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“You never know what anybody's potential is. I think about that now as a teacher, that we are expecting 17-, 18-year-olds to know what they want to do for the rest of their lives. It's so early in your life to make those decisions, and so much can change during those really formative years. I want to help them to be the best version of themselves in the field and achieve the goals that they would like to do.”Jennifer Sengin is the Raymond R. Neevel/Missouri Professor of Choral Music and Director of Choral Studies at the University of Missouri-Kansas City Conservatory (UMKC) where she leads the graduate choral conducting program and conducts the flagship ensemble, Conservatory Singers, and the Choral Union. In addition to ensembles, Dr. Sengin teaches graduate choral conducting and choral literature. In the summer of 2024, Dr. Sengin received the inaugural Newcomer Award from the Missouri Choral Directors Association.Prior to coming to UMKC, Dr. Sengin most recently served as the Associate Director of Choral Activities at Georgia State University. Under her direction, the GSU Treble Choir won first place in The American Prize and Dr. Sengin received 2nd place in conducting. The Treble Choir has been invited to perform at the National Collegiate Choral Organization Conference and twice at the Georgia Music Educators Association Conference. While at GSU, Dr. Sengin received two university-wide awards – the 2022-23 Non-Tenure Track Faculty Achievement Award and the 2021-22 GSU Instructional Effectiveness Award.An active guest conductor, clinician, adjudicator, and presenter, Dr. Sengin has conducted honor choirs throughout the country. Future engagements include guest conducting the Duruflé Requiem at Carnegie Hall with National Concerts.She recently participated as a Conducting Fellow with the American Choral Directors Association International Conductor Exchange Program to Germany where she led workshops in Hannover and Berlin. Dr. Sengin has presented sessions and served as a panelist at international, national, regional, and state conferences. In 2024, Dr. Sengin traveled to Helsinki, Finland to co-present at the International Society for Music Education World Conference. She currently serves on the National Board of the National Collegiate Choral Organization and as the Repertoire and Resource Chair for Youth and Student Activities for the ACDA Southwestern Region. She also sings in the award-winning professional ensemble, mirabai.Dr. Sengin holds degrees from The College of New Jersey (BM Music Education), Ithaca College (MM Choral Conducting), and Michigan State University (DMA Choral Conducting).To get in touch with Jennifer, you can email her at jsengin@umkc.edu.Email choirfampodcast@gmail.com to contact our hosts.Podcast music from Podcast.coPhoto in episode artwork by Trace Hudson
“Contemporary commercial music is closer to the students' everyday musical culture. There's that component of culturally relevant pedagogy that both show choir and vocal jazz meet. They are a bit more naturally motivating to a majority of students, and we honor the musical culture of the United States and our popular styles from the last 100 years when we teach these things."Ryan Deignan is Assistant Professor and Director of Choral Activities at the University of Minnesota Duluth where he leads the flagship University Singers and the award-winning vocal jazz ensemble Lake Effect and teaches voice lessons, ear training, and vocal pedagogy. Deignan is the Artistic Director of the Twin Ports Choral Project and was a fellow at the 2022 Baylor International Choral Conducting Masterclass.In addition to teaching and conducting, Deignan performs as a professional vocalist. He performed with the Madison Choral Project in 2023 and sang with the new Baton Rouge choir Red Shift in their 2020 Southern ACDA performance, where he also served as tenor soloist. Deignan sang with Dallas' Orpheus Chamber Singers and Dallas Bach Society, and community choir Denton Bach Society as tenor soloist for their performance of Rossini's Petite Messe Solennelle.At the high school level, Deignan was Director of Choirs for the West Des Moines Valley High School choral program of 350 students, seven traditional choirs, two show choirs, and four jazz choirs. Under his direction, Valley Singers performed at the 2016 North Central ACDA Convention in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Prior to West Des Moines, Deignan was Associate Director of Vocal Music at Cedar Rapids Washington High School where he led a Slice of Jazz to the 2012 Iowa Vocal Jazz Championship.Deignan holds a BA in Vocal Performance from Luther College, an MA in Music Education from the University of Iowa and DMA in Choral Studies with a cognate field in Vocal Pedagogy from the University of North Texas.To get in touch with Ryan, you can email him at rpdeignan@gmail.com or find him on Facebook (@rdeignan) or Instagram (@rpdeignan).Choir Fam wants to hear from you! Check out the Minisode Intro Part 3 episode from February 16, 2024, to hear how to share your story with us.Email choirfampodcast@gmail.com to contact our hosts.Podcast music from Podcast.coPhoto in episode artwork by Trace Hudson
Dr. Eric Nelson, Director of Choral Studies at Emory and artistic director of the Atlanta Master Chorale, discusses “Same Light, Different Lanterns: Sacred Music from Around the World” on stage this Friday and Saturday at Emory University's Schwarz Center for the Performing Arts. Plus, we get a head start on St. Patrick's Day as Chef Judith McGloughlin details her new cookbook, “A Return to Ireland.”See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
“The number one thing that I look for when I meet a younger conductor is imagination, someone who comes with ideas but also has a story to tell with the music. Often younger conductors are really worried about technique, the way they look, the way they rehearse, but it starts with imagination. What do you want to communicate? People are so worried about technique that they hide themselves. We want to see the person. Who are you and what do you have to say?”Prof. Jean-Sébastien Vallée is a renowned Canadian-American conductor, scholar, and pedagogue known for his expertise in vocal, choral, and orchestral repertoires. With an illustrious career spanning over several decades, Dr. Vallée has conducted numerous ensembles across North America, Europe, and Asia, and has prepared choruses for some of the world's most prestigious orchestras including the Toronto Symphony, the Montreal Symphony, the National Arts Center Orchestra in Ottawa, and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra.Currently serving as Associate Professor of Music, Director of Choral Studies, and Coordinator of the Ensembles & Conducting Area at the Schulich School of Music of McGill University, and as Artistic Director of the Toronto Mendelssohn Choir, Dr. Vallée is a sought-after conductor and pedagogue. He has previously served as the Director of Choral Studies at California State University, Los Angeles, and was on the choral faculty of the University of Redlands. Dr. Vallée holds degrees from Laval University, Sherbrooke University, the University of California, Santa Cruz, and a doctorate in conducting from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.Maestro Vallée's passion for contemporary music is