Latest Blog Posts

My latest blog post is the most difficult one I’ve ever shared. I’ve challenged myself in hopes of positively impacting the choral community. As choral directors, Black History Month is a time to celebrate the contributions of the many black choral artists who continue to inspire the choral world.  As choral directors, Black History Month is also […]

The Oxford Series on the Choralosophy Podcast! Reena Esmail is currently the composer in residence for the LA Master Chorale and the composer of TaReKiTa published by Oxford University Press. Reena Esmail works between the worlds of Indian and Western classical music, to bring communities together through the creation of equitable musical spaces and holds degrees from Juilliard […]

“The major gossip columnists were more concerned with protecting the industry than with gunning down sinners.” Gloria Swanson As I mentioned earlier this month, for the first time in YEARS, I don’t have concerts or gigs pending and have had time to be around the house much more, so we decided to do some home […]

By Stuart Hunt We recognize that school closures and limited access to students will eventually conclude, and that we will be able to resume the wide range of activities that positively impact the lives of our students. For now, however, along with our regular/altered duties, perhaps we could consider this an “off-season,” just as those […]

Ramona M. Wis A few years ago, I became aware of how energy-draining it was to move directly from one rehearsal to the next, with the short in-between time filled with “quick” questions from students (they never are), “emergencies” of colleagues (they never are), and singers filing in as I am re-arranging chairs and figuring […]

The February issue of Choral Journal is online and features an article titled “Music Matters: A Pedagogical Framework for Literature Selection” by Jabarie E. Glass. You can read it in its entirety online at acda.org/choraljournal. Following is a portion from the introduction. ___________________ A perpetual conversation among choral conductors has existed concerning the selection of literature. Choral professionals […]

I wanted to take this opportunity to let you know that I have added a new TYPE of short form content to the stream. “Car Thoughts” will be periodical and completely unscripted. As 2021 continues to reveal a stream of exciting guests and topics that will keep my production schedule very busy, this outlet will […]

“No one gossips about other people’s secret virtues.” Bertrand Russell I mentioned last week for the first time in YEARS, I don’t have concerts or gigs pending and have had time to be around the house much more, so we decided to do some home improvements. The basement re-do is finished and the KITCHEN re-do […]

By Dan Forrest The COVID pandemic has deeply affected composers of choral music. Our normal revenue streams have diminished or dried up, and the collaborative opportunities that normally provide encouragement, affirmation, and inspiration have been put on hold. Our national ACDA Composition Initiatives Committee met in mid-2020 to discuss ways to support choral composers through […]

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