Latest Community Posts

Amid the desperation and despair in earthquake-ravaged Port-au-prince, musicians from Haiti’s national chorus, jazz band and philharmonic gave their first post-quake concert. The musicians were able to rescue some instruments from the rubble, and they held the concert in the devastated neighborhood of Bell Aire to bring hope to the displaced.   Audio report on […]

The state of Kansas and my local school district are looking at unfortunate and drastic cuts to public education.  I teach both middle and high school choir in a smaller district (500 students in the high school) and have always enjoyed a great deal of administrational and financial support.  I’m fearing the worst for the […]

Does anyone have any experience paying for performance fees for a one hour composition for choir, solos and orchestra? How about Meet-the-Composer fees? Is there a general fee schedule?

 I direct a large Episcopal church choir ministry, including children trained in music literacy using RSCM “Voice for Life” standards. Once my kids reach high school or voice change, they move out of boy and girl choirs into the adult choir. They do very well there, but the rehearsal schedule allows no time for additional […]

I’m putting together a program of works by women composers from New England. I know about the works of Gwyneth Walker, Alice Parker and Amy Beach, but am interested if anyone has other ideas. I’m looking for shorter works, either sacred or secular, accompanied or a cappella. Thanks much!

I am programming a concert centered on songs from the years during which America was involved in wars. I have been successful in finding songs from the Civil War and WWII but would welcome any other suggestions from the Revolutionary War, WWI, Vietnam (or appropriate protest songs) and anything recent (Desert Storm and post 9/11 America). […]

Please help!    The community college where I teach has long relied on a small handful of volunteers to supplement the membership in our ensembles. These volunteers are non-music department faculty, alumni, and current students who have taken the ensemble so many times that their financial aid will no longer cover it. The college has […]

I’m looking for a simplified version — just thru the first “sing cuccu” maybe, to be sung as a round by  an amateur group that doesn’t read music very well.  Alan McPherron, Portland OR

Composer, conductor, teacher, and church musician are all titles familiar to John Leavitt. To the students of MidAmerica Nazarene University, he is the new choir director. Just days before the end of the fall semester, Professor Juan Hernandez stepped down as the Director of Choral Activities to take the position of Assistant Dean of Music […]

I am looking for Renaissance pieces suitable for Middle or High School choirs. Any suggestions??? Thanks!!