evident in his work, as he makes it a priority to premiere and commission works by young composers and program rarely performed repertoire. Dr. Vallée has presented his research at several national and international conferences, including the American Choral Directors Association Conventions, Festival 500 in Newfoundland, the National Collegiate Choral Organization conference, Podium—the national convention of Choral Canada, the Hawaii International Conference on Arts and Humanities, and the World Symposium on Choral Music in Spain (2017), New Zealand (2020), and Portugal (2022).Maestro Vallée's recordings have been broadcast internationally and include Lux (ATMA, 2017), Requiem (ATMA, 2018 – requiems by Fauré and Duruflé), and Distance (ATMA, 2021). His recent engagements include concerts at the Liszt Ferenc Academy of Music in Budapest, a tour with the National Choir of Canada, and concerts with l'Orchestre symphonique de Québec, the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, and the Chicago Symphony Chorus. To get in touch with Jean-Sébastien, you can visit his website jsvallee.com or find him on Facebook (@sebastien.vallee) or Instagram (@jsvallee). Choir Fam wants to hear from you! Check out the Minisode Intro Part 2 episode from May 22, 2023, to hear how to share your story with us.Email choirfampodcast@gmail.com to contact our hosts.Podcast music from Podcast.coPhoto in episode artwork by Trace Hudson
In the premiere episode of Artist Banter's fourth season, host Julia Goldman sits down with CSULB's Director of Choral Studies, Dr. Jonathan Talberg. The two dive into Dr. Talberg's journey in music and how his past has shaped his teaching style at the Beach. In this episode of Artist Banter, host Julia Goldman meets with Long Beach State's Director of Choral Studies, Dr. Jonathan Talberg. In his 24 years at the Beach, Dr. Talberg has gone on to teach hundreds of students within the choral program. He is also the conductor of the award-winning Bob Cole Conservatory Chamber Choir which has performed with notable groups such as the Los Angeles Masters Chorale, Kronos Quartet, Pacific Symphony and the Rolling Stones. The two discuss the origins of Dr. Talberg's musical introductions and how the lessons he has learned have influenced his role as a music educator. To support CSULB's choir program, and keep up to date with their performances, check out @csulb_bccm and @choirsatbccm on Instagram. Host: Julia GoldmanGuest: Dr. Jonathan TalbergEditor: Julia GoldmanProducers: El Nicklin, Aidan SwanepoelLike, comment, and follow us on your favorite platform for more content! Apple Podcastshttps://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/daily-49er-podcasts/id1488484518?uo=4 Google Podcastshttps://www.google.com/podcasts?feed=aHR0cHM6Ly9hbmNob3IuZm0vcy9kMzEwMjEwL3BvZGNhc3QvcnNz Spotifyhttps://open.spotify.com/show/4HJaqJep02kHeIQy8op1n1 Overcasthttps://overcast.fm/itunes1488484518/daily-49er-podcasts
“You can't be a good teacher, you can't be a good conductor, without being a good human being... I'm grateful that I have stuck with so many of the things that felt true to me. I'm honest and vulnerable but also still open to learning from other people, because everything that I do is not right. If I realize it's not right, I need to ‘fess up to it really quickly.”A Virginia native, Marques L. A. Garrett is Associate Professor of Choral Studies at the University of North Texas. He earned his PhD in Music Education (Choral Conducting) at Florida State University.An active conductor, Dr. Garrett is the founding conductor of the Nebraska Festival Singers. He has served as a guest conductor or clinician with several school, church, community, and festival/honor choirs throughout the country. In addition to his conducting classes at UNT, he leads conducting workshops at other universities and conferences.A versatile voice that performs both as a baritone and countertenor, Dr. Garrett has sung with several community, church, and university groups as both a chorister and soloist. He was the countertenor soloist in the European premiere of Dan Forrest's Jubilate Deo in Limerick, Ireland. Currently, he sings with the Festival Singers of Florida and Jason Max Ferdinand Singers.Dr. Garrett is an avid composer of choral and solo-vocal music whose compositions have been performed to acclaim by high school all-state, collegiate, and professional choirs including Seraphic Fire and the Oakwood University Aeolians. His compositions are available through several publishers.To get in touch with Marques, you can visit his website, mlagmusic.com or find him on Facebook (@marques.l.a.garrett) or Snapchat/Instagram/X (@mlagmusic).Choir Fam wants to hear from you! Check out the Minisode Intro Part 2 episode from May 22, 2023, to hear how to share your story with us.Email choirfampodcast@gmail.com to contact our hosts.Podcast music from Podcast.coPhoto in episode artwork by Trace HudsonPlays On Word RadioIn-depth look at God's Word, Biblical Plays we perform & those who've joined us on the wayListen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify
Happy New Year! And what a way to start with this awesome episode! We've started this little mini-series on avoiding burnout thanks to feedback we are hearing as part of ACDA's Advocacy and Collaboration Standing Committee. The goal of these episodes is to provide our members and listeners with tools to avoid and overcome burnout - one of the leading causes to folks leaving our fabulous career. In this episode, part one of two, you'll hear from Director of Choral Studies and Founder of ChorAmor.com, Dr. Troy Robertson. We talk about how to guard your time, explore what we really want in our life and careers, and a couple tools to help us. Watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/y8tT8DQNLFs Link to Presentation: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1YihgiNT5yYTkoXObQwDrwX3TIzly3RYwUpr3nQ2GORQ/editLink to Choral Journal Article: https://choralnet.org/archives/650130 Stephanie Robertson, PhD, is an Associate Professor of Psychology and Director of the Child Center for Wellbeing at Tarleton State University in Stephenville, Texas. She has worked in public schools, non-profit institutions, and higher education for over fifteen years, with a focus on the wellbeing and healthy development of children. She researches the impact of invisible disabilities and student access to education at secondary and post-secondary levels. Her husband, Troy Robertson, PhD, is the Director of Choirs at Tarleton. He conducts Tarleton's five choral ensembles, teaches conducting and choral methods, and supervises clinical teachers. He is also a composer whose works are published with Hinshaw Music, Santa Barbara Music Press, Colla Voce, and Music Spoke. They make their home in Stephenville with their ten-year-old son, Winton.The Music (ed) Matters Podcast is sponsored by our friends over at Perform International. Thinking of going on tour domestically or abroad, want to take a solo tour, or team up with a dynamic festival? PI offers the best educationally sound and culturally significant experiences! Check them out, and tell them Emmy sent you :) Perform-International.com Order your copy of “The Business of Choir" - check out the website, businessofchoir.com. Join us over at Patreon.com/MusicEdMatters for monthly meet-ups, monthly bonus episodes, special content, and more!
