Latest Blog Posts
Innovation is “In”
It seems it is once again cool to innovate, and I am pleased to see the trend. Perhaps it is because of the great hope that our current innovators are bringing to us that makes it such a hot topic, but whatever the reason, "thank you" to Steve Jobs and to all the other dreamers […]
How To Faint at Your Next Choir Concert
I created this little presentation for my choir after one of my college students took a spill at the end of the service. I hope you enjoy: How to faint at next choir concert<div style="padding:5px 0 12px"> View more <a data-cke-saved-href="http://www.slideshare.net/" href="http://www.slideshare.net/">presentations</a> from <a data-cke-saved-href="http://www.slideshare.net/philipco" href="http://www.slideshare.net/philipco">philipco</a> </div> </div>
Choral Caffeine: Recruiting for Church Choir
One of the non-musical tasks every choral conductors has to perform is recruiting singers. Okay, I know there are a couple schools in the country where a staggeringly high percentage of student sing in choir, the rest of us poor mortals have to sell, sell, sell! It’s even harder in a church. In an educational […]
What does a singer look for in a conductor audition?
This is from a singer’s blog, describing her impressions from the audition of a potential Artistic Director (the applicant rehearsed and conducted a concert). Of course, everyone has different criteria. This is just one opinion, but this singer had a very positive impression because: She radiates electric energy … on stage and rehearsal. She […]
Choral Caffeine: Church Music
Part of the normal musical week for some choral conductors is service to a local church or synagogue. I suppose it stands to reason, given that a large portion of the history of choral music is tied in one form or another to the church. Of course, trying to understand the term “church music” is […]
Choral Caffeine: A Little Vocal Care
It’s already hit me, and I suspect you’ve faced it too. You know what I’m talking about . . . that change-in-the-weather, everyone-in-the-choir-is sick, exposed-to-all-their-germs upper respiratory infection that we all seem to get this time of year. It’s not a full-blown cold or flu, just a nagging sniffling, coughing, low-grade fever affair that takes […]
Stick Time: Clarity of Line
Johann Sebastian Bach. I confess, dispite my adoration of his art, he’s still one of my musical tormentors. The reason is simple: I don’t think I’ll ever grasp all he poured into his monolithic compositions (which explains why some conductors devote themselves almost exclusively to his music). I won’t stop trying, though. Today, let’s […]
Stick Time: Programming for Big Voices
One of the topics that has been discussed rather frequently in the Choral Journal of late is the issue of what to do with big voices in a choral ensemble. Here’s a look at an ensemble of unquestionably large professional voices – the U.S. Navy Sea Chanters. The conductor apparently does not attempt to shoehorn […]
That’s What I Am, but only with support
I recently watched the movie That's What I Am, a coming-of-age movie released earlier this year with a message of tolerance for those different from you, especially gays (although it's set in the 1960s). In the climax of the movie, a secondary character shows his courage by singing an original song a cappella for […]
Insert Tortoise joke here
A commenter on Philip's recent post about copyrighting the Dead Sea Scrolls mentioned that although the scrolls themselves might be in public domain, photographs of them might be copyrightable. This might be true technically, but it violates the purpose of copyright, which is to protect creative work. Some photographs are artistic and obviously should […]