Latest Blog Posts

I hope most of the ChoralNet membership is traveling to Chicago today for a spectacular National ACDA Conference.   I expect that we'll be blogging multiple times a day about the conference, so check into ChoralNet often for some official updates.   If you want to take part in the conversation about ACDA Chicago, you […]

Bobby McFerrin is interviewed by Huffington Post's Bianca Bosker: When I was a kid growing up and we bought albums, we treated them with such reverence, we would listen to every single cut, first to last, whether we liked the pieces or not, we were patient enough to at least give the [pieces] a chance. […]

Guardian columnist Tom Service growls at audience members who break the silence following the final chord in a piece of music: But it was a moment of dizzying collective rapture that was all too predictably ruined by some eejit in the Royal Festival Hall shouting "bravi!" – from one of the boxes, I'm pretty sure […]

ACDA is fortunate to have an Executive Director who is also a published scholar – see this new publication from Pendragon Press entitled "Jubilate, Amen!"   A description of the book: Many facets of Donald P. Hustad's distinguished career as professor, author, and church musician are celebrated in this volume by 29 peers and former […]

It is wonderful to have an ACDA Executive Director that is also an accomplished choral director.   A review of his recent performance of Rachmaninoff Vespers: Tulsa Oratorio Chorus artistic director Tim Sharp began Sunday afternoon's concert with an effort at what he called "truth in advertising." The official title of the piece the chorus […]

Although some of the movements of Pergolesi’s Stabat Mater are more lighthearted than the text would suggest, what I’m really referring to is the comedy of errors in dealing with the orchestra parts.   It started a few weeks ago when I was marking up my full score with my preferred articulations, dynamics, bowings, etc., […]

Eric Whitacre talks about his TED experience: It’s difficult for me to describe, but I think my TED talk on Tuesday may have been one of the most profound experiences I’ve ever had. The audience – nearly 2,000 thinkers, inventors, artists, entrepreneurs and leaders – create this strange, tangible energy, an intoxicating blend of intellect, […]

Thanks, Eric, for representing us so well.   From the TEDx blog: All of the speakers in the Monumental session delivered tight, powerful talks, but most poignant for me was the juxtaposition of Eric Whitacre’s virtual choir with Wadah of Al Jazeera’s discussion. Whitacre demonstrated the amazing power of crowdsourcing and how the social media […]

Yesterday, we wondered about using YouTube to help rehearse a choir.   Chris Rowbury asks a more basic question – do you need sheet music in a rehearsal?   Here is his list of advantages/disadvantages.  What is he missing?   advantages of teaching by ear no looking at pieces of paper – singers can focus […]

As part of the ongoing move towards technology, ACDA is providing the 2011 National Conference Program book in PDF form for participants!   Download the book here and use it in Chicago.  (Note:  all conference participants will get a paper version of the Program book.)   It works great on an iPad!   LATE BREAKING TRAVEL […]