Ryan W. Holder is currently in his eighteenth year as the Associate Director of Choral Studies at Northern Arizona University (Flagstaff, AZ), where he directs Vox Astra and the Northern Voices and High Altitude vocal jazz ensembles, teaches undergraduate and graduate conducting and choral methods, supervises choral student teachers, and serves as the adviser for the NAU student chapter of the American Choral Directors Association and the three contemporary a cappella groups. In addition, he is the coordinator of the annual Jazz/Madrigal festival, which brings in over 85 high schools and 145 choirs every year.Dr. Holder has given lectures and presentations at local, state, and regional ACDA and NAfME conventions, including a lecture on “Making the Transition from Classical to Vocal Jazz”. His vocal jazz ensembles have also been invited to perform throughout the Southwest, including performances at state and regional ACDA conferences, and was one of only three vocal jazz ensembles selected to perform at the 2012 Jazz Educators Network Conference in Louisville, Kentucky.Ryan has served as the Arizona State ACDA President as well as on the ACDA National Committee on Educational Technology. He also serves as the director of music at The Church of the Red Rocks in Sedona, Arizona where he is the founding artistic director of the Sedona Academy of Chamber Singers.Dr. Holder received his DMA degree from the University of Miami in addition to bachelor's and master's degrees from Southern Oregon University and University of Northern Colorado, respectively.To get in touch with Ryan, you can email him at Ryan.Holder@nau.edu or find him on Instagram (@the_ryan_holder).Choir Fam wants to hear from you! Check out the Minisode Intro Part 2 episode from May 22, 2023, to hear how to share your story with us.Email choirfampodcast@gmail.com to contact our hosts.Podcast music from Podcast.coPhoto in episode artwork by Trace Hudson
“I really thought I wanted to be a high school teacher, but the first job I got was in elementary. That turned out to be the best ‘teaching-me' experience I could have had, because I learned that if one could get music across to people without much background, you can get it across to anybody.”Dr. Hilary Apfelstadt is Professor Emerita of Choral Studies at the University of Toronto where she held the Elmer Iseler Chair in Conducting and received the inaugural Teaching Excellence Award in 2013. Previously she taught at the Ohio State University and the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, after receiving her doctorate from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She also holds degrees from the University of Toronto and the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana. Her teaching experiences range from teaching public school to directing community ensembles and church choirs. From 2013 – 2018, she was Artistic Director of Exultate Chamber Singers in Toronto.A native Canadian, she has performed with her university choirs at conferences of the American Choral Directors Association (ACDA), and at Podium, the national conference of Choral Canada. She has conducted honors choruses throughout Canada and the U.S., including almost 40 all-state high school choirs. She has directed choral festivals at Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall, and throughout Europe.Dr. Apfelstadt has published numerous articles and book chapters, including contributions to Wisdom, Wit and Will: Women Choral Conductors on their Art (GIA Publications, 2009) and Conducting Successful Women's Choirs (GIA, 2012). She is co-editor of Teaching Music through Performance in Choir, v. 5, published by GIA (2019), and a contributing author to Volume 4 of the same series. Her book on the life and work of Canadian composer Ruth Watson Henderson, I Didn't Want It To be Boring (Toronto: Prism Publishers) won Choral Canada's award for the Outstanding Choral Publication in 2018. She is Feature Articles Editor for Anacrusis (Choral Canada) and an Editorial Mentor for The Choral Scholar (NCCO). She also serves on the Board of Chorus America.A Life Member of ACDA, Dr. Apfelstadt served as National President from 2007 – 2009 and as Interim Executive Director from 2020 – 2021. She has received leadership awards from NC-ACDA, Ohio CDA, ACDA Central Region, ACDA Midwestern Region, and Choirs Ontario.To get in touch with Hilary, you can email her at hilary.apfelstadt@utoronto.ca or find her on Facebook (@HilaryJApfelstadt).Choir Fam wants to hear from you! Check out the Minisode Intro Part 2 episode from May 22, 2023, to hear how to share your story with us.Email choirfampodcast@gmail.com to contact our hosts.Podcast music from Podcast.coPhoto in episode artwork by Trace Hudson
Joseph Svendsen is the Director of Choral Studies and Associate Professor of Music at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, where he conducts the UNLV Singers and Collegium and teaches graduate coursework in conducting and choral literature, working with students seeking the MM in Choral Conducting. During his tenure at UNLV the choirs have toured internationally and regionally and performed at professional conferences and festivals in the southwestern United States. The choirs host the Desert Rose Choral Festival, a one-day festival chorus of high school students drawn from across the southwest.Svendsen is the artistic director of the Las Vegas Master Singers, a 90-voice volunteer ensemble that serves as the symphony chorus for the Las Vegas Philharmonic and provides the choruses for Opera Las Vegas's main stage productions. The chorus regularly collaborates with Las Vegas and regional orchestras, choirs, and solo artists and commissions works about life in Nevada through its New Voices outreach program. Svendsen is also music minister at Faith Lutheran Church in Summerlin, Nevada, where the church's choral scholars recently completed a residency at St Albans Cathedral in Hertfordshire, England. An active clinician, he has served as an invited conductor in eight countries and seven states, with choirs ranging from middle school through adulthood.Svendsen is an advocate of critical pedagogy and agency building in the choral rehearsal, developing student musicianship, independence, and engagement through the teaching of diverse repertoire. He has presented on this subject for conferences of the American Choral Directors Association and the National Association for Music Education, as well as several university and school district guest lectures and residencies. He is the 2023 recipient of the UNLV College of Fine Arts Outstanding Teaching Award.Svendsen is a proud alumnus of Luther College, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and Texas Tech University, from which he earned his DMA in Choral Conducting. From 2007-2013 he taught high school vocal music in Fort Dodge, Iowa. His choral mentors and teachers include Richard Bjella, Chester Alwes, Craig Arnold, and Timothy Peter.To get in touch with Joe, you can email him at joseph.svendsen@unlv.edu or find him on Instagram (@joseph.svendsen) or Twitter (@josephsvendsen).Choir Fam wants to hear from you! Check out the Minisode Intro Part 2 episode from May 22, 2023, to hear how to share your story with us. Email choirfampodcast@gmail.com to contact our hosts.Podcast music from Podcast.coPhoto in episode artwork by Trace Hudson
