Latest Blog Posts

As choral groups go on hiatus for the summer, what outlet does a singer have for making music? Vocalizing in the shower isn’t the same as harmonizing with a group. And while it’s rewarding to rehearse and perform with a choir, sometimes a singer just wants to have fun, without the commitment. “Fun” is the idea behind community […]

Here are some things to keep in mind when choosing the configuration of your room, and seating your choir. Listen to this episode (16 mins) Join Choir Nation on Facebook! Show Notes When choosing to Feng Shui your room and seat your choir, keep the following items in mind. Be aware of the height of you […]

Kyle Karum is an expert music ed interviewee and shares his tips on creating a compelling cover letter, resume, and portfolio that your potential employers will love! JOIN CHOIR NATION ON FACEBOOK JOIN CHOIR NATION ON FACEBOOK LISTEN TO THE EPISODE HERE! KYLE KARUM’S BIO Kyle Karum is a music educator originally from Muskegon, MI […]

“It is better to know some of the questions than all of the answers.” James Thurber   For every choral director/conductor there is a perfect choir and for every choir, there is a perfect director/conductor. There are times it just “feels right” and there are times it does not. The past few weeks we’ve looked […]

I’m Stan Schmidt, your host for “Going Beyond Words”, inviting you to enjoy music by Luigi Cherubini, David Sisco, William Byrd, Gerald Finzi, Thomas Tomkins, John Hoybye, Rachmaninov and a commisioned work by Omaha composer Jackson Berkey.

The May 2016 issue of the Choral Journal features a cover article written by Daniel Mahraun titled “What Language Shall I Borrow? Singing in Translation” in which he presents ways to make performance in translation “satisfying, not merely satisfactory.” (Read the entire article here) Mahraun first revisits four arguments against translations that were listed by […]

There comes a time at the end of the year when there’s a month left and your choir has very little left to accomplish. In this week’s Technique Tuesday, Ryan Guth will go over some ideas of how to spend your time to enhance your program and add some fun to the end of the school […]

  “Questions are never indiscreet, answers sometimes are.” Oscar Wilde You have the perfect Music Director Search Committee gathered. You’ve soul-searched and all members of your committee are on the same page for the future of the organization or ensemble. You’ve hired a competent interim. You have sent out audition notices (and advertised for the […]

This week on “Going Beyond Words”, we will take a trip from 1585 through 1897 and visit the music of the renaissance, baroque and romantic periods. Listen in to a double choir setting of Psalm 2 by Heinrich Schütz and wonderful display of Dixit Dominus by Alessandro Scarlatti and the always enjoyable, Liebeslieder-Walzer Op 52 by Johannes Brahms.