Latest Blog Posts

Before I discovered Sight Reading Factory (SRF), I was using Smart Music for sight-singing homework. I liked it because it auto-graded assignments, which saved me a boatload of time.   However, as I gained more experience, I realized that Smart Music’s auto-grading feature was creating more hassle for the students than convenience for my grading process.   That’s when I made […]

Subscribe for free and never miss out on the conversation. The show is on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube or ANY podcast player! Last month might have been the best yet! Happy Labor Day! The month of August had five Fridays, so you got five episodes to get our school and choir years started! It is my […]

“In doing what we ought we deserve no praise, because it is our duty.” Saint Augustine Happy anniversary to US! It’s hard to believe it has been nine years since Scott Dorsey asked me to become a regular ChoralNet Blogger. At first, I worried about having enough material to write a regular blog on something […]

Introducing music using a rote technique has its advantages in certain circumstances. However, possibly more impactful is connecting the sight-reading skills that are required in most state music standards with the learning of new performance repertoire. To begin, have students count the rhythm separately from the music. Concurrently with this step, students can begin to […]

“Yoga allows you to rediscover a sense of wholeness in your life, where you do not feel like you are constantly trying to fit broken pieces together.” B.K.S. Iyengar It’s hard to believe I am starting my fifth year writing this blog.  My intention in those early days of the pandemic was to encourage conductors, […]

We all know that warm-ups can be a great way to kick off a choir rehearsal with some fun. In fact, choir directors on Facebook are CONSTANTLY asking for FUN warm-ups.   But here’s the thing—while having a good time is awesome, vocal warm-ups are about so much more! They’re the secret sauce to vocal development […]

“Unless a tree has borne blossoms in spring, you will vainly look for fruit on it in autumn.” Walter Scott This is a Choral Ethics Blog post repeat from several years ago. I try to be here, one way or another, every week because I know many of you look forward to this blog and […]

I have a simple method to voice my students effectively and quickly. With this approach, you can voice new members in as quickly as 3 minutes or less. In addition to discovering a singer’s range, we must also take into account other factors, such as: their tessitura the needs of the ensemble their personal preference HERE […]

Choir is not my family, we aren’t adjusting choral curriculum sufficiently with the times, we don’t know how to get choirs to sing in tune and we don’t build “real” cultures in our classrooms. Geez! Is this a negative podcast?! Not. At. All. These four conversations do have an element of constructive criticism, but that […]

“No art is less spontaneous than mine. What I do is the result of reflection and the study of the great masters.” Edgar Degas This is a Choral Ethics Blog post repeat from several years ago. I need to slow down and plotting out the rest of the summer now seems like a smart idea. […]