Latest Blog Posts

It is safe to say that there are certain choral works we hear around the holidays year after year after year.  They are time-honored, audiences love them, and our adult choirs know them very well.  But there are many other pieces that work well at Christmastime that deserve to be shared with our performers and […]

“It’s easy to play any musical instrument: all you have to do is touch the right key at the right time and the instrument will play itself.” J.S. Bach Lady C*contacted me a few years ago as I began to collect stories for my Choral Ethics project. She conducts a semi-professional chamber choir, much like […]

This week on Going Beyond Words and ACDA ChoralNet Radio, Stan Schmidt invites you to investigate a comparison of motets based on Psalms 95 or 96 under the title “O Come, Let us Sing unto the Lord” (Cantate Domino).   You can hear how twelve different composes created their interpretations of these Psalms of Praise

Choral Clarity Presents: Rehearsal Rules and Procedures are extremely important; choosing the RIGHT rules, which may differ from choir to choir, will set a positive and productive learning environment for each and every student. Regardless of which rules best suit your ensemble, “Be Respectful” is a BAD REHEARSAL RULE FIND OUT WHY! Sincerely, Adam Paltrowitz

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 as an Associate for $45 per year and receive access to ChorTeach and the Choral Journal online. Last year I created an annotated ChorTeach index with […]

Like most high school choir teachers, only a couple of the ensembles I teach are auditioned.  While I love it this way, as it allows me to keep recruiting and bringing in students to sing who may not be interested in a heavier commitment, it can make planning literature a nightmare.  How many students will […]

“Habits change into character.” Ovid Many of us, especially in community-based programs, complain we don’t have enough singers to do the repertoire we really want to do.  If we are a mixed group, we long for more tenors or baritones or basses but don’t seem to retain them when we get them.  After years of […]

This fall we celebrate the 500th Anniversary of the Reformation and the Music of Martin Luther.  Host Stan Schmidt starts us moving in that direction for our next Going Beyond Words broadcast on ACDA Radio.  Also, please examine the informative article in the August 2017 of the Choral Journal on page 36 by Zebulon M. Highben from Muskingum University titled “Reviving Sacred Song – 500 years of the Lutheran Chorale and its congregational and Choral Contexts”

Choral Clarity Blog Presents: The two most important goals for successfully starting off the year are creating a positive/nurturing learning environment and setting/reinforcing clear rules and procedures. This blog post will help to ensure you have established a learning environment that allows rehearsals to flow well from the very start of the school year! 11 Things to Avoid Doing at […]

In May, August, and September 2015, the Choral Journal featured a three-part article series titled “Notes for Success: Advice for the First-Year Choral Teacher.” As part of the series, 11 choral conductors with teaching experience ranging from 4 to 34 years answered 10 questions related to setting expectations for your first year, classroom management, balancing a successful […]