Latest Blog Posts

(An excerpt from the interest session “Socially Engaged Musicianship in Choral Music Connecting to the World Around Us,” presented by Doreen Rao during the 2014 ACDA Central Division Conference)          The idea of “Socially Engaged Musicianship” can be framed by Leonard Bernstein’s response to the assassination of John F. Kennedy: “This will be our […]

(An excerpt from the interest session “ I Want Free Money! Grants for Choirs,” presented by Chris Clark during the 2014 ACDA Eastern Division Conference)          Grant writing by choral directors is often a necessary evil, deriving from the desire to see ensembles progress farther than ticket sales and dues allow. Ideally, directors should […]

  Amazing!

COMPOSITION SPOTLIGHT ~ by Jack Senzig   (Each week we look at one or two of the best choral works posted in the Composition Showcase here on ChoralNet.  This is where we store a treasure trove of works that your choirs will love to sing and your audiences will love to hear.)   Frozen In by Dale Trumbore for […]

ATTACHING STORIES TO CHORAL TEXTS by Amanda Bumgarner          The May 2014 issue of the Choral Journal features a cover article written by Philip Silvey titled “Fashioning Compelling Stories” in which Silvey argues for the importance of the role of stories in a choral singer’s experience—what he calls “text narrative exploration.”        Undoubtedly, there […]

(An excerpt from the interest session “Ten Keys to Unlocking Artistic Choral Performance,” presented by Frank F. Eychaner during the 2014 ACDA Eastern Division Conference)         Rehearsing and performing using a variety of movement exercises will powerfully impact the artistry of a choral performance. The applications of movement in our choirs are nearly endless. […]

More about starting your own group to gain experience (since we learn by doing!):   First, I would check out Chorus America. It's an organization dedicated to the independent chorus–one that has its own board, leadership, etc., rather than being attached to an institution (church, school, etc.). They publish a Chorus Leadership Guide, which gives […]

(An excerpt from the interest session “Develop Your Yoga Practice and Use It in the Choral Rehearsal,” presented by Steven Russell during the 2014 ACDA Eastern Division Conference)   It’s 7:05 in the morning. The elevator stops at the 3rd floor. The doors open. The hallway is the quietest it has ever been. No noise. […]

(An excerpt from the Choral Journal article, “Making the Connection Between Healthy Voice and Successful Teaching and Learning in the Music Classroom,” by Mary Lynn Doherty)          Research suggests that there are universal, rather than population-specific, vocally abusive behaviors associated with teaching. Teaching requires vocal endurance, often in stressful conditions, where there is an […]