Latest Blog Posts

I’ve been writing since June 2021. This is the first blog post in which I’ve interviewed or highlighted a cishet white male. “But Shannon, if this is a blog centering equity, why are you sharing the voice of a cishet white male?” Good question. Equity work needs to involve everyone. In particular, cishet white men […]

 Little darling, it’s been a long, cold lonely winter Little darling, it feels like years since it’s been here Here comes the sun, here comes the sun And I say, it’s all right George Harrison There’s something about the sun—its warmth, its golden hue, its energy.  Even the coldest winter days can feel warmer when […]

The March/April 2022 issue of Choral Journal is online and features an article titled “Attention or Autopilot? Motor Learning and the Choral Warm-up” by Christopher Loftin and Matthew Hoch. You can read it in its entirety at acda.org/choraljournal. Following is a portion from the introduction. _________________ Most choir directors consider the warm-up portion of rehearsal to be of considerable […]

Teachers, this is the episode you want to send to your admin! “Hi, Dr. Principal. I listened do an expert on a podcast that says our new district educational model is not backed by evidence.” I’m sure they will be very excited… Dr. Kristina Mitchell is an education researcher who specializes in instructional methodology. She also enjoys challenging […]

“While you are proclaiming peace with your lips, be careful to have it even more fully in your heart.” Francis of Assisi   If you’ve been reading my Choral Potpourri/Choral Ethics blogs for any length of time, you know I HATE GOSSIP! Hate it. Detest it and LOATH it, especially in a choral setting.   It […]

I wish I could take credit for labeling and using the term AutoSave in class, but that honor goes to one of my students. It all happened one day during voice lessons as I was asking my students to write in performing and learning strategies into their music. I was trying to impress upon them […]

One of my favorite things to do is search for repertoire for my ensembles. There is nothing like introducing a piece, rehearsing it, and have it transform listeners and singers. As a church musician, I also spend quite a bit of time connecting hymns, anthems, and liturgy to the theme, Scripture passage(s), and liturgical season […]

ChorTeach is ACDA’s quarterly online publication, designed for those who work with singers of all levels. A full annotated ChorTeach index is available online at acda.org/chorteach. Over 160 articles are organized into seventeen categories. For submission information, to view the index, or to read the latest issue, visit acda.org/chorteach. Following is a list of the articles in the Winter 2022 […]

Some of the same things we do to be invested in our choral program leads us down the path of no return: the path toward burning out. Over time, the energy and enthusiasm that pushes us through the extra rehearsals, extra concerts, and community events lead us to become warn out or feel like quitting; […]

An episode inspired by the Oxford Handbook of Vocal Studies by Dr. Alisha Jones called “Singing High: Black Countertenors and Gendered Sound in Gospel Performance.” The article dropped into my email box and I immediately thought, THIS is a podcast. I was so right. Patrick’s story is not only fascinating, but his experience is emblematic of the […]