Choir Fam Podcast

"It's not about the notes. It's not about the rhythms. It's about connection. It's about getting a connection with each other, a connection to the conductor, and a connection to the music -- and discovering that it's a relationship with the music that will make a huge difference. I'm there as facilitator to make that happen." Dr. Edith A. Copley is regents p...

"In mentoring a new teacher, I ask, 'How do we bring the music home to the students? Really, what is our job as music educators?' I believe my job as a music educator is to create better people. That's what I try to instill within my student teachers." Barbara Tappa just completed her 15th year at Ferris High School in Spokane, Washington, and her 23rd year of teaching ove...

"My tunnel vision of choral music just exploded. I was able to learn so much about all these different cultures that were in my school and the music that represented them. That's where I really learned that students have to have some representation to make them feel that they're really part of this community." Amanda Stevenson is currently the 4th and 5th grade vocal music teac...

"We all get this exposure to popular music as young children, and when we get to the academy, we're quickly taught that popular music is less worthy, less valuable. The idea that started to settle with me is that we don't tear down the choir model that we have, but we start to add to it and allow different avenues." Matthew Bumbach (he/him) is known for heartfelt choral program...

"Quality breeds quantity. If we establish really high expectations, people will be attracted to that, and they're going to want to be a part of it. I just led with some sort of blind enthusiasm that you can only have as a new teacher. I just wanted to go for it." Aubrey Dunham just completed her first year as choir director at South Salem High School in Salem, Oregon. At South, she...

"In the times that we are in, trying to reach students, encouraging them to be themselves, and giving them that safe space is so important. I've learned so much about how unwelcoming the world is for some of my students, and I like that they feel comfortable and safe in my classroom." Sara Bray is entering her seventh year as the choral director at St. Amant High School in Ascension...

"My elementary music teacher took a chance on me. She was the one who opened music up to me, and it was incredible. I've come from being the mentee to the mentor. I just want to pass on that information and let people feel what I felt as a young student." Kimberly Barclay Ritzer is in her 31st year as director of the Green Valley High School Choirs in Henderson, Nevada, opening the...

"The text is so crucial to my process. I try and derive every little detail -- rhythm and harmony and melody and the overall mood and tone and textures and timbres of the piece -- from the text itself. The text is really at the heart of everything I do." Dale Trumbore is a Los Angeles-based composer and writer whose music has been called "devastatingly beautiful" (The Washingto...

"Receiving the news that I would need to have vocal cord surgery was really hard. I love teaching and singing. I need my voice for both of those things that are literally my entire life. I'm extremely grateful for my ENT, and her expertise helped me feel comfortable and eased my fears." Aubrey Nelson is active as a music educator, singer, and flutist in the Houston, TX area. She is...

"Through breaking down stereotypes and saying 'this is who I am'...my students in turn would be their authentic selves and break down some of their own stereotypes about how they're supposed to sound... and be more open to the journey of being creative through choral music." Angelica Brooks is an acclaimed choral director and music educator. With a passion for excellence i...

"Education is an opportunity for self-reflection, a beautiful time to look inwards and ask 'Who am I? Why am I here? Do I really want to be here?' Those answers for me have been, 'yes, I really want to do this. I want to effect change in this world in a positive way.'" Dr. Raul Dominguez was recently accepted as a Fellow for the Cleveland Institute of Music's ina...

"I came to Alexander Technique trying to see if there was a way that I could experience less pain when I conduct. Over time, I retaught myself. It's not a quick process, because nothing about Alexander Technique is a quick fix, but I do experience less pain." Dr. Angelica Dunsavage serves as Assistant Professor of Music and Director of Choral Activities at Tennessee State University...

"Let's celebrate the choral art form in all of its varieties. What you do does not have to look like everyone else. Your choir and your community are going to look and feel and sound very different than other communities." Amanda Hanzlik is the Director of Choral Activities at Edwin O. Smith High School in Storrs, Connecticut. She currently serves as Immediate Past-President of the...

"A retreat sets the tone, sets the table, but throughout the year, whether it's a little sprinkle of a community-building activity, an exercise that is reflective, or a revisit to something that they did at the retreat, that's even more important. The retreat is just the first step... then we maintain that culture in our ensembles." Melanie Brink grew up and began her career in...

"I'm really into using music to teach culture and life lessons... It's like cuisine. With different tastes come different etiquettes. It's the same thing with music. You want to show respect for how the music was written and try to have it sound that way." John Stafford II is the Associate Professor of Music, Director of Choral Activities, and Co-Coordinator of the Music D...

"In the context of talking about the value of choral music, are you acknowledging the identity of the person in front of you? Does the beauty of what we do require components of strict uniformity in which that person has to forget themselves, or does it speak to an amplification of self?" Dr. Jace Kaholokula Saplan serves as the Director of Choral Activities and Assistant Professor of Mu...

"Working with different people on the podium has given me a lot of skills I can take back to my classroom. It's just a matter of reaching out. If you have one connection, you have 25. If you have 25, you have 1000." Katherine Rosenfeld graduated from Northern Arizona University in 2019 with a degree in choral music education. Her time at NAU was marked by leadership roles including...

"One of the real benefits from being away from music is that you really appreciate it more. I understand what it's like to live without that opportunity to make music. Now I'm immersed in what I always wanted to do." Coreen Duffy is director of choral activities at the University of Montana School of Music, where she conducts Chamber Chorale and University Choir, teaches conduc...

"I have a strong connection with treble ensembles because of our shared experiences. It feels safer to make a mistake. I feel I can take more risks with them." Dr. Dominique Petite serves the faculty of Ohio University as Visiting Assistant Professor of Choral Music Education. Prior to her appointment at Ohio, while pursuing her doctorate at Louisiana State University, she directed choir...

"Whether you're looking to be a teacher or a vocal performer, to be marketable, you have to be able to do more than one thing. Healthy singing is healthy singing regardless of the genre." Courtney Evans is in her third year as choir director at Marcos de Niza High School in Tempe, Arizona, where she directs four choral ensembles and serves as the faculty advisor for students in the...

"People at all levels can be advocates for music education. It's telling stories. It's educating people that don't have the same experiences that we do."  Dr. Lynn M. Brinckmeyer is Professor of Music, Associate Dean of the College of Fine Arts and Communication and Director of Choral Music Education at Texas State University. During 2006-2008 she served as President for T...

"There was a line of places where doors just opened up, and I went through. I believe I'm meant to be here... The challenges you're provided will prepare you for what's to come in your future." Dr. Dean Luethi serves as the Director of the School of Music, Director of Choral Activities, and Associate Professor at Washington State University. He received his BM in Vocal Mus...

"I will always be able to pivot from now on. There will always be Plan B and C in my head… I learned a lot of flexibility in that COVID year of teaching." Dr. Matthew Myers serves as assistant professor of choral music education at WSU. He conducts the University Singers and Treble Choir and teaches courses in music education methods, conducting, and voice. He earned his DMA in choral co...