"The timbre of the singing voice [in Malaysian music] is definitely different from singing Western art music mainly because of the language itself. The way the language is being spoken accesses a different space in our whole instrument. If you want sing the music of a different culture or language in that particular tone, listen to how a person would speak the language, and you won't go far from it."Dr. Tracy Wong is a Malaysian-Canadian choral conductor, music educator, composer, vocalist, and pianist. Dr. Wong is passionate about helping choral leaders and educators to provide unique experiences for their singers and students through collaborative commissions, customized workshops, festivals, and artist residencies. She does this through focusing on the balance of performance practice considerations, vocal and acoustic explorations, and choral artistry and heart.Currently residing in Ontario, Canada, Dr. Wong is the Assistant Professor of Choral Studies at Western University, where she conducts Chorale and Les Choristes ensembles and teaches choral conducting. Dr. Wong holds Doctor in Musical Arts and Master in Music Performance (Choral Conducting) degrees from the University of Toronto under the tutelage of Dr. Hilary Apfelstadt. She is also a two-time recipient of the Elmer Iseler National Graduate Fellowship in Choral Conducting.As an active choral artist, Tracy collaborates regularly with choral organizations on conducting events, commissioned projects, and residences, and her compositions are widely published and performed internationally. As a composer/arranger, she advocates for repertoire-based music education by writing pieces that are teaching tools for singers to develop vocal technique, musicianship skills, and artistry. As part of her continued search to define her Chinese-Malaysian-Canadian identity, Tracy's music also shows the coming-together of different languages and musical elements that continue to influence her composition writing. A large number of her self-published works are on the Tracy Wong Series at Graphite Marketplace.To get in touch with Tracy, you can find her on her website, tracywongmusic.com, and join her mailing list. You can also find her on Facebook (@tracywongmusic) or Instagram (@thewongnote).Choir Fam wants to hear from you! Check out the Minisode Intro Part 2 episode from May 22, 2023, to hear how to share your story with us. Email choirfampodcast@gmail.com to contact our hosts.Podcast music from Podcast.coPhoto in episode artwork by Trace Hudson
Transferable lessons from the Jiu-Jitsu mat?! Yes, please!Meet Dr. Jeff Wall, Professor of Music and Director of Choral Studies at Northeastern State University in Tahlequah, OK but also an avid practicer of jiu-jitsu. In this conversation, we connect the dots on what we can apply from the mat to the choral/singing space. You're going to love this! Connect with Dr. Wall: www.jefferywall.com www.voxsolaris.net www.nsuokchoirs.com Watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/LcpkPKNwkRM The Music (ed) Matters Podcast is sponsored by our friends over at Perform International. Thinking of going on tour domestically or abroad, want to take a solo tour, or team up with a dynamic festival? PI offers the best educationally sound and culturally significant experiences! Check them out, and tell them Emmy sent you :) Perform-International.com Order your copy of “The Business of Choir”: https://www.giamusic.com/store/resource/the-business-of-choir-book-g10713 or check out the website, businessofchoir.com. Join us over at Patreon.com/MusicEdMatters for monthly meet-ups, monthly bonus episodes, special content, and more!**Show music originally written by Mr. Todd Monsell
"I try to be flexible with the way I write for people. For me it's a service when I get commissions, so I want to be able to serve the community that I'm working with in the same way that I would tailor a lesson to my classes depending on what the students need. I would do the same for what an organization needs with composition." Conductor/Composer/Producer Anthony J. Maglione is a graduate of Westminster Choir College of Rider University, East Carolina University, and the University of California, Los Angeles. He is the Director of Choral Studies and holds the Robert H. McKee Chair of Music at William Jewell College. Under his direction, the Concert Choir was twice named Runner Up (2nd Place) for the American Prize in Choral Performance, College/University Division. In addition to his responsibilities at William Jewell College, he serves as Director of Music and Choir Master at St. Mary's Episcopal Church in Kansas City, Conductor Emeritus of the Freelance Ensemble Artists of NJ Symphony Orchestra, and has served on the summer faculty of Westminster Choir College since 2011. Anthony also serves as the conducting teacher for Artefact Institute.An active composer, Anthony's choral works are growing in popularity and are published on GIA's “Evoking Sound” choral series. In the last several years his music has appeared at state and national-level conventions, on TV, in video games, and has been recorded on Gothic Records, Albany Records, and Centaur Records. Anthony's cantata "The Wedding of Solomon" premiered at the 2018 American Guild of Organists National Convention. In 2019, his work "On Life" was premiered by the Miami University Men's Glee Club at the National ACDA Conference. In early 2020, Verdigris Ensemble premiered his extended dramatic work "Dust Bowl" as part of the AT&T Performing Arts Center's Elevator Project in Dallas, TX. He is currently slated for several more premieres throughout the United States during the remainder of 2023.As a producer, Anthony lends his ears to recording projects around the country and recently received national attention through his production work with Sam Brukhman and Veridigris Ensemble on "Betty's Notebook" by Nicholas Reeves.As a tenor, Anthony has appeared with many ensembles and currently performs and records with The Same Stream, the GRAMMY-nominated St. Tikhon Choir, and made his debut with Portland-based Capella Romana on the 2021-2022 season.A sought after clinician, Anthony teaches workshops regularly and has conducted All-State and honor choirs throughout the US.You can learn more about Anthony at his website: https://anthonymaglione.com/ .Choir Fam wants to hear from you! Check out the Minisode Intro episode from September 16, 2022, to hear how to share your story with us. Email choirfampodcast@gmail.com to contact our hosts.Podcast music from Podcast.coPhoto in episode artwork by Trace Hudson from Pexels
