Latest Blog Posts
Leading Voices: Spring 2020, A Look in the Rear-View Mirror
Like many of us, I can clearly remember where I was on 9/11. In the months and years later, after this tragic event, our world and our model of national security evolved and changed into a new recognition of personal and social safety. Now, after months of teaching online this Spring, attending Zoom meetings, […]
The Conductor as Yogi: Tapas (or “The best way out is always through”)
By Ramona M. Wis I have to admit, I am feeling the heat. Virtual rehearsal planning. Technology. Pandemic updates. Constant communication. Summer heat. Conductors are tough folks—we know what it’s like to feel the heat and find ways to get through it. Though “no pain, no gain” is usually considered an athlete’s mantra, musicians live this, as well. Usually the […]
Eric Whitacre on the Birth and Maturation of the Virtual Choir
Eric Whitacre may be the father of the virtual choir. But could he have ever envisioned what it would become? In this episode, I have the honor of speaking with the FATHER of the virtual choir. Eric Whitacre. We discuss the origins of his virtual choir “franchise” and his thoughts on watching that concept evolve […]
Choral Potpourri/Choral Ethics: Songs My Mother Taught Me
“When your mother asks, ‘Do you want a piece of advice?’ it is a mere formality. It doesn’t matter if you answer yes or no. You’re going to get it anyway.” Erma Bombeck Yesterday was the sixth anniversary of my mother’s death. The last couple of years, I hadn’t remembered, or even noticed the date, […]
Non-auditioned Choirs – and Their Conductors – Are at the Heart of Community Singing
By Pat Guth For the first 40 years of my musical career, I spent a lot of time dealing with “imposter syndrome” – that nagging feeling when you doubt your accomplishments and have a persistent internalized fear of being exposed as a “fraud.” Maybe you’ve been there, too. It’s not uncommon among artists of all […]
The Conductor as Yogi: Still the Mind Chatter
By Ramona M. Wis Last week, we looked at the importance of “making space” if we want something new, presumably better, to enter our lives. By releasing pursuits, ideas, or habits that no longer serve us, we make space to move forward to new opportunities, insight, or energy. To some degree, this release requires detaching from the […]
Planning Ahead: Five Considerations for Future Choral Music Classrooms
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/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 Summer 2020 […]
Bonus Episode: Stepping Outside the Choir World with Sociologist Dr. Roderick Graham
Our online choral conversations are frequently centered, especially recently, around culture. How do we negotiate a diverse society within our classrooms and the online conversations that result? Dr. Graham invited me on his YouTube channel to discuss topics that fall under this broad umbrella like cancel culture, race, discourse and why so many of these topics are difficult […]
Choral Potpourri/Choral Ethics: Professional Development in the Time of Pandemic, Part 2
“I was in constant demand, in my professional life and my personal life.” Hedy Lamarr One of the most difficult things for me during the Pandemic has been trying to keep up my skills, both musically and intellectually. Once this whole thing is over and we’re able to rehearse and perform more normally, there should […]
Young Trebles: The Silence of a Children’s Choir in the Time of COVID-19
By Corey Carleton The treble voices are clear, strong, and at times overwhelm the acoustics of Fellowship Hall at a Presbyterian church on Colorado Boulevard in Pasadena. It’s a large, live room. “Are you heavy or light?” Fernando Malvar-Ruiz asks his Concert Choir. Malvar-Ruiz is “Mr. Fernando” to his singers, and Artistic Director of the […]