Latest Blog Posts

            Most of us think of the American Choral Directors Association primarily in terms of professional affiliation.  For a few people, though, ACDA is a family affair.             Take the family of Bill Grace; they represent three generations of ACDA members. Bill has been a member since ACDA’s earliest days in 1959, his daughters Gretchen […]

In case anyone hasn’t noticed from all of the posturing politicians endlessly bloviating in front of anything with a lens, it’s election time.  Yes, we’re going to determine which of a field of veracity-challenged, folliclly-blessed attorney’s we send to the beltway to pork-out on our money.   For many of us, though, the larger concern […]

On Monday in the "Stick Time" column we refered to the 70s jazz-fusion band "Weather Report." Here's a little taste for your Saturday (and if you recognize the chart as having been covered by The Manhattan Transfer, you win a cookie!).

When people hear the term 'weather report' they probably think of the local news, The Weather Channel, or perhaps even the 70s jazz-fusion band (I'll share that just for fun in the next "Saturday Respite").  Maybe now we'll think of this performance of "Weather Report" (Chilcott) by The Choir of the West from Pacific Lutheran […]

Our summer ends with the autumnal equinox taking place on Saturday (at 10:49 EDT to be exact).  It seems an appropriate time to listen to this performance of “Shall I Compare Thee to a Summer’s Day” (Lindberg) by the Commonwealth Singers from Virginia Commonwealth University (John Guthmiller, conductor) recorded during the 2012 ACDA Southern Division […]

(From the Choral Journal article “Is Your Baton Suffering from the ‘Terrible Two's’?” by Michael Yachanin, p.37)          Which is the only conducting pattern with a downbeat that does not move straight down? In what pattern is it most difficult to achieve variety? Which pattern is most prevalent in Renaissance music? It is the […]

(From the Choral Journal article “The Interpretive Process in Choral Music” by John H. Peed)          “Interpretation,” as defined by The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, is “a concept of a work of art as expressed by the character and style of its representation or performance. ” In this respect, let’s begin […]

Dean, Brandon L.   A Repertoire Assessment Rubric for Preservice and Beginning Choral Conductors Based on Criteria of Aesthetic and Pedagogical Merit.  Doctor of Musical Arts dissertation.  University of Cincinnat College-Conservatory of Music, 2011.        The foundation of successful choral music education begins with the selection of repertoire that is of artistic and pedagogical merit and […]

       For those of us in the choral profession, the search for literature is an almost daily quest.  We troll, prowl and lurk, constantly on the hunt for something new for our ensembles.  While the middle school and collegiate conductors may be stalking different “prey,” their hunting techniques are the same.        For seekers of […]

Depending on where one spends more of their choral life, there is always a body of work that is out of our reach.  The symphonic chorus conductor may get to conduct such works as the Verdi Requiem or Beethoven Missa Solemnes on a regular basis, but how would the philharmonic choir handle a Phil Mattson […]