"It gave me some amazing opportunities, just that one phone call, that one chance. For my grad students, that's one of the things that I really try to model and mentor and teach them: you can be a fantastic musician, but if you aren't one that seizes the moment or takes the initiative, it makes a difference."John Dickson is Professor Emeritus and former Director of Choral Studies at Louisiana State University's School of Music. Holding the School of Music's first Chair as the Edward G. and Catherine M. Galante Chair for Choral Music Education, he conducted the A Cappella Choir and supervised the masters and doctoral programs in choral conducting. Recently retired after forty-four years of collegiate teaching, he continues his conducting through workshops and festivals, and as the founding artistic director and conductor of Coro Vocati, one of Atlanta's most accomplished professional chamber choirs. He also serves as one of the principal guest artists for KI Concerts.As a conducting pedagogue, he has presented masterclasses before the Association of British Choral Directors, the American Choral Directors Association, the Royal Northern Music Conservatory (Mancester), and the Russian State Music Conservatories of St. Petersburg and Moscow. He has conducted festivals and workshops in England, Wales, Scotland, Finland, France, Italy, Hungary, Austria, the Czech Republic, Mexico, Canada, and throughout the U. S. For three decades his choirs have been featured at conventions of the ACDA, ABCD, Texas Music Educators Association, and the National Collegiate Choral Organization.Appointed as a Visiting Fellow of Wolfson College, Cambridge University in 1992, Dr. Dickson sang with Sir David Willcocks and The Bach Choir; a second post-doctoral fellowship in 1998 allowed him to serve as principal rehearsal conductor under musical director David Hill. For his summer conducting institutes Dr. Dickson has co-directed with British friends and colleagues Stephen Cleobury, David Hill and Bob Chilcott. He is the Founding Director of the C. S. Lewis Choral Institute, featuring a professional chorus for its triennial symposium in Oxford and Cambridge. He holds the D.M.A. degree in choral conducting from The University of Texas, at Austin, the M.M. degree in musicology from Baylor University, and has done post-doctoral study at Cambridge University, Cambridge.You can email John at jdickson@lsu.edu.Choir Fam wants to hear from you! Check out the Minisode Intro episode from September 16, 2022, to hear how to share your story with us. Email choirfampodcast@gmail.com to contact our hosts.Podcast music from Podcast.coPhoto in episode artwork by Trace Hudson from Pexels
"It's not about only 'what do you hear,' it's about how you hear. What is the color of the sound you hear? What do you hear in the vocal mechanism? What are some of the things that they are doing that maybe are reflected in my conducting? Is my conducting reflective of the music? Is my conducting causing the issues?"Jo-Michael Scheibe, a Southern California native, has spent years cultivating his passion for choral music and higher education. Mike, currently retired, recently chaired the Thornton School of Music's Department of Choral and Sacred Music at the University of Southern California, where he conducted the USC Chamber Singers, taught choral conducting and choral methods, and supervised the graduate and undergraduate choral program. Before his time at USC, he spent fifteen years in Miami directing Choral Studies at University of Miami's Frost School of Music.Dr. Scheibe has prepared many choruses at USC and around the world. These include works with Sir Colin Davis and the London Symphony Orchestra, Helmuth Rilling, Michael Tilson Thomas and the New World Symphony, Franz Welser-Möst and the Cleveland Orchestra, and the Formosa Singers in Taiwan. Under his leadership, ensembles have performed at National ACDA Conventions and National Conventions of the Music Educators National Conference. Walton, Albany, Colla Voce Music, and Naxos publish recordings of Scheibe's ensembles.Dr. Scheibe received his B.A. and M.M. degrees from California State University at Long Beach and D.M.A. from USC.A champion of contemporary music, Scheibe regularly commissions and performs new works of choral literature. He has helped to launch careers of promising young composers and to promote music by international composers largely unknown in the United States. Music publishers Walton, Colla Voce Music and Santa Barbara distribute the Jo-Michael Scheibe Choral Series internationally. Composers in his series include Eric Whitacre, Susan LaBarr, Stacey V. Gibbs, David Dickau, and many others.To get in touch with Mike, you can find him on Facebook (@drjomichaelscheibe) or send him an email at jscheibe@usc.edu.Choir Fam wants to hear from you! Check out the Minisode Intro episode from September 16, 2022, to hear how to share your story with us. Email choirfampodcast@gmail.com to contact our hosts.Podcast music from Podcast.coPhoto in episode artwork by Trace Hudson from Pexels
How do we think "outside the box" with choral programming? How (and why) should we use this "outside of the box" thinking to bring singers and communities together? In this episode, you'll hear from Dr. Alissa Mercurio Rowe. Dr. Rowe is an active choral conductor, voice teacher, and soloist. She currently serves as Associate Professor and Director of Choral Studies at Louisiana State University. Previously she served twenty years as Director of Choral Activities at Southeastern Louisiana University. Along with Dr. Rowe's story into the choir world, in this conversation, we explore steps for thinking “outside of the box” related to programming in order to engage, inspire, innovate, and bring humanity together. Get ready for the power of music! Learn more about Dr. Rowe: https://www.alissamercuriorowe.com/ Listen to Dr. Rowe's French Aria Album: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/alissa-mercurio-rowe/1017007558 Watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/_F5eP3w8EnQ. Order your copy of Dr. Burch's book, “The Business of Choir”: https://www.giamusic.com/store/resource/the-business-of-choir-book-g10713. Join us over at Patreon.com/MusicEdMatters for monthly meet-ups, monthly bonus episodes, special content and more!Support the companies that make The Music (ed) Matters Podcast possible: —Kaleidoscope Adventures - find your adventure today, kaleidoscopeadventures.com/. Including the June 2023 Festival and PD Weekend in Myrtle Beach with Alex & Emmy and their choirs!— The Kinnison Choral Company - check out their quality resources - or get your tracks made today - at KinnisonChoralCo.com. **Show music originally written by Mr. Todd Monsell**Show photography provided by Dr. Dan Biggerstaff
Today on conduct(her) Kyra and McKenna interview Dr. Hilary Apfelstadt who is Professor Emerita of Choral Studies at the University of Toronto where she held the Elmer Iseler Chair in Conducting and received the inaugural Teaching Excellence Award in 2013. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/conducther/support
Jerald sits down for a chat with his mentors/former college professors, husband and wife super duo, Dr. William Powell, the Auburn University Charles W. Barkley Endowed Professor of Music/Director of Choral Studies, and Auburn University Professor of Voice and internationally acclaimed composer, respectively. In observance of Black History Month, the trio discusses the doctors' career paths and the origins and meaning of African African spiritual music.
