Latest Blog Posts
Midweek Meditation: Begin Again
Sharon Salzberg is one of my favorite meditation teachers. I mentioned her in a previous blog when I discussed metta or loving-kindness meditation and her approach to the practice resonates with me. She, along with Joseph Goldstein and Jack Kornfield, is known for being one of the earliest teachers of meditation in the West. In […]
Beginnings: Establishing Systems for a Smoothly Run Music Ministry
“You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems.” James Clear This humbling and empowering quote is from a book called Atomic Habits by James Clear. From my experience, life is easier when systems are in place. For example, keeping an apartment, house, or workspace organized […]
Wisdom of the Crowd: David Lang on Finding Community in His Participatory Choral Works
The August 2022 issue of Choral Journal is online and features an article titled “Wisdom of the Crowd: David Lang on Finding Community in His Participatory Choral Works” in conversation with Patrick Murray. You can read it in its entirety at acda.org/choraljournal. Following is a portion from the introduction. _________________ Composer David Lang is no stranger to the choral […]
Choir Quiz #2: Here’s The One I Use Every Year!
My second and third choir quiz of the year set the musical foundation for my students. I’ve been giving the same second and third choir quiz for over a decade. I guarantee you that these two quizzes will benefit just about any secondary level choir out there! Check out my latest blog post: Choir Quiz #2 Here’s The One I Use […]
Choir Quiz: Here’s The First One I Give Every Year
Are you looking for useful ways to grade your choir members? My first choir quiz of the year has the ability to set up ALL students for success. In this brand new blog post, I’m going to share with you the first choir quiz that I give to my singers every year. It is foundational to the success of […]
Choral Potpourri/Choral Ethics: Adversity
“The friend in my adversity I shall always cherish most. I can better trust those who helped to relieve the gloom of my dark hours than those who are so ready to enjoy with me the sunshine of my prosperity.” Ulysses S. Grant As September winds down, we will deal with a few more Choral […]
Difficult Conversations: A Path Toward Positive Outcomes
By Alex Gartner Let’s play a game. The rules are simple: hold up five fingers. Ready? Put a finger down if you’ve ever received a scathing email. Put a finger down if you’ve ever been yelled at over the phone. Put a finger down if a parent or supervisor has raised their voice in your […]
The Conductor as Yogi: The Illusion of “Done”
We are list makers, task accomplishers, and detail managers. We juggle between our professional and personal lives, never really stopping for long because there is always one more item on the list, one more email to send, one more errand to run. When we finish that, we think, then we will be “done.” The only […]
How to Live Long and Prosper as a Choral Music Educator
The September 2022 issue of Choral Journal is online and features an article titled “How to Live Long and Prosper as a Choral Music Educator” by J. Edmund Hughes. You can read it in its entirety at acda.org/choraljournal. Following is a portion from the introduction. _________________ As a junior in college, my conducting career began in 1968 […]
What To Do When They Can’t Sing In Tune
Do you have singers who STRUGGLE to sing in tune? Do they sound like drones? Are they hindering the sound of your choir? Every singer can learn to sing in tune. There are only two main causes for out-of-tune singing: 1) lack of aural training/ear-training skills 2) lack of vocal technique Usually, the issues are a […]