Latest Community Posts

A YouTube video of boys from an award-winning chorus school performing a famous prison song has sparked controversy in Russia. At the center of the scandal is the Boys Chorus Capella in the city of Perm, a prestigious singing school with almost 50 years of history. The kids are usually taught academic songs. However, a […]

By Sheila Pursglove, Special Writer Sue Zielinski enjoyed singing in the shower, in the car, and as she rode her bike around Toronto, Ontario, where she helped to found “Song Cycles — the Choir on Bikes” in the early 1990s. “I had heard a great version of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony on the radio one morning. […]

The Therapy Choirs of Michigan, a Michigan non-profit organization, is promoting March as “Choir Therapy Month,” starting with a noon, March 1 performance at the State Capitol.   The Farmington Hills-based choir, directed by Len McCulloch, of Farmington Hills will lead the 13th annual kick-off rally in the Rotunda at the State Capitol in Lansing. […]

Friends,   I am seeking your performance suggestions for Grzegorz Gorczyki’s In Virtute Tua, Domine. I have seen the piece performed in ABA format as well as AB format. For those of you who have performed this, do you prefer the longer ABA format for the fuller sounding ending, or do you prefer the AB? […]

Thanks to the excellent advice that I’ve read about here, and from some of my mentors, I’ve been able to minimize the misbehavior in my choirs by keeping them engaged. But despite the progress, I’ve noticed that talking and off-task behavior often begin during two situations that happen often.  The first is when the sections […]

Through the cold and flu season, I have been experiencing too many of my (high school) choir students taking it upon themselves to sit out of rehearsals because they “aren’t feeling well.”  In response, I instituted a “everybody sings unless you have a note from home” policy.  After all, students are so sleep deprived these […]

All teacher/conductors who are working with children’s choir (in or out of schools) and youth choirs in their community are invited to join us for a reception in Chicago on Thursday, March 10 from 6:00-8:00 in the Hilton’s Grand Traditions Room.  The ACDA R & S area reception will be hosted by National Chair for […]

Does anyone know where to find a full-score for Michael Haydn’s “Timete Dominum.”  So far, I’ve only found that Schirmer rents the instrumental parts, and no where where I could get a full score.  Let me know if you hace a lead! Thanks!

Dear Colleagues,   I have an excellent high school choir program in a middle class area of Southern California. My administration is supportive, parents are involved, and budgets are generous. Compared to many, I am amazingly fortunate! However, lately my students have become quite morose and combative with each other. I have always tried to […]

What kind of advice would you give a new teacher who will inherit 2 classes of boys, a Varisty & Non-Varsity, who are supposed to be an extra challenge as far as discipline is concerned. Some have chosen to be there and some have not. Thank you!