Latest Blog Posts
Choral Potpourri/Choral Ethics: Divas I Have Known
“Being the Queen is not all about singing, and being a diva is not all about singing. It has much to do with your service to people. And your social contributions to your community and your civic contributions as well.” Aretha Franklin Just as things are getting back to “normal-ish,” things REALLY are getting back […]
Song of (re)Imagining: Modesta Bor
I was first introduced to Modesta Bor (1926–1998) by my friend, Dr. Nicholas Miguel. I was looking for public domain works that were written by women for treble or equal voices and that would fit the educational goals and skill level of the ensemble I was programming for. Modesta Bor was born in Venezuela, […]
The Conductor as Yogi: Finish Strong
You have power over your mind, not outside events. Realize this, and you will find strength. Marcus Aurelius (2nd century Stoic philosopher) We are in the final stages of the academic year and concert season, starting to feel the call of spring and summer when we have a little more space, some time to breathe, […]
Self-Selected Choir vs Non-Auditioned Choir: 12 BIG DIFFERENCES!
There is a BIG DIFFERENCE between a self-selected choir and a traditional non-auditioned choir. Both ensembles are only as good as it’s strongest singers. So where are your strongest singers? Are they in a select group instead? Is your “y’all come” choir stripped of all talent? Is it plagued by apathy? This blog post offers a different approach […]
How to Commission a New Piece for Your Choir (It’s easier than you might think!) – Part 2
By D. Geoffrey Bell Today’s post is part 2 of a two-part post. Part 1 was published on Tuesday, March 15. SUCCESSFUL COMMISSIONING EXPERIENCES To broaden and deepen my understanding beyond my own personal experiences, I asked a selection of fellow composers and conductors to give me their thoughts about the key elements to successful […]
Intentions Matter with Emily Williams Burch
A Podcast Exchange! Emily Williams Burch is back. What makes us tick? Can we be collegial without knowing each other? What was it like for me to traipse around uninvited at Southern Region ACDA? Why do in person conventions matter so much? These and many more questions answered! A candid and jam-packed conversation between podcast […]
Choral Potpourri/Choral Ethics: Ignore the Dependable at Your Peril
“Professionalism in art has this difficulty: To be professional is to be dependable, to be dependable is to be predictable, and predictability is esthetically boring – an anti-virtue in a field where we hope to be astonished and startled and at some deep level refreshed.” John Updike Maude* began last fall’s concert cycle the way […]
Together in Music…Collaboration tips and “squashing the why (not)!”
Some of the most common FAQs presented to the ACDA Advocacy and Collaboration Committee include “how do I find someone to collaborate with” and “how do we make it work?” So often, finding that “perfect” partnership is the barrier in and of itself (hint: there is no such thing as “perfect” but we’ll get to […]
How to Commission a New Piece for Your Choir (It’s easier than you might think!) – Part I
By D. Geoffrey Bell There are many reasons to commission a new composition for your choir. You may already be planning for an upcoming special occasion, anniversary or celebration. You may be thinking about raising your choir’s public profile, taking them to the next level. You may be looking for a new way to motivate […]
Democratic Approaches for the Choral Ensemble
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 […]