Latest Blog Posts

I am taking a bit of a Choral Ethics break this week, and this is a repeat of an often requested Choral Ethics Blog. “I am grateful for what I am and have. My thanksgiving is perpetual.” Henry David Thoreau I always try to be grateful, and I remain grateful, despite much upheaval in our […]

The November/December 2023 issue of Choral Journal is online and features an article titled “’Tempo is Affect, Duration is Drama’: The Conducting Methodology of Carmen-Helena Téllez” by Brandon Hollihan. Following is a portion from the article. _________________ Dr. Carmen-Helena Téllez (1955-2021) was a force of nature in the world of choral and contemporary music. She is credited as […]

A large and GROWING free music literacy resource for music educators! View the Whole YouTube Playlist In the most recent episode, we have referenced a few resources, provided in the Patreon Google Folder. The “Science of Reading” refers to a large body of interdisciplinary evidence. The past 40 years has yielded tremendous, interdisciplinary insights into the process […]

“Music expresses that which cannot be said and on which it is impossible to be silent.” Victor Hugo  It is the most wonderful time of the year, so the song goes, and it is, really. But it is also one of the most difficult times of the year. There are challenges we may face, despite […]

When’s the last time you asked yourself why you chose this path? What makes you choose choir? Sitting in class last week we were diving into some of my favorite choral selections and the students were enamored – that look on their faces, that feeling I get when listening, the excitement that comes when the […]

The November/December 2023 issue of Choral Journal is online and features an article titled “Performing Sergei Rachmaninoff’s All-Night Vigil: An Interview with Conductors and Singers” by Vladimir Morosan. Following is a portion from the article. _________________ Sergei Rachmaninoff (1873-1943) was a Russian composer and conductor considered to be “the last great figure of the tradition of Russian Romanticism […]

This week I am excited to bring you a compelling discussion with the esteemed, and often outspoken Dr. Jeffrey Allen Murdock. In this episode we mainly center on three distinct, but not unrelated topics. First, Dr. Murdock shares his passion for Culturally Relevant pedagogy in the choral context as we discuss what it this concept […]

“Always do right.  This will gratify some people and astonish the rest.” Mark Twain My late Mom always said arrogance and ignorance are a deadly combination. As a coloratura soprano, nothing irritated her more than someone telling her how to sing or what to sing, unless they were a director or conductor she was working […]

The November/December 2023 issue of Choral Journal is available online. ACDA members can log in with their username and password to view and download the newest edition. You can also read our electronic version. If you are not already a member of ACDA, join today to start receiving your monthly Choral Journal! _ _ _ _ _ _ IN THIS […]

“Christmas isn’t a season. It’s a feeling” Edna Ferber I recently was contacted by a lovely colleague, Pete*, about an ongoing discussion during his community chorus’s rehearsals. He is not sure what to do and wants some data collected from other Choral Professionals to share with his group. I said I would write about it […]