Latest Blog Posts

“There is a special place in hell for women who don’t help other women.” Madeleine Albright For those of you too busy with concerts and the end of the semester to keep up with current events, here’s another story in the news about inappropriate conduct in the Classical Music World. It concerns one of our […]

Responding to the diverse strengths, interests, and needs of musicians is a critical issue in music making and has been forefront in the scholarly dialogue. One significant current in this discourse is culturally responsive education. Framed as culturally responsive teaching, culturally relevant pedagogy, culturally sustaining pedagogy, and other related terms, these asset focused approaches are […]

Tim’s article “How to Ruin an Alto” was published in 1982-83 in The Choral Journal and in MENC’s publication. It included some strong language like “there are no good reasons for allowing women to sing tenor.” In this episode Timothy Mount, a Professor Emeritus at Stony Brook University, joins me to discuss his very strongly […]

A Collage “Sunflowers for Ukraine,” By Russell Amenta, artist with autism I am taking a bit of a Choral Ethics break for the next few weeks and this is a Choral Ethics Blog repeat. In observance of Autism Acceptance Month, I am repeating during the next two weeks two requested blogs on music and disability. […]

We invite applications for the position of editor of the Research Report column, which appears three to four times per year in the Choral Journal. Applicants should have a substantial record of research and publication and an interest in seeking out student researchers. The Research Report editor will recruit and/or select column material, will edit […]

“It’s not what you look at that matters, it’s what you see.” Henry David Thoreau I don’t know how often we think of ourselves as “wise.”  That word seems reserved for the sages, the super seniors with long beards or gentle voices and twinkling eyes, sharing mic-drop pearls that stop us in our tracks. Yet, […]

The March/April 2024 issue of Choral Journal is online and features an article titled “Emotion and Drama in Lament for the Stolen (1938)” by Dan Wessler. Following is a portion from the article. _________________ In 1930, wealthy Philadelphia socialite Sophie Drinker joined a small women’s chorus called the Montgomery Singers and immediately asserted control, moving rehearsals to her house […]

I am taking a bit of a Choral Ethics break for the next few weeks and this is a Choral Ethics Blog repeat. In observance of Autism Acceptance Month, I am repeating, during the next two weeks, two requested blogs on music and disability. If you have a Choral Ethics dilemma or query or comment, […]

The March/April 2024 issue of Choral Journal is online and features an article titled “Universal Design for Learning: Embracing Learner Variability in Choral Ensembles” by Kathryn L. Evans. Following is a portion from the article. _________________ Our choirs are composed of individuals with diverse experiences and a wide range of abilities, learning preferences, and interests. To best meet […]

Is “Tough Love” outdated? Or is it the tool of caring parents and educators? Recently, a “Facebook post dialogue” of sorts went viral amongst music educators between Juilliard professor Geoffrey Keezer and James Falzone. Professor Keezer made a relatively short post related to the problems he is seeing in his teaching position related to reliability […]