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One of the features of the upcoming seven divisional conferences of the American Choral Directors Association will be the premiere of the latest work in the Raymond R. Brock Memorial Choral Composition Series.   The work commissioned for the 2012 conferences is “Distance Can’t Keep Us Two Apart,” by Chen Yi. “When I received the invitation […]

I work to avoid posts of a political nature on this blog.  However, this bit of news played into an ongoing discussion regarding copyright that we have in this space: Top-ranking Obama administration officials, including the U.S. copyright czar, played an active role in secret negotiations between Hollywood, the recording industry and ISPs to disrupt […]

Welcome to Stick Time: Conducting Study. This is the first of what we hope will be a regular feature on ChoralBuzz highlighting outstanding conductors and the successful physical gestures they use.   Today let’s learn by watching.  We’re going to observe approximately one minute of a brilliant conductor in action, applying a positive analytical eye […]

It’s Saturday!  Time for a laugh.  Yes, I know, typewriters are indescribably old technology and this is obviously from a very old move (albeit a very young Jerry Lewis). But SOMEone else has to think this is a scream. (Note: music composed by Leroy Anderson)  

I spotted this on the ACDA website last week: The site acda.org is the Association’s primary online resource for ACDA information and news. For the period June 15 to September 15, 2011, the site's publications increased by 170% while front page traffic grew by 591% compared to the same three-month period of 2010. Great to […]

I confess, my eyes glaze over a bit when I hear the phrase “strategic planning.”  It sounds so . . . administrative.   I consulted the Book of Knowledge and found this clarifying sentence: In order to determine where it is going, the organization needs to know exactly where it stands, then determine where it […]

One of the reasons choral conductors insist that singers memorize their scores is that there is a connection between eye contact between conductor & choir and the cohesiveness of the ensemble (besides, who wants to look at the tops of heads buried in folders).  However, note that in this wonderful performance from ACDA's 2011 National […]

Music, like religion, unconditionally brings in its train all the moral virtures to the heart it enters, even though the heart is not in the least worthy.  ~ Jean Baptiste Montegut

A pleasant Sunday.  

It’s Saturday. Breathe, relax if you can.  Here’s an autumn thunderstorm for you.