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“Follow your honest convictions and be strong.” William Makepeace Thackeray I miss my choir; Kari, Deb and Marcella, my sopranos. And I miss Cindy (not really an alto but sings alto for me) and Althea, my altos. I miss Emile my sturdy tenor and I was just getting to know Bob, my new baritone. Ben, […]

This week on Off The Podium we will take a break from our regularly scheduled solfège episode for a collection of well-intentioned, wholesome advice. I hope this is helpful. It’s May, and commencement season. As schools around the country struggle with how to honor their graduates and send them off to their next adventures while […]

_____________________________The May 2020 issue of Choral Journal features an article titled “Mouthing the Text: The Advantages and Disadvantages” by Micah Bland. This is a fascinating interview, and you can read it in its entirety online at acda.org/choraljournal. Below is the first question of the interview._____________________________ As a conductor, what percentage of time in performance do you find yourself […]

Dr. Adalja is a Senior Scholar at the Johns Hopkins University Center for Health Security. His work is focused on emerging infectious disease, pandemic preparedness, and biosecurity. I am honored to be able to publish this in a time in which all of the education is reeling with the possibility that school might be unrecognizable […]

“My dance classes were open to anybody, my only stipulation was that they had to come to the class every day.” Merce Cunningham Last week, I blogged about my early training as a dancer; what it meant to me, how it has shaped and led me to the choral profession. My ballet-life and my choral-life […]

As I look ahead, I know I will once again teach and enjoy the company of my students and colleagues in the future.  But what it will look like, or sound like, I do not know.  I do know that it will not be the same. I am not the same. My students are not […]

continued from Solfège: Part 1: The Joy of Solfège   Solfège: Part 2 The Legacy of Guido d’Arezzo   Solfège is a practical method for teaching sight-singing (singing music from written notation).  Each note of the diatonic scale is assigned a solfège syllable.  This practice is called solmization.     Solfège is the oldest and most widely used […]

_____________________________The November 2019 issue of Choral Journal features an article titled “The Singing Sergeants of the U.S. Air Force: A Career Path for Singers” by Technical Sgt. Jilian McGreen. You can read it in its entirety online at acda.org/choraljournal. Click “Search Archives” and choose November 2019 from the dropdown menu._____________________________ Right now, United States Military musicians are stationed […]

It is not as inscrutable as you might imagine. Sometimes what you’re most afraid of doing is the very thing that will set you free. – Robert Tew There are certainly enough instructional papers, blogs, and seminars about the IPA, but they beg some significant questions: How long does it really take to become proficient […]

#60: “Moon Goddess” by Jocelyn Hagen
Text from Enheduanna
SSA, 4-hand piano, percussion

If you are looking for a Fierce and Feisty selection for your women’s choir, this is the one! Written in 2011 for the ACDA Women’s Chorus Commissioning Consortium, this work by composer Jocelyn Hagen has brilliant drive and musical energy. And it has text to match, sourced from Sumerian poet Enheduanna. This is a can’t-miss selection for your women’s or adult-treble ensemble.