Suzi Digby was born in Japan and lived in Hong Kong, Mexico, and the Philippines before settling in the UK. She is a leading choral conductor and music educator and has promoted the revival of singing in the schools and communities in the UK. In 2016 she founded ORA Singers. She also founded the following National organizations: The Voices Foundation, a leading Primary Music charity; Vocal Futures, which nurtures young audiences for classical music and the London Youth Choir, which comprises five choirs, drawing singers, aged 8–22, from all of London's boroughs and multiple communities. She is Visiting Professor of Choral Studies at the University of Southern California (Los Angeles) and in 2014 launched the professional vocal consort The Golden Bridge in California. She has conducted, annually, 2,000 voices in the Royal Albert Hall, London, in a scratch Youth Messiah. She has also conducted many leading ensembles, including the BBC Symphony Orchestra, the London Mozart Players, The English Concert, and the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment. She is the official choral conductor for The Rolling Stones and she regularly adjudicates choral competitions and gives workshops and lectures around the world. She was Acting Music Director of Queens' College, Cambridge, where she founded and now runs the Queens' Choral Conducting Programme. Check out Suzi Digby's website: https://www.suzidigby.com/ Check out our YouTube channel: Remember to Share and Subscribe! https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdGhqK_DWpRIKS45ICqN3eQ ***Classroom and Homeschool Teachers*** Find our digital resource to help enhance your classroom HERE! Like us on Facebook! Mr. Fite Check out original fun and educational music from Mr. Fite at https://brucefite.com/music and subscribe to Mr. Fite's YouTube Channel Mr. Henry Are you looking for affordable piano lessons for your 6-10-year-old? Start the music journey with Mr. Henry by taking a sneak peek into the Premier Membership with the free mini-piano course! https://www.mrhenrysmusicworld.com/piano FREE Rock Out Loud Online Music Teaching Platform [Disclosure: The Music Podcast for Kids is an affiliate of Rock Out Loud which means we receive a percentage of sales if a teacher decides to upgrade the service. There is no additional cost to the user. Our link gives access to the app for free as well!]
Join Dr. Khyle Wooten, a native of Philadelphia, PA, who is the Assistant Professor of Music Education and Associate Director of Choral Studies at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. He authentically brings his lived experiences and unique life in music as an educator, conductor, researcher, and composer to the table as a researcher and educator. In this episode, Dr. Wooten takes us on a journey exploring his incredible research areas, including his latest project, And Still They Rise: Exploring and Advocating for Choral Music of Black Women Composers. You'll walk away from this one knowing: What is Afrofuturism and Womanist Ethic in Music Education? How can exploring Black Women Composers elevate our classrooms and Choir rooms? What are Dr. Wooten's hopes for the profession in the areas of diversity, equity, and inclusion?Learn more about TCA: https://www.truechangealliance.org/ Let us know what you think! Connect with your host, Dr. Emily Williams Burch at EmilyBurch.org/contact or join the conversation on Patreon.com/MusicEdMatters. **Show music originally written by Mr. Todd Monsell**Show photography provided by Dr. Dan Biggerstaff
The
Jason Thoms is director of Choral Studies at Bismarck State University in North Dakota. He was a long term professor at Concordia College in NY and led his choir on many tours. We talk about the touring life and more! --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app
We are talking with Dr. Joe Miller, the new Director of Choral Studies at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music.
Dr. Allen Hightower is currently Director of Choral Studies at the University of North Texas. Previous to his appointment at UNT, he was Director of Choral Activities at Luther College as well as Director of Choral Studies at Sam Houston State University. In this interview, Randy and Allen will discuss the challenges to choral directors going forward in and beyond the COVID pandemic and how directors can actively meet the needs of today while preparing for the future.
Now just one year after taking the reins of the Pacific Chorale, Rob Istad returns to MUSIC FROM THE TOWER to tell us of the adventures of his first year as Artistic Director and Conductor, especially the excitement of performing with our Pacific Symphony at Carnegie Hall in New York City. Dr. Istad fills us in on the exciting season about to begin. This year, preparing 6 concerts with the Pacific Chorale, Rob has an amazing season planned. It is one of the biggest ever, and that does not even count the 5 concerts they also perform with the Pacific Symphony. They are even combining with the LA Master Chorale for an unbelievable performance of the Mahler Symphony No. 8. They open with the epic Oratorio, “The Creation” by Franz Joseph Haydn. Hear several excerpts on today’s program as Rob takes us inside the wonderful work. Marvel at this superb musician as you hear just how hard he works to ensure that Orange County and all of Southern California enjoy great music in live performance. It is not too late to get season tickets. Check out all of the details at https://www.pacificchorale.orgAll of the Music today is from THE CREATION by Franz Joseph Haydn Handel and Haydn Society, Harry Christophers, Conductor. It is available on I-Tuneshttps://itunes.apple.com/us/album/haydn-the-creation/1033661433MUSIC: Part 1 No. 2. In the BeginningMUSIC: Part 1 No. 14. The Heavens are Telling of the Glory of GodMUSIC: Part 2 No. 2. Strait Opening her Fertile WombMUSIC: Part 1 No. 9 With Verdure Clad the FieldsMUSIC: Part 3 No. 13 Praise the Lord, Ye Voices All!Original air date Saturday, October 27, 2018
Hear all about Pacific Chorale from its new conductor, Dr. Robert Istad, as he takes over the Chorale just in time to celebrate their 50th Anniversary Season. Dr. Istad talks about the group, its singers, and some of the highlights of the past seasons. He also spends a bit of time on his own musical journey and what lead him to Southern California to continue his musical education. As a busy college professor, Dr. Tstad talks about his Cal State Fullerton choirs as well. He is currently the president of the California Choral Directors Association. Finally, Rob explains in detail about the great concerts in the Chorale's 50th Anniversary season and other concerts they will be singing with the Pacific Symphony, including one in Carnegie Hall! For information on the Pacific Chorale, visit www.pacificchorale.org. MUSIC: A Celestial Map of the Sky Tarik O'Regan (Pacific Chorale's Composer in Residence)MUSIC: Herr, unser Herrscher (St. John Passion) Johann Sebastian BachMUSIC: Sanctus (Mass) Leonard BernsteinMUSIC: III. Peace My Heart (Songs of Eternity for Chorus and Orchestra) James Hopkins Air date: September 23, 2017
James K. Bass, three-time GRAMMY®-nominated singer and conductor, is Professor and Director of Choral Studies at the Herb Alpert School of Music at UCLA. James is on the faculty of the Aspen Music Festival and serves as the associate program director for the Professional Choral Institute. He is the Associate Conductor and Director of Education for the Miami based ensemble Seraphic Fire and is the Artistic Director of the Long Beach Camerata Singers. Bass is an active soloist and ensemble artist. He has appeared with numerous professional vocal ensembles including Seraphic Fire, Conspirare, the Santa Fe Desert Chorale, Trinity Wall Street, and more. He was the featured baritone soloist on the GRAMMY nominated recording Pablo Neruda: The Poet Sings with the GRAMMY winning ensemble Conpirare. He is one of 13 singers on the GRAMMY®-nominated disc A Seraphic Fire Christmas and appears on many other CD recordings. His professional career has coincided with the development of Seraphic Fire as one of the premier vocal ensembles in the United States. He has been actively involved as soloist, ensemble artist, editor, producer and preparer for 14 of the ensembles recordings and routinely conducts the ensemble in Miami and on tour. During the summer of 2011 he co-founded the Professional Choral Institute. In its inaugural year of recording, Seraphic Fire and PCI received the GRAMMY® nomination for Best Choral Performance for their recording of Johannes Brahms' Ein Deutsches Requiem. In 2017 Seraphic Fire and UCLA launched a new educational initiative entitled the Ensemble Artist Program that aims to identify and train the next generation of high-level ensemble singers.
