Choralosophy

Like many topics in education, we have strains of the same philosophical divides in music education as we do in other areas of education. This week, my guest Dr. Anika Prather is the perfect person to address and offer a bridge to one of those divides. She has a background in both Music Education as … Continue reading "Episode 104: Don’t Abandon the Canon! With Dr. Anika Prather"

In Collaboration with Oxford University Press to Bring You Great Conversations In the next edition of the Oxford Series, I am excited to bring you a new voice in their catalog, Brittney E. Boykin. I had an open and refreshing conversation with her about her journey through the choral world as a conductor, teacher and … Continue reading "Episode 103: Finding My Voice with Brittney E. Boykin"

A hybrid episode! We run the risk of oversimplifying educational concepts, packaging them in seminars and professional development sessions for sale, and actually HARMING students. Or at least not helping them. Educational theories often carry precious little evidence, but we as educators frequently feel ill equipped to question them. Often times these oversimplifications are simply … Contin...

Dr. Seth Pendergast of Colorado State University joins me to dig through the critical aspects of recruiting and retention. As we are (hopefully) coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic, my sense is that many K-12 choral music educators are looking to grow or rebuild their choral programs. The pandemic often limited singing and many choral … Continue reading "Episode 101: The Science of Program B...

This episode is a milestone. The 100th full length episode of the podcast. Since my wife Beth was the FIRST guest on the show, I thought it would be good to go full circle, and bring her on again! Being a music teacher is an important job. It is, or should be about SO MUCH … Continue reading "Episode 100: Sing Softer, You’re Off Key with Beth Munce"

Part of the Oxford Series on the Choralosophy Podcast Dig into the mind of Gabriel Jackson, one of my FAVORITE composers. His ability to mix the modern with the ancient really makes my “Spidey Sense” tingle! We discuss his music, and journey to composition, as well his feelings about Orchestral musicians seeming to live in … Continue reading "Episode 99: The World Imagined with G...

A New Initiative from a New Organization: FAIR in the Arts is a program from the Foundation Against Intolerance and Racism We have to think about group identity and immutable characteristics, and how they shape our experience as humans in the world. We can’t ignore those things. But they are not the only things. We … Continue reading "Episode 98: You Are Your Story with Brent Morden, M...

I did a live episode recently on Teacher Burnout, and another one in December about teacher burnout leading up the Holiday Break, but STUDENT burn out is a thing too. Call it senioritis, or apathy, or “checked out.” Regardless of what you name it, it must be fought intentionally through the culture built in the … Continue reading "Senioritis vs. The Last Concert"

A Podcast Exchange! Emily Williams Burch is back. What makes us tick? Can we be collegial without knowing each other? What was it like for me to traipse around uninvited at Southern Region ACDA? Why do in person conventions matter so much? These and many more questions answered! A candid and jam-packed conversation between podcast … Continue reading "Episode 97: Intentions Matter with Emily...

Dr. Braeden Ayres is a teacher, conductor and composer with a passion point related to concepts of masculinity in choral music. What stereotypes are we stuck too, what challenges to we face when discussing it, and what are the best ways to engage young adolescent boys in our school choral programs? We discussed some of … Continue reading "Episode 96: “Real Men” Sing? with Braeden...

Teachers, this is the episode you want to send to your admin! “Hi, Dr. Principal. I listened do an expert on a podcast that says our new district educational model is not backed by evidence.” I’m sure they will be very excited… Dr. Kristina Mitchell is an education researcher who specializes in instructional methodology. She … Continue reading "Episode 95: Your School...

An episode inspired by the Oxford Handbook of Vocal Studies by Dr. Alisha Jones called “Singing High: Black Countertenors and Gendered Sound in Gospel Performance.” The article dropped into my email box and I immediately thought, THIS is a podcast. I was so right. Patrick’s story is not only fascinating, but his experience is emblematic … Continue reading "Episode 94: Singi...

