Latest Blog Posts

It’s Saturday morning as I write this.  A few days until a big concert with guest choirs and a full day of auditions and prospective student visits on the holiday sandwiched in between.  My “little world” is busy but in the face of the challenges of the “bigger world,” I take a step back.  I […]

“What wisdom can you find that is greater than kindness?” Jean-Jacques Rousseau It is easy to forget we need to work regularly with others.  Unless you are a soloist all the time, you must work with other musicians. Unless you conduct exactly the sort of ensemble you wish, with the musicians you wish, you must […]

 “Every artist was first an amateur.” Ralph Waldo Emerson The word amateur is taken from Old French and means ‘lover’.  Many definitions of the word speak of doing something for pleasure and most of us, I am sure, became choral conductors because we found pleasure in singing or leading singing. Is it the other definition […]

“We are all here on earth to help others; what on earth the others are here for I don’t know.” W. H. Auden What does it mean to be an ethical choral conductor/director? Our own Choral Ethics code should be a model of behaviors for how we treat our singers, but shouldn’t it be a […]

“Manners are a sensitive awareness of the feelings of others. If you have that awareness, you have good manners, no matter what fork you use.” Emily Post Today, I am revisiting a Choral Ethics matter I’ve been thinking about lately. I wonder how other Choral Professionals handle their Snarky Inner Voice in real life. In […]

It wasn’t the first time that I heard powerful words while sitting on a yoga mat. Last week, as a prelude to the practice, my yoga teacher read this poem by Martha Postlewaite, called “The Clearing:” Do not try to save the whole world or do anything grandiose. Instead, create a clearing in the dense […]

“The more we can be in a relationship with those who might seem strange to us, the more we can feel like we’re neighbors and all members of the human family.” Fred Rogers It has been a difficult few weeks in some parts of our country. But there is one thing I know; we all […]

“Friendships begun in this world will be taken up again, never to be broken off.” Saint Francis de Sales I had the privilege of participating in a “Lessons and Carols” service this past holiday season. My son, Dean of a local AGO chapter, got me the gig and both of us played and directed and […]

Between the Staves: Choral Questions, Candid Answers, is fresh take on the classic advice column—this time for all things choral music! Modeled after the beloved “Dear Sally” format, this blog will answer your questions about choral music education, performance, and leadership. Whether you’re curious about vocal technique, rehearsal tips, repertoire selection, or the “other” side […]

“Ring out the false, ring in the true.” Alfred Lord Tennyson   This Holiday Season, I’ve rerun several Choral Ethics blogs from years past with a few modifications where needed. Today will be the last of the reruns; all new blogs will begin again next Thursday. ~MLGA Happy New Year, ChoralNetters! It is 2025, can […]