In this episode, we discuss how expectations can ruin reality, if reality is only subjective, if it's ever better to be deluded, how judging is innately hypocritical, nihilism, humanism, religion, the thread that ties nihilists and fundamentalists together and much more. Kris Ornelas is the Director of Choral Studies at Grover Cleveland High School in L.A. and a Church Music Director. He was named LAUSD’s “Rookie Teacher of the Year” for the 2017-2018 school year and is also a certified nutrition specialist. He has spent over a decade studying the world’s religions and philosophies and has a deep interest in the social sciences and the relationship between human beliefs and behavior. Hunter Michael is a Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist currently practicing in Sherman Oaks, CA. He also teaches graduate students, performs group therapy in the addiction and recovery setting, and works with high school students who are Deaf/Hard-of-Hearing. His contact info: huntermichaeltherapy@gmail.com Subscribe to my YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/bearingthehow?sub_confirmation=1 Podcast: iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/bearing-the-how-with-kole-lyndon-lee/id1454595686?mt=2 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/77awHCbBSuy6JCQ68zh0xg Website: https://www.bearingthehow.com/ Connect with me: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bearingthehow/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bearingthehow/
Kris Ornelas back on. In this episode, we dive much deeper into Christianity along with many other interesting topics. We discuss the psychology of Christ, people's search for ultimate validation, nihilism, faith, addiction, rationalism, compassion, how you can get meaning from a job you hate, science vs religion, and much more. Kris Ornelas is the Director of Choral Studies at Grover Cleveland High School in L.A. and a Church Music Director. He was named LAUSD’s “Rookie Teacher of the Year” for the 2017-2018 school year and is also a certified nutrition specialist. He has spent over a decade studying the world’s religions and philosophies and has a deep interest in the social sciences and the relationship between human beliefs and behavior. Subscribe to my YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLDDWnNpp_9wIvUiSUFIobg?sub_confirmation=1 Podcast: iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/bearing-the-how-with-kole-lyndon-lee/id1454595686?mt=2 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/77awHCbBSuy6JCQ68zh0xg Website: https://www.bearingthehow.com/ Connect with me: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bearingthehow/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bearingthehow/
In this episode, we discuss how and why Kris derives meaning from teaching, Christianity in the modern era, true open-mindedness, how negative social media can be and much more. Kris Ornelas is the Director of Choral Studies at Grover Cleveland High School in L.A. and a Church Music Director. He was named LAUSD’s “Rookie Teacher of the Year” for the 2017-2018 school year and is also a certified nutrition specialist. He has spent over a decade studying the world’s religions and philosophies and has a deep interest in the social sciences and the relationship between human beliefs and behavior. Corrections: 1:09:58 - The Crusades only lasted about 200 years and not 1000 years. It was the entirety of the dark ages that lasted 1000 years. 59:24 - Paul did not “write all of the epistles”. Kris meant to say that Paul wrote “all epistles” meaning that Paul exclusively wrote epistles (letters to the church). Peter, John, and James all wrote their own epistles as well as Paul which I mentioned later. Paul wasn’t the only author of the epistles. 1:11:13 - Rome adopted Christianity as the state religion under Emperor Constantine in the 4th century A.D. NOT under emperor Aurelian in the 3rd century. Aurelian’s pagan practices DID end up influencing Christianity quite a bit (the celebration of December 25th came from a pagan celebration of “Sol Invictus”) BUT it wasn’t until Constantine that most of Rome converted to Christianity. Subscribe to my YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLDDWnNpp_9wIvUiSUFIobg?sub_confirmation=1 Podcast: iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/bearing-the-how-with-kole-lyndon-lee/id1454595686?mt=2 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/77awHCbBSuy6JCQ68zh0xg Website: https://www.bearingthehow.com/ Connect with me: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bearingthehow/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bearingthehow/
In this episode, we discuss Jordan Peterson/Sam Harris discussions, depression, anxiety, suicide, the IMPORTANCE of balance and much more. Kris Ornelas is the Director of Choral Studies at Grover Cleveland High School in L.A. and a Church Music Director. He was named LAUSD’s “Rookie Teacher of the Year” for the 2017-2018 school year and is also a certified nutrition specialist. He has spent over a decade studying the world’s religions and philosophies and has a deep interest in the social sciences and the relationship between human beliefs and behavior. Hunter Michael is a Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist currently practicing in Sherman Oaks, CA. He also teaches graduate students, performs group therapy in the addiction and recovery setting, and works with high school students who are Deaf/Hard-of-Hearing. His contact info: huntermichaeltherapy@gmail.com Subscribe to my YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLDDWnNpp_9wIvUiSUFIobg?sub_confirmation=1 Podcast: iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/bearing-the-how-with-kole-lyndon-lee/id1454595686?mt=2 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/77awHCbBSuy6JCQ68zh0xg Website: https://www.bearingthehow.com/ Connect with me: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bearingthehow/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bearingthehow/
In the second part of this episode, I look to Anthony Maglione for insight into this topic from the collegiate perspective. Conductor/Composer/Tenor Anthony J. Maglione is a graduate of Westminster Choir College of Rider University, East Carolina University, and the University of California, Los Angeles. He is the Director of Choral Studies at William Jewell … Continue reading "Episode 4: Part 2. Seeing the Trees (There is no forest) with Tony Maglione"
