Choralosophy

Part Three is the Solfége or Pitch tool: Give Them Tools and Let Them Build is based on a premise. We are not the music makers. Our students are. So, are we teaching them songs? Or the tools used to build songs? So, what do we do if the students don’t know what the pitches … Continue reading "Episode 286: Give Them Tools and Let Them Build Part 3 (Pitch)"

What can vocal and instrumental music education learn from each other? At what point does specialization become uneccessary siloing of what should be a “music ‘education” profession? Matthew Arau is the guest. Yes… ANOTHER band teacher… Back in January, I accidentally attended Matthew’s session at the recent Missouri Music Educator conference. You read that righ...

I’ve said for a long time that music education is at a crossroads—but depending on who you ask, we’re either evolving… or we’re missing the point entirely. Are traditional school music programs—band, choir, orchestra—reaching enough students? And if not, why? There’s a growing narrative in music education right now that what we’ve been doing for … Continue reading "Episode 284: Is the Ensemb...

A one of a kind event happened at this year’s convention of the Southwest Region of American Choral Directors. We gathered a panel of thoughtful professionals and an inquisitive crowd of colleagues and had an “unsafe” conversation in public. And what do you know? No one threw tomatoes! Are we speaking a language our communities … Continue reading "Episode 283: Beyond the Bu...

Among the more misunderstood, mischaracterized, and confusing topics discussed on this show is Literacy. What is it? What is it not? It’s time to include a wider lens here beyond vocal and elementary general classrooms. Instrumental music has its own pitfalls. Let’s compare notes. Rethinking Music Literacy: Beyond Button Pushing. Finally! Another “music is a … Continue read...

Part Two of a New Series: Give Them Tools and Let Them Build is based on a premise. We are not the music makers. Our students are. So, are we teaching them songs? Or the tools used to build songs? Who is the hardest working person in your classroom? Spoiler alert: it should NOT be … Continue reading "Episode 281: Give Them Tools and Let Them Build Part 2"

The First Part of a New Series: Give Them Tools and Let Them Build is based on a premise. We are not the music makers. Our students are. So, are we teaching them songs? Or the tools used to build songs? Who is the hardest working person in your classroom? Spoiler alert: it should NOT … Continue reading "Episode 280: Give Them Tools and Let Them Build Part 1"

Is a podcast “real PD?” Is it a trustworthy source of information? What are the best ways to use one? What are the worst? Why do music educators listen? In this conversation, Theresa Hoover, a music educator and researcher who advocates for “passing the baton” to students through a book and podcast by the same … Continue reading "Episode 279: Music Ed Podcasts From th...

Seven years ago, Choralosophy was an experiment. Today, it’s a career. It is a job, no different than your job, albeit a bit more public. Today is the show’s 7th birthday. Here is what I’ve learned: As I hit this milestone, I’ve been reflecting on how the landscape of “online work” has shifted—and how it … Continue reading "Episode 278: 7 Years of Choralosophy from BEHIND the Mic...

An important distinction for young teachers: we want our students to view our class as safe, free and open. But, in order to do this, there must be an “operating system” running in the background. A clearly defined structure, procedures, and yes, rules. (Clutches pearls.) In this conversation, Kevin Lackie joins me to discuss the … Continue reading "Episode 277: Structured Classr...

It can be so tempting for ensemble music directors to fall into a kind of tunnel vision where all roads lead to the “top group” or most advanced ensemble. After all, they are often the ones able to showcase the “culmination” of what our program can do. But this must not be done at the … Continue reading "Episode 276: Your Program Depends on the “Beginners”...

