Latest Blog Posts

Week 9: Friday, May 18, 2018 “I Started Out Singing” by Jocelyn Hagen Text by Naomi Shihab Nye 3pt Treble, piano (or piano & string orchestra) This selection by Jocelyn Hagen, with text by Naomi Shihab Nye, is an excellent choice for your beginner and intermediate treble/women’s ensembles. It can also be a great option […]

“America’s future will be determined by the home and the school. The child becomes largely what he is taught; hence we must watch what we teach, and how we live.” Jane Addams I have been around the performing arts, LITERALLY, all of my life. With an opera singer mother and a tap/ballet dancer/choreographer/stage director father, […]

This week on Going Beyond Words, Host Stan Schmidt brings to ACDA Radio and ChoralNet,  a reflection of two articles in the May 2018 issue of the Choral Journal….the first by Conductor Brent Rogers, Assistant Professor of Music and Director of Choral Activities at Dickinson State University titled “Between Berlioz & Fauré – Camille Saint-Saëns’s, […]

The May 2017 issue of Choral Journal features an article in the Rehearsal Break column by Frank Eychaner titled “Step by Step: Collegiate Choral Auditions.” Below is an excerpt of the article, and you can read it in its entirety in the May 2017 issue! Go to acda.org and click “Search Archives.” Choose May 2017 […]

Week 8: Friday, May 11, 2018 “Shenandoah,” arr. Howard Helvey Traditional American folk song SSAA divisi, a cappella If you are looking for close harmonies, flowing phrases, and a wide range of dynamics, this arrangement of the traditional folk song “Shenandoah,” will not disappoint. My “small-but-mighty” auditioned ensemble (12-14 singers) performed this selection last fall, […]

“When you practice gratefulness, there is a sense of respect toward others.” Dalai Lama We are finishing the choir year. No matter what sort of choral organization you are involved with, things are winding down with the end of the school year, the concert year, and the church year. There are people out there you […]

This week on Going Beyond Words, Host Stan Schmidt brings to ACDA Radio and ChoralNet, an invitation to enjoy music by Jean Mouton, Giuseppe Verdi and one of Johann Sebastian Bach’s Children, known as the “London Bach” Johann Christian Bach. First is a Classic Christmas (Virgin Mary) composition, the famous Nesciens mater offered by Cappella Pratensis which […]

Senioritis is a real issue in many high school choral programs.   Does your program suffer from seniors who act entitled, arrogant, dismissive, or lazy? Are the SENIORS setting the wrong kind of role model status for the younger singers? Introducing the latest blog post: Choir Senioritis? 11 Ways to Minimize The Symptoms

The May 2017 issue of Choral Journal contains an article from Emily Guthe on the topic of choral students with disabilities. An excerpt of the article follows. You can read the rest in the May 2017 issue of Choral Journal here! Note: This article originally appeared in Sounding Board, the publication of Iowa Choral Directors Association. It’s Monday morning and […]

“Ethics is knowing the difference between what you have a right to do and what is right to do.” Potter Stewart There have been two music/choral ethics incidents in the news in the last week or so. I will not name names or places but you can probably figure out who is who from the […]