12 Summer “Do Nows” Before You Return to School!
12 Summer "Do Nows" For many of us, summer is a time to rest up, relax, and spend time with
The 2 Guidelines Every Choir Director Should Have
The 2 Choir Guidelines Every Director Should Have Every choir director should have guidelines in their rehearsals. The two
11 Things to Avoid Doing at the First Rehearsal
Prior to my first day of teaching high school, the person who hired me gave me advice. He told me
7 Reasons Why Ordering Most Choral Sheet Music Is Ridiculous
7 Reasons Why Purchasing Most Choral Sheet Music Is Ridiculous The process of purchasing choral sheet music is antiquated and
It’s Christmas (Hanukkah, and Kwanzaa) in July!
We wish you a Merry Christmas all year round. Music teachers have to be thinking about Christmas and Hanukkah all
Basic Math or Matching Pitch: Which Skill Is More Important?
Imagine if learning to match pitch was treated like learning basic math: We certainly believe everyone can learn addition
Self-Selected Choir vs Non-Auditioned Choir: 12 BIG DIFFERENCES!
What is a self-selected choir? A self-selected choir is any choir where students of all ability levels participate together. A
The Fastest “Tone Deaf Quiz” You’ve Ever Given!
I am convinced that 4-5% of the population, who are described to suffer from "amusia", are misunderstood. My strong belief
The Moral Dilemma of Allowing “TONE DEAF” Singers into our Choir
There was a time where pianos were commonplace in homes and it was just "normal" to sing. Families would gather
The 5 “ROUNDS” I Use in my Choral Program Every Year – and WHY!
Rounds are an excellent learning tool and performance vehicle for choirs of all levels. Even refined high school choirs can
10 Choral Teaching Tips for Navigating Another Unpredictable School Year
We had one year end abruptly followed by another year of complete turmoil. What will this school year bring us?
9 Ways to FIND Choral Repertoire for High School
Between the brick and mortar publishing companies, the online publishing companies, and the online self-publishers, there is more music to
Get Anyone to Match Pitch: 5 Minutes & 5 Easy Steps
Anybody can be taught to match pitch, almost instantly, in 5 simple steps. This entire process takes a maximum of
Choir Ice-Breakers: Why So Many Fail……..
WWeIce-breakers are a great means to help a choir to bond; many can be fun, productive, and have positive results
7 Reasons ALL Choirs Should Sing Rounds!
Rounds are an excellent learning tool and performance vehicle for choirs of all levels. Even refined high school choirs can
Ditch Choir Auditions: Everyone can sing!
When did our culture stop singing, and what are we, the choir directors, doing to bring singing back into our
4 Definitive Steps to Assess & Develop EVERY Singer’s Ear!
There are 4 tangible steps that can be taken to develop EVERY singer's ear, and in turn, develop their singing
“Tone-Deaf” is an Excuse….not a Diagnosis
"Tone-Deaf" is an Excuse....not a Diagnosis.....and I blame the person who makes the diagnosis. Anyone can learn to sing. If
8 Keys to Turn Sight-Singing Fear into Fun!
Turning Fear into Fun My 3-year-old daughter, Lyla, and I have the same natural disposition when it comes to starting
Your Star-Spangled Banner Arrangement Is Too Difficult!
How do I know? Well, I don't REALLY know this, but here is my core belief surrounding our National Anthem
The Best Ear-Training Exercise You Will Ever Use
Kodaly & Me I'm ashamed to admit it, but I'm not a Curwen hand signal user; I know it is
The Erosion of the Choral Middle-Class
My previous post describes the traditional Choral Caste System which consists of “The Best” vs. “The Rest”. For those of
When Learning To Sight SIng, RHYTHM comes LAST…Here’s Why
Rhythm Comes Last It is the 6th skill needed for being a successful sight singer and the most isolated of
Wife claims her Husband is Tone-Deaf – willing to BET ME on this!
(photo of Nino's Beach in Port Washington, New York) Hosting a family for dinner = tone-deaf conversation and guess
Note Labeling – a sight singing development skill often overlooked
Sight-Singing is not a simple, specific skill Great sight-singers can do these 6 things well: Match pitch Sing a scale
If You Singer’s Can’t Sight Sing, Here’s Why…
The path to sight sing The ability to sight sing is the result of developing 6 individual skills: 1.