As much as we would love it to not be the case, Americans still see Black Musicians and make certain assumptions. Black Choir? It must be gospel? Black Band? It must be high steppers and baton twirlers. The issue is not these proud musical traditions. The issue is the box that stereotypes put people in. … Continue reading "Episode 275: The Duality of HBCU Musicians with Dr. Craig Robertson"

When I scroll around the internet, I see more and more examples of great choir rehearsals going on around the world. It’s an exciting time to be a member of this profession! But, it also gives me a sense of how hard we all are working to get sound out of kids. Do we need … Continue reading "Episode 274: Work Less Hard than Your Students"

Pedagogy, it could be argued, is a meaningless academic fantasy if it isn’t proficiently applied. In music, we can do all of the “right” methods. Solfege, Takadimi, count singing etc. But, does it matter if they can’t use it to make music? In this next iteration of the “The First Days of Choir,” inspired by … Continue reading "Episode 273: Applying the Who...

Sometimes as performing artists, we are hyper focused on “the polished finished product.” Tori Longdon creates stunning finished products, but along the way, she is letting people in to see how the sausage is made in warm ups. And people LOVE it. Maybe there is something important there. An insight brought about by the social … Continue reading "Episode 272: In Service of a Singi...

Don’t you love it when everything about a performance, and it’s preparation is completely perfect?! Well, it must be nice for you… I am pretty sure this does not exist. But, we can pretend with this new epic poem, “The Perfect Choir.” In this episode, we reflect on the year 2025 and its most critical … Continue reading "How to have “The Perfect Choir&#8221...

“Education’s Race to the Bottom of the Brainstem,” episode 264 generated a lot of discussion. But, none more productive than this one. This week’s guest did it right. She listened, and let me know that more needs to be said on this. “Can I chime in?” Enter, Dr. Clelyn Chapin Dr. Chapin, a professor at … Continue reading "Episode 271: Responding to the Chal...

The Choral Music Art form, AND the economics of the art form are changing. That makes some people uncomfortable. But, others, like Jocelyn and Tim are driving their fair share of that innovation. Jocelyn Hagan and Tim Takach, co-owners of Graphite Publishing, discuss their journey in the choral music industry, the evolution of their publishing … Continue reading "Episode 270: Balancing Tradi...

Possibly the most important philosophical divide in music education, and we rarely discuss it outside of echo chambers. A deep dive into the claim that Classical Music is “hegemonic” or dominant. Some music academics operate as if “classical music” sits at the center of cultural power, imposing itself on everyone else in an oppressive way … Continue reading "Episode 2...

There are some fascinating philosophical divides in Music Education. And we don’t discuss them enough. What does “inclusive” music education really look like? Shane Colqohoun is an instrumental music educator who possesses a rare super power. He can recognize areas where he both agrees AND disagrees with the philosophies of others, and is not scared … Continue reading "Epis...

Young teachers bailing from the classroom within the first 5 years is an epidemic. Many things contribute to this, but one factor is the expectations young teachers bring in. Are they always realistic? Mitch is a young conductor and teacher who believes, in his own words, “that he sucks dog-water” at teaching. So, two years … Continue reading "Episode 267: The Choir Teacher that...

“We need to go beyond compliance in evaluations.” How many teachers experience administration in their classroom for the purpose of understanding their day to day, rather than to check a box? Justin Baeder advocates a different approach. “Tradition often hinders innovation in education.” Teacher evaluations not only create unproductive incentives, but rarely result in meani...

Hey I didn’t say it… But some think it. We are Better Conversation Activists here. And this episode is a CALL TO ACTION! I want to hear from you about what topics you want next in year 7! In this episode, we call for YOU to be more vocal in the platform’s discussion, and discuss … Continue reading "Episode 265: What’s Next for the Most Dangerous Choir Podcast?"

I did not coin this phrase. I borrowed from former Google Exec Tristan Harris. Social media companies are trying to outcompete the others for attention by appealing to ever more primal drives, dragging human cognition “down the brain stem” instead of cultivating critical thought. Is Education falling into the same trap? On Facebook, X and … Continue reading "Episode 264: Education’s Ra...

‘If we see that this is a beneficial thing for our kids, then that’s my burden of responsibility as a parent to make sure that my kids are doing that regardless of the amount of whining or complaining to the contrary.” In this conversation, Marianne Forman shares her journey as a composer and musician, discussing … Continue reading "Episode 263: Parents As Key Players in Mu...