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
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
How to Write An Effective Choir Handbook – Everything you need to know!
Why should we take the time to write a choir handbook? A handbook may seem like a tedious booklet
Is Modern “A-Cappella” Healthy or Harmful to Building a HS Choral Program?
Creating a contemporary A-Cappella group can be the best thing that has ever happened to your traditional high school choral
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
10 Tips for Gaining Rehearsal Time
Our rehearsal time is finite, so finding ways to maximize rehearsal time can be extremely important. Many of us have
“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
How to Self-Assess their Way toward Rehearsal Success
The two main components of any successful rehearsal are the planning/execution of the director and the planning/execution of the students.
11 Choir Halloween Tricks (and Treats)
As we search for ways to unify our ensemble as well as opportunities to change-up the monotony of the daily rehearsal, alas,
The “Secret” Your Weakest Sight-Singers May Be Hiding
A wise man once told me to never believe anything you hear and only half of what you see. Your
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
What To Do When They Break The Rules….
Our Choir culture stems from both how we prepare AND how we instill the fabric of our desired ideals. When we prepare our Guidelines
Before Testing Their Sight-Singing, Assess This….
Before Testing Their Sight-Singing, Assess This.... Sight-singing is not an all or nothing skill, but when it comes to assessing
The 7 Keys to Having Awesome Sight-Singers Throughout Your Choir
If you've always wanted to have a choir filled with singers who can sight-sing, this blog post is for you!
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
6 Reasons Why Your Singers Can’t Sight-Sing
6 Reasons Why Your Singers Can't Sight-Sing All students, regardless of talent or prior experience, can learn how to sight-sing.
11 Things to Avoid Doing at the First Rehearsal
Prior to my first day of teaching high school, I was given advice from the person who had just hired
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
The Two-Minute Rapid-Fire Sight-Singing Drill!
Do you have 2 minutes a day to devote to sight-singing? If so this approach could work well for you!
Ditch your Choir “Rules” and lose the “Consequences”
Several years back, one of my colleagues asked me to consider utilizing the term "Guidelines" instead of "Rules." I immediately
“BE RESPECTFUL” is STILL A Bad Rehearsal Rule!
This awesome list has been floating around the internet and deeply connected to a major point that I've written about
How to Re-direct Poor Rehearsal Behavior
Our Choir culture stems from both how we prepare AND how we instill the fabric of our desired ideals. When we prepare our Guidelines
Controversy and Candor: Choralosophy & Choral Clarity Conversation
I was honored to be invited onto Chris Munce's Choralosophy Podcast where we shared an 80 minute discussion, engaging in varied