Latest Blog Posts
Choral Potpourri/Choral Ethics: Music in the Time of Pandemic
“All has been looted, betrayed, sold; black death’s wing flashed ahead.” Anna Akhmatova I don’t know about you, but for the last month, I’ve been searching for the “normal” in my life and there doesn’t seem to be any normal anywhere. I’ve had to cancel our May concert. Projects I’ve looked forward to have gone […]
Off The Podium: Silence
Emptiness at the Heart of Music So often when we speak or write about music – when we practice, when we listen or perform – the focus of our attention is on the notes being played or sung. These notes, their pitches and rhythmic accuracy, the articulation and tone with which they are produced, how […]
Choral Conversation: Interview with Anton Armstrong
_____________________________ Choral Journal’s ongoing column called “Choral Conversations” features interviews with noted choral conductors and composers. An interview with Anton Armstrong is featured in the April 2020 issue. You can read the interview in its entirety online at acda.org/choraljournal. Click “Search Archives” and choose April 2020 from the dropdown menu._____________________________ As someone who has traveled the […]
Choir Director Probs: No I Am Not Going to Embrace Distance Learning
Instead, I will temporarily place myself inside of a different box as an educator. Believe me, I will be busting out of that box and shredding it ASAP. I will start off by saying, that OF COURSE, I will claw and scrape to make Distance Learning meaningful for students. But “embracing” sounds too loving. I […]
“Here Rests In Honored Glory”
By Donald B. Miller On December 28, 2018, New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo signed a law making “Here Rests In Honored Glory” New York State’s Official Hymn of Remembrance in honor of all American Veterans. The composition is scored for SATB chorus, three trumpets, two trombones, tuba, timpani, and organ. This work is intended […]
Choral Potpourri/Choral Ethics: Busy Times
“He, who every morning plans the transactions of the day, and follows that plan, carries a thread that will guide him through a labyrinth of the most busy life.” Victor Hugo This was written and scheduled before COVID-19 changed our world. Please enjoy and hope we all are soon back to normal! I am sure […]
Leading Voices: Agile Development Instructional Framework (ADIF) Sprints
I am now in my fourth week of Distance Learning and am finally getting a handle on teaching High School Music Theory and Choral Music online. It is challenging work, and at times it gets very frustrating, but also intriguing. The innovation and creativity I see at work with my colleagues, and the work of […]
Off The Podium: Sumer Is Icumen In
When I was an elementary and middle school music teacher (1991 – 2007), I structured a lot of my curriculum – especially the songs I chose to teach my students – around the seasons. While it may seem like an obvious educational strategy, I think it is important to stress the value of this. Children in […]
Are We Fully Prepared for Rehearsal?
ChorTeach is ACDA’s quarterly publication for choral conductors and teachers at all levels. It is published online, and each issue contains four practical articles. If you are not already a member of ACDA, you can join and receive access to ChorTeach online. Below is an excerpt from an article written by Catherine Feazell in the Summer 2018 issue. You can […]
VIRTUAL CHOIRS: The Two Reasons many of us HATE them!
Do you HATE virtual choirs? Most of us had absolutely no opinion on “the value of VIRTUAL CHOIRS” until two weeks ago. Since then, we have all become experts, or at least, experts of our own opinion. I believe this blog post will be useful to Virtual Choir HATERS and Virtual Choir lovers. Here is my latest […]