I believe it’s really tough to be a child these days and especially if you’re a male child. Nationally, according to The Manhattan Institute, only 45% of boys will graduate from high school.  When you control for ethnicity, the statistics are even lower for minorities, with only 30% ever graduating 12th grade. So, what is […] The post Our Mask appeared first on Fort Bend Boy's Choir ..read more

It was December 1969 in Phoenix, Arizona when I was just 17 and a junior in high school taking a DECA (Distributive Education Clubs of America) course, when our small class thought we should do something meaningful for Christmas.  So, it was decided that the girls would dress up as elves and that I , […] The post Mr. A’s Christmas Story appeared first on Fort Bend Boy's Choir ..read more

Right before our Spring Concert last May, I reminded our Tour Choir boys:  “Don’t miss the concert.” No, I wasn’t talking about forgetting to show up—I was making the point that it can be entirely possible to go through a performance with their mind on technical accuracy and “getting through a piece,” as though this […] The post Being In It appeared first on Fort Bend Boy's Choir ..read more

Having recently returned from our awesome summer choir camp, Zengit Gütenproper, I have been able to reflect on many aspects of what went on for the week the boys were there. One of the neatest things I was able to do, was to have some time to talk individually with many of the boys about […] The post It Was In Choir appeared first on Fort Bend Boy's Choir ..read more

Hi, it’s Tiana Mortimer, Executive Director, taking a turn at the old Blog wheel … My oldest son Bryce recently graduated with another college degree this year and as I watched him get his second diploma, his life as I know it flashed before my eyes. It seems like yesterday that he was born! I […] The post Time Flies When You’re Living Life! appeared first on Fort Bend Boy's Choir ..read more

I have always loved the quote, “A boy is the only thing God can use to make a man”.  The author is unknown and for me, working exclusively with boys, it helps me remember why I do what I do and have done for the past 41 years. My church has been hosting all of […] The post A Boy Is The Only Thing God Can Use To Make A Man appeared first on Fort Bend Boy's Choir ..read more

At a recent funeral here at our rehearsal church,  I was asked to sing by the family for a very good friend of mine.  I am frequently asked to sing for services like these and at this particular service, the minister referenced the dates of my friends birth and his death.  The dates were 1952 […] The post The Dash appeared first on Fort Bend Boy's Choir ..read more

Our guest blogger for this month is former choirboy and internationally famous countertenor, John Holiday.  He joined our organization in 1994 and left in 1999 when he was named the Outstanding Choirboy.  He has maintained a close relationship with me and our choir, performing with the boys numerous times. When I first joined the choir, […] The post John Thomas Holiday appeared first on Fort Bend Boy's Choir ..read more

As I shared with you recently in another Blog, I am frequently asked by parents to speak to their boys about talking [communicating] more with them.  Boys of our choir age, generally speaking, are many times reluctant to talk to parents about anything of substance, unless they feel they can gain something for themselves from […] The post It’s Sometimes Stressful To Let You In appeared first on Fort Bend Boy's Choir ..read more

Just before the Christmas break, I asked my 28 Tour Choirboys two questions on a form and told them to put only their age at the top . . . I wanted no names, just their honest wishes and thoughts.  They were told not to talk amongst themselves and keep their eyes on their own […] The post Two Questions appeared first on Fort Bend Boy's Choir ..read more