Often in choral instruction, we utilize the word “family” to describe the cohesiveness of our ensembles. But what about the students who don’t view choir as their family? Can we be ok with the idea that singers come to us for many different reasons? But what happens when students DON’T want to be in the ..read more

I frequently engage in and read discussions with young music educators about the ways in which the music education profession is or is not “adapting with the times.” As always, the answer to that is yes. And no… Mak Barton is a second year teacher in Maryland who I found on her wildly entertaining TikTok account that is fast approaching 100k followers! Recently I was tagged in one of her videos in which she addresses the question of whether or not we are adequately responding to the needs of the next generation in our music classrooms. “Is there a place in our programs for a Soundcloud rapper ..read more

As teachers, we often try to build culture and foster a sense of belonging by seeking out the “right checklist” of games, ice breakers, fun warm-ups, and even classroom wall art. However, these are just the frosting, not the cake. In this episode, I am joined by Dr. Kari Adams from the University of Missouri to discuss the essential ingredients for creating a genuine classroom culture. Dr. Adams joined me in my home studio, allowing for an excellently paced discussion. In our conversation, we discuss why “ice breakers are not enough,” the concept of vulnerability for teachers and how it is of ..read more

“If you don’t learn what listening is, your choirs will never sing in tune.” James Jordan is one of the most prolific choral conductors in the modern era. Not just in terms of performance and recordings, but also in scholarship and pedagogy. Introducing, the NEW GIA/Walton Series on Choralosophy! I recently had the privilege of attending two sessions given by Professor Jordan at my home convention in Missouri. I was coming out of my chair with excitement anticipating this conversation. The presentations were about choral intonation in our rehearsals, and the often forgotten relationship betwe ..read more

Recently, we offered a free virtual meetup to practice “Choir Nerdery.” If you missed it, I have carefully curated some of the most useful and interesting moments for this episode. Discussion topics were derived from survey responses from 120 educators. The full 2 hour and 15 minute work session is available unedited over at Patreon or Substack for show supporters. We had a great time discussing Fundamentals of literacy instruction Concepts related to rhythm instruction Structuring of programs. Gendered ensembles, leveled classes etc. The Science of Reading for Music. Dividing the beginning ..read more

“It is not my job to answer the questions. It’s my job to ask the questions.” Programming for our choirs carries with it a wide range of challenges, from the skill levels of our groups, and their needs to the considerations of speaking to an audience. There are many ways to wrestle with this balance. Renowned conductor of the Crossing Donald Nally joins me this week to think through the programming question from his perspective as both a director who has worn the “professor” hat, as well as the being the conductor of a high level professional ensemble. Donald shares his general philosophy and ..read more

“I cannot believe I’ve been muzzled by my own people.” All Saints Episcopal Church in Pasadena, CA cancelled a concert that was set for June 2nd, 2024 citing the “pain and anguish felt by 18 Black members of the church.” The response was that Michal and the choir, and the music they were set to perform from the African American cultural and musical heritage, was prohibited form being performed at the majority white All Saints until further notice. I am joined this week by Bass soloist Michal Dawson Connor, who was caught in the middle of this controversy. He tells his side of this frustrating ..read more

The scientific consensus is that our ability to understand human speech has evolved over hundreds of thousands of years. After all, there are whole portions of the brain devoted to human speech. We learn to understand speech before we can even walk, and can seamlessly absorb enormous amounts of information simply by hearing it. Surely we evolved this capability over thousands of generations… Or did we? Cognitive scientist, Mark Changizi joins me this week for a fascinating exploration into the hardware and software that allows humans to understand, interpret and make sense out of music. In hi ..read more

Standard #1 from NAfME is the best one I think. “Singing alone AND in small groups a varied repertoire of music.” It is of course, crucial in vocal and general music. But it’s value is also present in instrumental focused courses as well. In this return of “Car Thoughts” I will take you through a short explanation of how I conceive of individual singing assessments as part of a wholistic choral music curriculum. Towards the end, you will even hear some thoughts from my daughter Clara who just completed the 9th grade version of my class. I ask her to reflect on her pre-test back in October all ..read more

“Because of music, in this time and space, we can hold hands. And we can sing a common song.” From a story Steven tells in this episode to illustrate the ways that music CAN help us transcend the issues that divide us. Dr. Steven Hankle directs the choirs at University of Dayton in Ohio. Steven caught my attention recently with a very vulnerable post on FB in which he was both celebrating his recent promotion to tenured professor and expressing gratitude for the people that helped him “beat the odds” as an African male growing up in the South Side of Chicago. So, I asked Steven to be even mor ..read more