Latest Blog Posts
Creating a Positive Culture in your Choir – III
Last time I discussed Doug Lemov's 100% idea: "There's on acceptable percentage of students following a direction: 100 percent. Less, and your authority is subject to interpretation, situation, and motivation." So, what are his principles for getting to 100%? He says there are three principles to ensure "consistent follow-through and compliance in the […]
Stick Time: As you head out the door
Here is a selection from the 2011 ACDA National Conference to send you on your way for the Thanksgiving holiday weekend . . .
Stick Time: Entering the “Field”
I like the way football teams come on the field. Flags flying! Cheerleaders flipping! Bands playing a fanfare! Smoke, and fireworks, and confetti, and cheers! Choirs, well, usually not so much . . . Finding a way to enter the concert hall (our “playing field”) in a manner that provides a little interest […]
Thank the Choir
“When I’m worried and I can’t sleep, I count my blessings instead of sheep; and I fall asleep counting my blessings . . .” ~Irving Berlin Every one of us has concerns. We worry about our families, our health, our incomes, our futures, or any one of an infinite number of possible conundrums that […]
Composition Spotlight: To Mistress Margaret Hussey
COMPOSITION SPOTLIGHT ~ by Jack Senzig (Each week we look at a piece of useful repertoire from the ChoralNet Community Composition Showcase. A variety of voicings and levels of difficulty will be presented. Enjoy!) To Mistress Margaret Hussey by Karen P. Thomas for SATB a cappella (click for PDF and audio) Alnight by the Rose by Karen P. Thomas for SSAATTBB […]
ChoralTech: 2 60-Second Fixes to Edit your Audio
No matter how you record and distribute your audio, there are two basic editing steps that will help you clean up any audio file. Editing audio on your computer can be quick and easy, but it’s also something that can open an endless rabbit-hole of tweaking, pulling and fiddling. We’re going to keep it basic […]
Stick Time: We Create the Spark
A couple weeks ago in a Choral Caffeine column, we commented that the average choral conductor’s “appetite for new music verges on rapacious.” The column went on to highlight the Choral Public Domain Library (CPDL.org) as a treasure trove of great choral repertoire. A friend e-mailed to disagree, saying, “Old music is just that […]
GUEST BLOG: “The Importance of Youth in our Future” by Amanda Quist
The Importance of Youth in Our Future by Amanda Quist The next time you are in a high school or college choral rehearsal, look around you: seated somewhere is the next president, your future CEO, the next Alice Parker or Robert Shaw. The future of choral music in America is being shaped right now […]