Latest Blog Posts
10 “DO NOWs” to be more successful NEXT YEAR
I know it’s summer break for many of you. For others, the school year is nearly over. Some of you are thinking: “I’m in summer mode. Why, on earth, would I want to start working on next year now? I just want to relax…..” Well, you do have a good point….. But here you are […]
Jazz Has the Recipe for Inclusion. Omni-Musicians with Greg Thomas
What does it mean to be an Omni-American? An Omni-Citizen, or an Omni-Musician? How can Jazz be taught as a metaphor for American culture and democracy? In what ways do our modern conversations about diversity and inclusion badly need to include some Albert Murray in the mix? Greg Thomas joins me this week to discuss […]
Choral Potpourri/Choral Ethics: Truth to Tell
“Truth is always strange, stranger than fiction.” Lord Byron Since writing about Choral Ethics here on ChoralNet, I have received many emails. Folks who contact me either want to thank me or to tell me their stories. And their stories are amazing. Some seem outlandish at the outset, but then I follow up by asking […]
Spinning My Wheels!: Lamentations, Reflections, and Reset Plans of a Bewildered Choir Director
ChorTeach is ACDA’s quarterly online publication, designed for those who work with singers of all levels but specifically K-12 and community choirs. A full annotated ChorTeach index is available online at acda.org/publications/chorteach. Over 160 articles are organized into seventeen categories. For more information, email or visit acda.org/chorteach. Following is an excerpt from an article in the Spring 2023 issue […]
8 Ideas to “Fill up” the Last Rehearsals of the Year
Are you looking for activities to “fill up” the final rehearsals of the school year? If so, I have 8 different ideas that may help you and your choir to end your year on a high note! The goal we should have is to “fill up” our rehearsals, not to “fill in” our rehearsals. I […]
Choral Potpourri/Choral Ethics: It’s All Right!
“Life is not a matter of holding good cards, but of playing a poor hand well.” Robert Louis Stevenson I hate whiners. When my boys were young, they knew I would not “hear” them if they complained in a whiny voice. They could complain about life not being fair or that someone got a bigger […]
ChorTeach Spring 2023
ChorTeach is ACDA’s quarterly online publication, designed for those who work with singers of all levels. Following is a list of the articles in the Spring 2023 issue! A full annotated ChorTeach index is available online at acda.org/chorteach. Over 160 articles are organized into seventeen categories. For submission information, to view the index, or to read the latest issue, […]
“Tár” Movie Review
This week, I FINALLY respond to the many requests I got to share my thoughts on the movie “Tár,” starring Cate Blanchett. So, consider this my review of the movie. I talk about the tension in the film between the stereotypes of the “conductor” as a male, power abusing, egomaniac alongside the movie’s portrayal of […]
Choral Potpourri/Choral Ethics: My Own Choral Ethics Dilemmas
“The first step in the evolution of ethics is a sense of solidarity with other human beings.” Albert Schweitzer I tootle along in the local music world, trying to be professional, trying to be kind. My singers will tell you they have rarely seen me upset in rehearsal, even working with some difficult people. I […]
A&C Monthly Blog: Developing Black-Belt Choral Musicians: Transferable Lessons from the Jiu-Jitsu Mats
by Dr. Jeffery Wall During our monthly Advocacy and Collaboration Committee meetings we always talk about unique collaborations or transfers we hear or see from our colleagues as a way to spark ideas or celebrate what folks are doing. What’s a transfer? According to the recent book by Jessica Nápoles and Rebecca B. MacLeod, […]