Latest Blog Posts
Monteverdi’s Best
I was at Podium 2010 and had a few moments to visit with Leonard Ratzlaff, a prominent Canadian conductor at the University of Alberta. I’m a big fan of Len and have blogged about him before. Len is a special kind of conductor. When he performs Monteverdi, he makes you want to perform Monteverdi. […]
The Hokey Pokey Heals
This one doesn’t need much commentary: Pay attention to some of the comments at the end, including this one: “Psalm 103 says ‘Forget not his benefits.’ Alzheimers is not scriptural.”
Remembering on Memorial Day
Brian Galante conducts the PLU Chorus in Ticheli’s “There Will Be Rest.”
The Real Dale Peterson
Dale Peterson is a minister of music in Auburn, Alabama. He’s an ACDA member and runs an active music ministry at First Baptist Auburn. He shares a name with another Dale Peterson, who is running for political office as the wanna-be Agricultural Commissioner. His friends and family are having some fun with the situation. […]
Winning on the backs of the losers – composition competitions
Paul Carey works to tell it like it is! In this blog post, Paul blasts the composition competitions that charge an entry fee in order to fund the grand prize. Lots of juicy stuff here. First, a story about composer Paul Crabtree: recently a very talented composer who you may know, Paul […]
Develop Choral Tone – By Choosing the Right Repertoire
Vern Sanders captures the highlights from Morna Edmundson’s presentation at Podium 2010. A few of her questions: Does this piece have a beautiful melody? Does this piece have architecture/structure/shape? Does the text of this piece create possibilities to explore expression, dynamics, and/or tone color? Does this piece allow the singers to sing most of […]
Podium 2010 and Stephen Chatman’s “Remember”
I am in Saskatoon, Canada and attending Podium 2010. Podium is Canada’s equivalent to the national ACDA conference but a far more intimate event. Everyone knows each other here – we all fit into a banquet hall last night and shared a meal and awards ceremony together. Perhaps I will get a list of the […]
Auto-tuning gone wild
This is why live music is so much better. Soon you won’t be able to tell music recorded by humans from processed electronica.
The Art of Choral Conducting
A Slovenian television network produces a 40-minute documentary on choral conducting. It’s in English, though, interviewing conductors from many countries. Can’t embed; you’ll have to click on the link to see it. h/t Alan Davis