Latest Blog Posts

A virtual choir festival in Estonia: Thousands of people across Estonia on Friday took part in a landmark virtual choir festival, gathering in front of big screens to sing the small Baltic state’s cherished anthems. Organisers said crowds massed at over a hundred open-air locations in this nation of 1.3 million people to perform eight […]

Ah the joys of a new year!   We are all in that mode, aren’t we?  Read here how Terminal Degree sees the first few days: There’s fear in the eyes of the freshmen and transfers. They’re walking around with crumpled schedules, asking for directions, and wandering into the wrong classrooms. One young man was […]

The choral conductor by definition has stepped into a highly visible position of leadership. A worthy leader is not satisfied with doing only good work–it is our desire to move from good to great. In Jim Collins' writing on moving good organizations to great organizations, he offers key ideas for moving in this direction. • […]

It's the millennium for the Abbey of Solemnes — this French abbey, which has been the world center for Gregorian chant scholarship since the 19th century, was founded in the year 1010.    When I was an undergraduate and took a course in chant, I found the early manuscripts fascinating, particularly the ones which pre-dated […]

This graphic demonstration of Bach’s “Crab Canon” from the Musical Offering has been making the rounds in my various social networks recenty.  A great visual demonstration is offered here, and will make an appearance in my music appreciation course this fall!   If you haven’t seen it before – I hope you enjoy it!  

The September issue of the Choral Journal is out and ready for you to peruse it – online of course.   Did you know that all of the back issues of the Choral Journal are available for download?  ACDA Membership has value!

      Truth #1 As Conductor, You Make the Difference. Before you lead you have to believe you can have a positive impact on others. When you believe you can make a difference, you position yourself to hear the call to lead.  Truth #2 Integrity is the Podium on which you Stand. If people don’t believe […]

As one of my primary life and career mentors retired and moved to a location closer to children and grandchildren, this giant in my career made a point of sending some of the physical reminders of his work and craft to his protégés. It was a personal and extraordinarily meaningful gesture on his part. The […]

David Griggs-Janower lists his selections of the greatest choral works of all time.  The first three:   Anyway, I think my first three are (drum roll~~~~~~~~): Bach B Minor Mass Bach St. Matthew Passion Brahms Requiem I even think that’s the order.  The B Minor is more universal than the Passion, though neither is truly universal, and maybe that’s why it’s […]

From the Front of the Choir gives us twenty ways to build your audience.   The first one is hilarious:  use a smaller venue!   use a smaller venue – of course you won’t fit a bigger audience in, but the audience you do get will seem bigger and give the choir confidence, you might […]