Latest Blog Posts

*Racism* is the social construction that necessitates our continued & (mostly) blind belief in & upholding of “race” ideology & its correlated languages/practices. We just continue to fool ourselves into thinking that “race” is *just* “skin color,” phenotype, DNA, or culture. Dr. Sheena Mason With the rise of anti-racist discourse and initiatives, many people are […]

I am taking a bit of a Choral Ethics break during the summer, and this is a Choral Ethics Blog repeat, taken from Choral Ethics blogs from 2018 through 2019. We will also have a guest blogger a time or two.  I will be working on the fall’s Blogs during the summer, so if you […]

This is the third post in a monthly series. https://choralnet.org/archives/660007 Happy August, Choral Directors! If you’re a school teacher or following a similar schedule, you are gearing up for the opening of choir season!  Not gearing up too hard, though. We have a few weeks. As you’re starting to gently think about your season, maybe you’re […]

Charles Bruffy is one of my favorite conductors (and people). I’ve known Charles since 2008 when I attended the Westminster Conducting Institute and sang Duruflé’s Requiem with him. Since then, I’ve observed him conduct professional groups, collegiate groups, church choirs, and high school festivals, and watched him work with conductors in masterclass settings. I’m proud […]

The August 2022 issue of Choral Journal is online and features an interview with Duncan Tuomi, the winner of the 2021 Raymond W. Brock Memorial Student Composition Competition. You can read it in its entirety at acda.org/choraljournal. Following is a portion from the introduction. _________________ The Brock Competition is operated by ACDA’s Composition Initiatives Committee, and the […]

The process of purchasing choral sheet music is antiquated and in serious need of an overhaul. In fact, if you stop and think about how we order our sheet music, it would appear we are back in 1975. This blog post explains the 7 reasons why ordering most choral sheet music is ridiculous. It then provides […]

A Summer Refresher on Grading and Assessment at Alabama ACDA This episode is in many ways, the live presentation SEQUEL to Episode 21: Everyone Can Get an A. In music Education, we frequently lament cultural attitudes about music not being a “real class.” If we present courses without rigor, academic standards or measurable achievements, we are […]

I am taking a bit of a Choral Ethics break during the summer, and this is a Choral Ethics Blog repeat, taken from Choral Ethics blogs from 2018 through 2019. We will also have a guest blogger a time or two.  I will be working on the fall’s Blogs during the summer, so if you […]

According to Howard Swan in the book Choral Conducting: A Symposium, there are six unique schools of choral singing in America.  Between these six schools, and the personal preferences of choral directors, there are countless differing opinions about choral tone.  Ask any two conductors and you will likely notice differences in their approaches to vibrato, […]

The relationship between a student and teacher has a significant impact on a student’s success in the classroom.  As choral educators, we have a distinct advantage in the development of this relationship as we work with students for multiple years.  Unfortunately, at times, student-teacher relationships have been tainted by the inappropriate actions of educational professionals.  […]