Latest Blog Posts

An Unconventional Approach to the Urban Choral Classroom I believe one of the biggest goals is getting the students interested in singing choral music before we start trying to operate out of formality. How do we get students interested in something they are not familiar with? Odell Zeigler IV Support the Show Read the Blog […]

For the month of December, I’m rerunning some Choral Ethics blogs from years past with a few modifications where needed. Two of my MOST REQUESTED December Blogs will be making their yearly appearances, including today’s. Happy December! ~MLGA  I love “Messiah”. Truth be told, it is probably one of my favorite large choral works.  There’s […]

I almost stopped conducting. It was the first song for our first concert of the 2021 school year.  My 9-12 Select Choir was singing Set Me As a Seal by René Clausen, and they struggled to lock in D major for the first few measures – it was a bit wonky. By the second phrase, the choir […]

I am intrigued by the wisdom of living seasonally.  Taking cues from the shifts in nature, in daylight and temperature and foods that are fresh and available.  Living in harmony with the rhythms of nature goes a long way towards making us feel well. Instead of fighting the cold or the heat, the dampness or […]

The May 2021 issue of Choral Journal is online and is a focus on international activities. This issue features an article titled “Building a Foundation: Interviews with International Exchange Program Conducting Fellows” by T. J. Harper with Jeffery Ames, Jihoon Park, Sara Durkin, Rodrigo Faguaga, Julie Yu, and Ken Wakia. You can read it in its […]

While I truly love the holiday season, I don’t like teaching my students Christmas music in September. As a result, my approach is to choose holiday music (Christmas, Hanukkah, and Kwanzaa) that can be learned quickly, is fun to sing, and can be enjoyed by our audience. These 7 last minute repertoire ideas will work, […]

Happy Thanksgiving, ACDA! I am thankful to be in conversation with you and for you through this platform. I continue to learn so much every week. What a blessing to be able to bounce ideas off of so many brilliant colleagues, philosophers, writers, Doctors, Tango dancers, researchers and more. The podcast began in 2019, but […]

“I am grateful for what I am and have. My thanksgiving is perpetual.” Henry David Thoreau I always try to be grateful and during this Transition Thanksgiving, I remain grateful. Our world is still in upheaval, much less than last year but not quite back to normal, but there is one thing I know for […]

In March 2020, Dr. Derrick Fox was leading students toward a performance of “Seven Last Words of the Unarmed” by Joel Thompson. This performance was a culmination of choral experiences over multiple years, where Dr. Fox and students had worked to build an awareness of the human experience. They sang octavos covering different topics, such […]

From my experience, Thanksgiving falls at just the right time of year. There is something magical about eating good food with friends and family, followed by a day of total rest and relaxation right before December. At least that’s been my tradition. This year, that rhythm has been restored for me. I grew up in […]