Latest Blog Posts

This episode is a special first on the show. I have never gone ON LOCATION to meet an entire ensemble for a conversation before, and let me tell you… it was worth the gear haul to Lawrence, KS! GRAMMY Award winning ensemble, Chanticleer was at the Lied Center of Kansas for a performance and Master […]

“Every man is guilty of all the good he did not do.” Voltaire I became a regular blogger here at ChoralNet in the Fall of 2015, so it’s a few weeks more than seven years I’ve been writing this blog. Before that, I contributed about ten blog posts in 2014/early 2015 as a Guest Blogger […]

By Dr. Riikka Pietiläinen-Caffrey “Research as practice” is a term usually applied to performance arts in Europe. It’s a process where an artist-scholar (in this case a musician) explores and experiments with a topic. The end result is a concert or performance instead of an academic paper. It’s also a great way to find collaborative […]

One of the most common reasons people come to a yoga class is to de-stress.  Stress is at the center of our modern lifestyles, so engaging in the physical practice of yoga, as well as the meditation, mindfulness, and breathing that are built into the eight-limbed yoga practice, go a long way to helping us […]

ChorTeach is ACDA’s quarterly online publication, designed for those who work with singers of all levels but specifically K-12 and community choirs. A full annotated ChorTeach index is available online at acda.org/publications/chorteach. Over 160 articles are organized into seventeen categories. For more information, email  or visit acda.org/chorteach. Following is an excerpt from an article in the current Winter 2022 issue titled […]

Choir Halloween is a great opportunity for breaking up the monotony of “regular” rehearsals and providing a memorable and productive experience. If well-planned, this special rehearsal or (group of pre-Halloween rehearsals) can be creative, meaningful and serve as a way to infuse energy into your program. Check out my latest blog post:  11 Choir Halloween Tricks (and Treats)   […]

In this episode, filmed in front of a “live studio audience” in the form of my students, I have the opportunity to sit down with one of our generations finest compositional voices, Jake Runestad. With the help of my students, we have a spirited conversation about the value and genesis of creativity, the special nature […]

By Benjamin Amenta  I am taking a bit of a Choral Ethics break for my birthday, and today we have a guest blogger. I continue to work on Choral Ethics Blogs, so if you have a Choral Ethics dilemma or query or comment, please email me: . This guest blogger’s opinion is we partake of […]

This is the fifth blog post in a series: https://choralnet.org/archives/662762 Happy October! How ya’ doin’? My fall has been an absolute whirlwind of chaos and beauty. My ensemble numbers are finally rebounding and the enthusiasm of my students/singers is contagious! And fortunately, that’s been the only contagious thing! Excuse me while I knock on lots […]

As a church musician, I believe that the confidence ensembles have makes a profound difference in their ability to lead worship. Part of that means knowing what choir needs. Sometimes that’s the appropriate technical information with ringing or singing; for example, a reminder about breathing for a vocal choir or flow in how a bell […]