Choralosophy

What happens when a choir director with thirty years in the classroom builds an AI app trained on his experience? His own teachers’ Facebook group turns on him for it. Does he deserve it? Every time I open Facebook lately, some music teacher has a brand-new AI app to sell me. Dale Duncan is no … Continue reading "Episode 310: Drawing Your Line in the Sand on AI in the Classroom with Da...

A singer trained in only one style is leaving half their instrument unbuilt. We hear a bright, forward, Broadway sound walk into the rehearsal room and reach for the same correction every time. But what if that instinct is the problem? She belts in musical practice after school and sings Palestrina on Sunday morning, and … Continue reading "Episode 309: Cross-Training For Singers with Dr. Ni...

What if the piano — the instrument sitting in every choir room in America — is quietly teaching your singers to sing out of tune? I rehearse a cappella. From the first day of rehearsal to the final product, no piano. I’ve been saying it for years, and I catch heat for it. So when … Continue reading "Episode 308: It’s Just Intonation After All with Ross W. Duffin"

Real music literacy isn’t about robotic, first-time perfection. Here is how to create individualized leveled readers that meet every singer right where they are. If you think back to elementary school, or when your own kids were young, you probably remember them bringing home leveled reading books tailored to their specific vocabulary, phonics stage, and … Continue reading "Episode 307: Educ...

ACTUAL student-centered education occurs when we design our classes, pedagogies and assessments around individual student skill attainment. The calculation of “what works” cannot simply boil down to teacher preference. One of the most common things you hear at music education conferences is the phrase: “I just do what works for me.” It sounds harmless, even … Continue...

What happens when a choral piece becomes so wildly popular that choir directors start refusing to program it? We like to tell ourselves that our repertoire choices are based on objective artistic standards… …but all too often, artists fall into a familiar trap: the moment a piece captures the public imagination or goes viral on … Continue reading "Episode 305: An Invitation to Co...

What if we’ve been approaching Music Ed and Conducting backwards? Dr. Jordan suggests, that “the first course in music ed shouldn’t be methods. It should be a semester of learning who you are—because that’s what actually reaches students.” Why is it that two conductors can give the exact same technical pattern to the same choir, … Continue reading "Episode 304: You Ar...

This week, I am sharing an excerpt from a live webinar I recently hosted breaking down how I actually use Sight Reading Factory in the classroom every day to build confident, independent musicians. If you have spent any time around this show, you know I believe deeply in getting the piano out of the way … Continue reading "Episode 303: The Tool to Build the Tools-“The Workbench”"

Back in episode 146, Dr. Jennaya Robison and I had a great discussion about the tension (pun intended) around vibrato vs. non vibrato aesthetics, physiology and acoustics in choral music. Recently, we posted a clip from that show and it blew up. Let’s just say, the algorithm anointed it with oil and now its cup … Continue reading "Episode 302: Revisiting the Vibrato Question"

An episode born from comment section of one of my social media videos. I was sharing my perspective on finding a middle ground when it comes to competition in music education, and my guest today left a comment that caught my eye, mentioning that her own views on artistic competition had recently undergone a total … Continue reading "Episode 301: Is it Competition? Or Comparison? with Dr. Fra...

Three years ago, I released an episode that got me called the “Joe Rogan of Choir Podcasts.” I was branded a “men’s rights advocate,” and I watched a non-trivial portion of the choral community throw up their hands in collective outrage or disbelief. What was my controversial crime? I dared to argue that boys are … Continue reading "Episode 300: The Reason Boys...

Over the last 2 summers, Choralosophy has been focused on teacher and conductor preparation for the day their singers walk in for the first time. What does it mean to really be “ready?” Summer vacation is important, but preparation is peace of mind. This short episode will simply summarize the First Days and Give Them … Continue reading "Episode 299: Organizing Your Choir for Day...

There is nothing better than seeing development—watching someone start at the bottom level and, through time and dedication, step onto a stage and realize what they are truly capable of. No matter what your choir’s starting point, it is GROWTH that keeps the members coming back. Welcome to a special joint-presentation episode where cross-continental perspective … Continue reading "Epis...