The Third Anniversary Episode of the Choralosophy Podcast! The serendipity of having this episode ready to publish this week, on the third anniversary of the show is incredible. After all, three years ago I was motivated to launch this show because I saw a need stemming from how divided we were becoming as a nation. … Continue reading "Episode 93: Togetherness Activists with Micah Hendler"

LIVE conventions are back! I am so excited, because this online thing does not do it for me. So, I was itching to talk to people! So, I traveled with a portable kit to get the opinions and stories of people at the the convention. It was great to talk to college professors, band directors, … Continue reading "Episode 92: Live at Missouri Music Educators"

You need to create music that reflects you. Start with who you are. I tend to tell students not to filter out aspects of their lives from their music. If you start with who you are, then you are the only one who can come up with the best solutions. Trevor Weston Trevor Weston is … Continue reading "Episode 91: Music is My Culture with Trevor Weston"

Teaching students to be literate requires teachers who are trained for it. The episode you have been asking for for over a year is finally here! It is jam packed full of ideas and solutions. The music literacy guru herself, Carol Krueger and I discuss the crisis facing music education that few are talking about. … Continue reading "Episode 90: Sound Before Sight with Carol Krueger"

For this Oxford Press conversation, I was able to speak to composer Alan Bullard about his life, career and approach to choral music. We talked about what it was like to study with Herbert Howells, the need for music for flexible voicings, the contrasting economy of sheet music sales in the US and UK, as … Continue reading "Episode 89: Writing Music People LIKE to Sing with Alan Bullard"

When discussing how music and education intersects with race, gender and culture, I find that we are often pretty quick to apply reductionist labels to the idea or concept. For example, phrases I have come across too often include “That’s a boy’s song,” or “Choral Music is an inherently white art form,” or “sight reading … Continue reading "Episode 8...

Teacher morale has reached a crisis point. If you’ve ever felt the crisis or seen the crisis, this episode is for you. In this Livestream episode I got input from some of my Patreon supporters, as well as people listening on Facebook which was fun, and kept the conversation spinning to topics of teacher pay, … Continue reading "Teacher Burnout Town Hall- Live Stream"

John Rutter, JD Frizell, Odell Ziegler, a Newsweek writer and an Epidemiologist walk into a bar… What do all of these people have in common? They, along with several others, have made the Choralosophy TOP 10 of 2021. The episodes and post that created the most buzz this year are listed, linked and reviewed below! … Continue reading "YOUR 10 Favorite Episodes of 2021"

John Rutter, JD Frizell, Odell Ziegler, a Newsweek writer and an Epidemiologist walk into a bar… What do all of these people have in common? They, along with several others, have made the Choralosophy TOP 10 of 2021. The episodes and post that created the most buzz this year are listed, linked and reviewed below! … Continue reading "YOUR 10 Favorite Episodes of 2021"

Perform! And be proud of it! Audiences NEED us this Holiday season. Our singers need to perform. Children need to see smiles. We inject so much joy into the world when we perform. In this short episode I discuss a few topics briefly that I felt the need to get off my chest. Including the … Continue reading "Performance is Virtuous, Unmasked Concerts and Teacher Burnout"

One of the most COMMON questions to pop up, almost weekly, on choir director Facebook groups is “what do I do to help these (usually boys, not always) match pitch?!” It is usually a panic induced, “I’ve tried everything” kind of post. This short episode brings in the expert, Donald Brinegar, choral director, professor and … Continue reading "Episode 87: Demystif...

An Unconventional Approach to the Urban Choral Classroom I believe one of the biggest goals is getting the students interested in singing choral music before we start trying to operate out of formality. How do we get students interested in something they are not familiar with? Odell Zeigler IV Recently, I came across a shining … Continue reading "Episode 86: All Students DESERVE Music Litera...

I could NOT do this show without you. Please take 6 minutes and let me thank the various people that make this show possible. Most of all YOU! Past Thanksgiving Episodes! (Click photos)