Latest Blog Posts

“Think in the morning. Act in the noon. Eat in the evening. Sleep in the night.” William Blake Today is the seventh anniversary of my Mom’s death so I ask a little indulgence. Never fear, I promise my musings will have something to do with the subject of today’s blog! I’ve mentioned before my Mom […]

Mari Ésabel Valverde, composer, educator, and overall incredible human being, said that after COVID halted her projects, 2020 became a year in which she was scrambling to find her way. Mari had always kept a small teaching load as a source of income, but they weren’t able to adapt. The commission she was working on […]

In even-numbered years, St. Olaf College hosts the Conference on Worship, Theology, and the Arts, further called CWTA in this post. It is a profoundly moving week-long church music conference attended by both church musicians and clergy from a variety of denominations. Nationally-renowned faculty from the college and around the nation provide a rich environment […]

The August issue of Choral Journal is online and features an article titled “Samuel Barber’s Interpretation of Choral Portamento as an Expressive Resource” by Desiree Balfour. You can read it in its entirety at acda.org/choraljournal. Following is a portion from the introduction. ____________________ For more than a half-century, portamento use has been in serious decline, and its absence in […]

As my vacation from recording continues for another week, I sat down to chat about the history and future of the Choralosophy Podcast. The video below is about 22 minutes. Enjoy, and please join the conversation! That’s why this blog and this show exist! Autoplay :

“Always forgive your enemies – nothing annoys them so much.” Oscar Wilde Manda* tells me she can’t believe, in the 21st century, this happened to her. She thought she had moved on and now is faced with an uncomfortable dilemma. Here is her story; she asked my advice, and I gave it. What would you […]

No, I’m not talking about technology or the Cosa Nostra. I’m asking about your connection to a community of human beings you feel a relationship with, a community that allows you to both give and receive over time, that you learn from and also give back to. I know I’m not the only one reflecting […]

By Kathleen Bhat The person that we thought we were doesn’t have to be the person that we are. This thought came out of a goal-setting meeting at my gym in a discussion about how we were impacted by the pandemic. This past year has changed our world and it has changed our organization. In […]

The August issue of Choral Journal is online and features an article titled “Trends in Young Male Puberty and the Changing Voice: New Dilemmas for Choir Directors” by Martin Ashley. You can read it in its entirety at acda.org/choraljournal. Following is a portion from the introduction. ____________________ The term “secular trend,” meaning a slow drift in measurement over time, […]

For the Midsummer installment of the Choralosophy ChoralNet blog, I am encouraging you to take a professional development break from your summer fun, not to “do work,” but to begin thinking ahead. To start hoping, dreaming, and scheming for your BEST academic year yet. In fact, I believe that in order to be a a”professional […]