Latest Blog Posts

Daily sight-reading in the choral classroom is a beneficial instructional practice that promotes music literacy skills.  However, this pedagogical approach is, at times, disinteresting to students due to the repetitive use of exercises from a methods book.  While consistency is important when teaching music literacy, variety is also beneficial, providing students with a new and […]

ACDA’s annual free summer workshop and festival listing will appear in the March/April issue of Choral Journal for events taking place May 1 – Sept 1, 2024.  Submissions are due by January 15, 2024, to . Please format your submission as follows:  Date of Event Event Title Location (specify if Virtual) 1-2 sentence description of the event Contact name Contact email/phone […]

There are 11 winter concert songs that I repeat every year.   In this blog post, I’m going to share each of them, provide a recording, a link for the sheet music, and most importantly, tell you why each song is repeated. Whether you choose to follow in my footsteps or not is less important […]

Over the last year, I have seen Dr. Thomas present twice on the importance of ensuring that the African American Spiritual is passed on to the next generations through our choral ensembles and music classrooms. In these presentations he also speaks eloquently about the challenges we face in doing so. We have parents, students and […]

“Music is a moral law. It gives soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination, and charm and gaiety to life and to everything.” Plato Why do we love music? And why make it our life’s work? I’ve been pondering this question as I organize some of my ChoralNetters favorite holiday […]

“You are not a meditation failure; you just haven’t been taught yet.” Emily Fletcher A few months ago, I followed up on a book recommendation and read Stress Less, Accomplish More: Meditation for Extraordinary Performance.  I was intrigued by the title but also by the high-profile endorsers (such as Mark Hyman, M.D.) and the fact […]

The November/December 2023 issue of Choral Journal is online and features an article titled “Improving the Rehearsal Experience: Strategies for Success” by Matt Hill. Following is a portion from the article. _________________ Time is valuable, but rehearsal time is priceless. Each of us has the opportunity to make our rehearsals more effective in terms of teaching our singers […]

There are 8 reasons why I choose to repeat the same holiday music each year for my choir.   Before calling me lazy. read my blog post to understand  my rationale.   Whether you choose to follow in my footsteps or not is less important than understanding how this approach could help you to build […]

In a world characterized by constant social criticism and a perpetual desire for progress, the often-overlooked emotion of gratitude emerges as a powerful catalyst for personal and societal improvement. While constructive criticism and a drive for change are essential elements in fostering growth, without a foundation of gratitude for what we DO have, individuals and […]

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 […]