Latest Blog Posts

Let’s end the year on a high note! The final rehearsals don’t need to be a waste of time!  (see 3 activities to avoid!) Instead, the FINAL REHEARSALS can:  -be fun-be engaging-be productive-provide closure-create a sense of anticipation for next year The best part is that it doesn’t require tons of planning.  Here are: 8 Ideas […]

I am very unlikely to to give much credence to a person who is critical of the music education practices of colleagues, if they have nothing better to point to. Criticizing is easy. Building something better is hard. Show me your program and how your ideas have shown results, then I am more likely to […]

“Perfection itself is imperfection.” Vladimir Horowitz Last spring, as we were all hunkering down for our Pandemic lockdown, I wrote one or two blogs about those who were doing well. Or who SAID they were doing well. I’ll quote a bit from one of those blogs here: “I’ve been getting emails concerning something I’ll call […]

They Can’t Put it Back: A Choral Trilogy of Appalachian Poems about Environmental Degradation
Mary E. Simmons
SSAA, a cappella

Today, May 19, is Commencement Day at Hollins University for the Class of 2021. In honor of that, I’d like to present a new work by a graduating senior music major – a set we would have sung on our spring concert and at her senior recital, had either of those two events been able to occur as usual. This work is a choral trilogy for treble voices, focusing on the environmental devastation and effects of mining in the Appalachian region. The poetry is from three Appalachian poets, and come from the anthology “Coal: A Poetry Anthology,” edited by Chris Green (2006).

By Jeanne Wohlgumuth Finding a silver lining in a year that has been riddled with disappointments and life-changing events would seems to be daunting and virtually impossible. However, when given the opportunity to reflect on the past year, I find that there are many silver linings that have emerged from a somewhat horrendous situation. Silver […]

The June/July issue of Choral Journal is online and features an article titled “Daniel Friderici’s Rules for Choral Singing” by Sion M. Honea. You can read it in its entirety online at acda.org/choraljournal. Following is a portion from the introduction. _______________________ After four centuries, Daniel Friderici’s (1584-1638) rules for choral singers and directors still offer valuable advice on […]

Closing out the school year is always tough, especially this year. What do we do after our concert season is over (assuming we even had a concert season)? It’s so easy to justify laziness in our final rehearsals: the seniors have checked out as they’ve already decided the next stage of their life. it’s warm […]

One of my biggest pet peeves in Music Education reform conversations is what I see as an outsized focus on discussion of what is wrong with Music Ed when compared to the amount of time spent suggesting solutions. Contrary to popular belief, criticism by itself doesn’t solve problems. Criticism is easy. Building something better is […]

“Tact is the ability to describe others as they see themselves.” Abraham Lincoln The last few days, I’ve been thinking about a few of my more memorable students and choir members, starting with one of my first jobs, and continuing on to the group I conduct now. Some of them were funny and some were […]

By William O. Baker On a December Friday evening in Basehor, Kansas, as the sounds of organ, bells, choir, and audience rose in the ancient carol, O Come All Ye Faithful, there was another sound, an outpouring of sobs from the gathered, but masked and distanced assembly. The year was 2020. The occasion was the annual […]