Latest Blog Posts

The August 2022 issue of Choral Journal is online and features an overview of publications and resources related to K-12 choral conducting. You can read it in its entirety at acda.org/choraljournal. Following is a summary of this section. _________________ Those who conduct elementary, middle, and high school choirs have a special calling. From trying to start […]

LIVE at Alabama ACDA “Who am I being that my children’s eyes are not shining?” Benjamin Zander This week I had the honor and privilege visiting with ACDA members in Alabama at their state Conference. We must turn the mirror on ourselves to ensure that we are WORTHY to stand in front of our students. […]

“Sunflowers for Ukraine,” Russell Amenta, artist with autism I am taking a bit of a Choral Ethics break during the summer, and today we have a guest blogger.  I will be working on the fall’s Blogs during the summer, so if you have a Choral Ethics dilemma or query or comment, please email me: . […]

By Michael McGlynn I was brought up as a Roman Catholic. My parents endeavoured to give me every opportunity to be exposed to a vast range of music, strongly encouraging our explorations, be they rock or classical music. In school the main exposure to singing was musical drama in the form of Gilbert and Sullivan […]

The concept of impermanence is one of the foundational principles of Buddhism. The idea of impermanence can be summarized in the statement, “Everything changes, and nothing lasts forever.” Acceptance of this premise may lead one to enlightenment, while denying it is considered one of the primary causes of human suffering. In my academic career, for […]

The August 2022 issue of Choral Journal is online and features an article titled “‘There is sweet music here’: The Overlooked Part-song for Mixed Voices in the United Kingdom and United States 1850–1925″ by David Anderson . You can read it in its entirety at acda.org/choraljournal. Following is a portion from the introduction. _________________ In 1881, Charles […]

When it comes to sight-singing, rhythm is the least important skill. Sure, it matters, but not as much as every other skill that is required for sight singing. In fact, rhythm-labeling/performing is last in my Sight Singing Developmental Rubric for a reason. This new blog post explains the first 5 prerequisite skills but focuses specifically on rhythm. I explain how to assess it, AND why […]

True diversity is the varied life experiences and cultural upbringings that lead us to our widely disparate moral “palettes.” As we gather together in classrooms, ensembles, businesses and organizations we talk a good diversity game. But rarely do we attempt to measure these things in our diversity matrix. This episode is a “Choralosophy Book Club” […]

 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 […]

Picture the eager undergrad. Just starting freshman year, a nervous excitement envelops them as they begin their first day of coursework. Ahead of them lies a colorful, four-year list of classes. Courses in conducting, teaching methods, and applied voice top the charts. The path to being a choir director is taking shape! Fast forward several […]