Latest Blog Posts

(From the Choral Journal column, “Musica Practica,” by Nina Gilbert.  Scroll to page 65.)          How do modern practicing musicians use art to benefit the world? Aside from the benefits of the music itself, here are ideas to seed that collection.        Senior citizens are, of course, an appreciative audience. Consider the following way […]

(From the Choral Journal article, “Selecting Choral Repertoire as Pre-Curriculum,” by John W. Richmond.  Scroll to page 23)          All of us involved in music education, regardless of level, struggle to close the gap between the theory of our field and its practice in the classroom. The professional literature regarding the design of music […]

(From the Choral Journal article “A Band Aid for Choir Directors: A Choir Retreat Without Singing,” by James Kimmel.  Scroll to page 26.)         If you are looking for a fresh way to begin your choral year this fall, consider a choir retreat. It will give you an opportunity to know your students well […]

(From the Choral Journal article, “The Singer as Surgical Patient: What the Choral Director Should Know,” by Carol E. Jorgensen and Albert L. Merati.)          For anyone, the mere prospect of surgery can be terrifying; from the perspective of the professional vocalist, the added concern over potential injury to the larynx may supersede the […]

(From the Choral Journal article, “An Adjudicator Lists Ten Common Sins,” by Pamela S. Wurgler.)          Group vocal training is possible, even in a large choral setting, but in one-on-one instruction, when the choral director assumes the role of voice teacher, the individual singer really progresses toward the ideals of efficient, artistic singing. The […]

(From the Choral Journal article, “Aural Theory Training in the Choral Warm-Up: A Warm-Up Curriculum,” by Edward Cetto and Gabrielle Dietrich.)          The first five minutes of the choral rehearsal have the potential to be a dynamic, vital, interactive learning experience. It can be a time to engage the kinesthetic, musical, and cognitive intelligences […]

(From the Choral Journal article, “The Psychologist and the Conductor: Solving Rehearsal Problems Using Awareness of Personality Types,” by Barbara Pollack and Harriet Simons)          Why do some rehearsals energize conductors while others drain them? Some rehearsals cry out for a celebration afterward; others induce headaches, anger, insomnia, and the like. What can conductors […]

(From the Choral Journal article, “The Unaccompanied Choral Rehearsal,” by Jerry Ulrich.)          Most choral directors agree that a fine accompanist is an integral part of many a successful choral rehearsal. A person with excellent keyboard skills who is also a sensitive accompanistis a rare and valued commodity. Just as a fine accompanist can […]

Cincinnati 2012 Resolution of the U.S. Senate July 2012 announced as World Choir Games month   Two Ohioan U.S. senators, Rob Portman (Republicans) und Sherrod Brown (Democrats), expressed in a press release their happiness about the confirmation of a resolution that had been turned in November 2011. The resolution states the global importance of the […]