wendell Berry I recently came upon these words of Wendell Berry’s poem, “For the Future,” […]

The October issue of Choral Journal is online and includes an article titled “Lessons from Summer Camp” by Joy Hirokawa. You can read it in its entirety online at acda.org/choraljournal. Following is a portion of the article._____________________________ As our world reeled around us and the ground kept shifting over the summer, we struggled to come to grips with […]

This Choralosophy Podcast special has been recut and reimagined by Michael himself to include the most salient portions of our free wheeling conversation on many choral topics including the role of the conductor, the reimagining of the performing arts during our hiatus, and the secrets of the Anuna brand of small ensemble singing, and much […]

“My sorrow, when she’s here with me, thinks these dark days of autumn rain are beautiful as days can be; she loves the bare, the withered tree; she walks the sodden pasture lane.” Robert Frost During the month of September, Choral Potpourri/Choral Ethics has been reviewing what Choral Ethics is and its relevance to our […]

As I start the Fall semester, I find myself right where I left off at the end of last year – trying to keep my students engaged in a virtual high school choral program. This year, my high school moved to a two-semester scheduling system with students taking four classes per semester in 80 minutes […]

Continued from Inspiration, Part 1 Breathing Life Into Your Work The heart of the matter is that you can’t inspire your students if you aren’t inspired yourself. It is your responsibility, if you teach music, to find ways to remain inspired by what you do – to continue your own engagement in making music for […]

The latest issue of Choral Journal is online and features an article titled “Acoustical, Psychoacoustical, and Pedagogical Considerations for Choral Singing with COVID-19 Health Measures” by by John Nix, Harald Jers, and Sten Ternström. You can read it in its entirety online at acda.org/choraljournal. Following is a portion of the article. Please read the entire article for more […]