“We keep data on students, not because we need to measure if they good enough. It’s how we as teachers measure if WE are good enough.” If I can’t show you what they have learned, how can I be sure I am doing a good job? In many educational settings, choral music exists as a … Continue reading "Episode 297: Give Them Tools and Let Them Build Part 6 (Tracking Data For G...

Humans are a musical species. ALL humans. But, many move through their music education without realizing it. We are putting the most vulnerable part of the brain in the hands of overworked people. And that is a problem. Emotionally Intelligent Music Instruction can be part of the solution. This week’s guest dropped a concept that … Continue reading "Episode 296: How to Make a Musician...

In part five we are dive into the importance of a simple to understand system of vocal instruction for groups of beginners. Many choir teachers say “I am the only voice teacher many of my kids will ever have.” While true in one sense, a choir class is NOT a voice lesson. Voice lessons are … Continue reading "Episode 295: Give Them Tools and Let Them Build Part 5 (Vocal Freedom an...

We are revisiting a topic today to bring in more perspectives. Dave Ritschard teaches choir in Alabama, where they are considering ADDING sight reading to the All State Choir audition. Dave is opposed. Today, we are diving headfirst into a hot-button topic that recently blew up on Facebook: what is the true purpose of an … Continue reading "Episode 294: Reopening the All State Debate. Sight...

How do you choose your repertoire? Is it the same rubric for every choir? Or does it vary? What’s on your list? Enjoy this short, bonus episode where I was able to squeeze in a short discussion on choral programming with the two guest clinicians at the Kantorei KC Summer Choral Institute. Dr. Clelyn Chapin … Continue reading "Car Thoughts: Programming Considerations with Chantae Pittma...

What happens when you look at your choir’s packed performance schedule and realize you’ve been teaching the repertoire, but not the actual skills? But aren’t middle school kids too young for a rigorous choir class experience? Besides, won’t it drive them away if we don’t make it an easy A with lots of fun concerts? … Continue reading "Episode 293: Middle School is JUS...

Have you ever noticed that good pedagogy and the perfect methodology only goes so far? The job of a teacher, conductor or a coach is a complicated cocktail with almost infinitely changing ingredients. The main variables can be found within the groups themselves. In this episode, I’m sitting down once again with Gary Seighman, choir … Continue reading "Episode 292: How to Be A Choir Coach wit...

Should would we reject AI, or embrace it? Or maybe neither? Like all new technologies, there will be problems. Early adopters, and late ones, and some that NEVER get on board. In what areas can AI tools help artists and educators be better at their jobs? But also, which AI tools are a genuine threat … Continue reading "Episode 291: Wrestling With AI in the Arts with Beth Philemon"

Is there even such a thing as “Ethical Gatekeeping?” In modern discourse, the term seems to always be a negative. Maybe some gates need a keeper. Today’s conversation hits incredibly close to home as we pull back the curtain on power dynamics, public perception, and the hidden structures that dictate taste and legitimacy in choral … Continue reading "Episode 290: Ethical Ch...

This episode is GUEST HOSTED by Beth Munce! Our voices continue to change through our lives. This can affect us as directors, but also the singers under our charge. One of the most tumultuous vocal changes outside of the famous “boy in puberty” is the woman’s voice in Perimenopause and Menopause. Since, I have no … Continue reading "Episode 289: Voice Change Isn’t Jus...

Between process or performance. Between our philosophy and our job. Between what’s best for kids and what our colleagues want How do we navigate the conundrum of a performance based institutional system with the “slower at first” tools based philosophy that we know is best for long term growth? How do we convince an administrator … Continue reading "Episode 288: When we are Force...

Part Four are the rhythm tools: Rap the words, Takadimi, count singing. Each have their roles, and particular problems that they help to solve. In this episode, peek into some rehearsals where students demonstrate their tool selection and application. Beat is felt in the body, constructed in the brain, and CAN be taught. Rhythm is … Continue reading "Episode 287: Give Them Tools and Let Them...