In the second part of this episode, I look to Anthony Maglione for insight into this topic from the collegiate perspective. Conductor/Composer/Tenor Anthony J. Maglione is a graduate of Westminster Choir College of Rider University, East Carolina University, and the University of California, Los Angeles. He is the Director of Choral Studies at William Jewell … Continue reading "Episode 4: Part 2. Seeing the Trees (There is no forest) with Tony Maglione"
We might be the experts in the room, and our expertise is valuable, but so are experiences of the people we lead. Teaching with Respect: Inclusive Pedagogy for Choral Directors by Stephen Sieck has a message for all of us in leadership positions. We who are leaders need to respect the experiences of the people we lead. Dr. Stephen Sieck is Associate Professor of Music and Co-Director of Choral Studies at Lawrence University. He has also ministered in church choirs and is an accomplished vocalist. In our conversation, we talk about respect and vulnerability in choir rehearsals, and we discuss how we express values through our musical programming. Key Takeaways from the Conversation Imagine how a choral experience could affect someone who is not you.In a church choir, respect is not just for the choir members. It's also for the whole congregation, and for the Church in its universal, global, and historical senses.Think of the church choir as a kind of Sunday school, small fellowship, or Emmaus group.Examine the music you program and think about the values you are expressing through your choices. Enjoying this podcast episode? Click here to find other Music and the Church episodes, or subscribe to the show wherever you listen to podcasts. Favorite Quote Stephen Sieck's encouragement for congregational singing and volunteer church choirs: "Music is very clearly valued as part of the worshipping experience all throughout the Bible. Being perfect at it is never in there." Resources We Mentioned Webcast Archive at Lawrence UniversityAdolphus Hailstork"O Love" by Elaine Hagenberg"Blessed Be the Lord, My Rock" by Abbie BetinisAndrea RamseyThe Spark Story Bible Share This Podcast If you enjoy this podcast, please consider sharing it with your friends who love ministry. It's the best way for them to find the show!
Conductor Malcolm J. Merriweather is Music Director of New York City's The Dessoff Choirs, known for performances of choral works from the pre-Baroque era through the 21st century. An Assistant Professor, he is Director of Choral Studies and Voice Department Coordinator at Brooklyn College of the City University of New York, Artist in Residence at Union Theological Seminary, and Artistic Director of Voices of Haiti, a 60-member children's choir in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, operated by the Andrea Bocelli Foundation. Merriweather is also in demand as a baritone soloist, often performing throughout the eastern United States. During the summer of 2017, Merriweather led Voices of Haiti in performances with Andrea Bocelli at Teatro del Silenzio in Lajatico, Italy and for Pope Francis at the Vatican. Other conducting highlights of the 2017-18 season include: David Lang's The Little Match Girl Passion, Vaughan Williams's Dona nobis pacem, Bach's Singet dem Herrn, BWV 225, and Komm, Jesu, komm, BWV 229 with The Dessoff Choirs; Handel's Messiah at Brooklyn College and the Harvard Club of New York; and Leonard Bernstein's Mass (Concert Selections) and Honegger's King David at Brooklyn College. Recent conducting highlights have included Mozart's Requiem, Vivaldi's Gloria, Bernstein's Chichester Psalms, and Orff's Carmina Burana. Solo engagements for the 2017-18 season include the premiere of Sanctuary Road by Pulitzer Prize-winner Paul Moravec with Kent Tritle and the Oratorio Society of New York at Carnegie Hall; and Fauré's Requiem and Ralph Vaughan Williams's Dona nobis pacem with Christopher Shepard and The Masterwork Chorus. Recent performances have included the baritone solos in Rautavaara's Vigilia as a part of the Great Music in a Great Space series at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine; the music of William Byrd with Parthenia; and Vaughan Williams's Dona Nobis Pacem with the Grace Choral Society. Additionally, Merriweather has been featured as a soloist with the Boston Symphony Orchestra, The Dessoff Choirs, the New York Choral Society, and Bach Vespers Choir and Orchestra at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church in New York City. The baritone has also premiered contemporary solo works by Eve Beglarian, John Liberatore, Ju Ri Seo, Douglas Fisk, and James Adler, and he has been a fellowship recipient at the Norfolk Chamber Music Festival and Tanglewood Music Center. Merriweather holds a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Conducting from the studio of Kent Tritle at the Manhattan School of Music, where his doctoral dissertation, Now I Walk in Beauty, Gregg Smith: A Biography and Complete Works Catalog, constituted the first complete works list for the composer and conductor. He received Master of Music degrees in Choral Conducting and in Vocal Performance from the studio of Rita Shane at the Eastman School of Music, as well as a Bachelor of Music degree in Music Education from Syracuse University, summa cum laude. Merriweather's professional affiliations include membership in Pi Kappa Lambda, the American Choral Directors Association, and Chorus America, and he sits on the Board of Directors of the New York Choral Consortium. In this episode, Malcolm shares his one way ticket to join the Fisk University Jubilee Singers on their first tour in 1871! He also talks about his work with the Voices of Haiti, the life of a Conductor, and his eclectic play list. Malcolm is just one of the extraordinary guests featured on The One Way Ticket Show, where Host Steven Shalowitz explores with his guests where they'd go if given a one way ticket, no coming back! Destinations may be in the past, present, future, real, imaginary or a state of mind. Steven's guests have included: Nobel Peace Prize Winner, President Jose Ramos-Horta; Legendary Talk Show Host, Dick Cavett; Law Professor, Alan Dershowitz; Broadcast Legend, Charles Osgood; International Rescue Committee President & CEO, David Miliband; Grammar Girl, Mignon Fogarty; Journalist-Humorist-Actor Mo Rocca; ; Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz, Jr.; Abercrombie & Kent Founder, Geoffrey Kent; Travel Expert, Pauline Frommer, as well as leading photographers, artists, writers and more.
Tony Maglione of William Jewell College stops in to share his thoughts on building a culture of trust with your choir. Listen Bio Conductor/Composer Anthony J. Maglione is a graduate of Westminster Choir College of Rider University, East Carolina University, and the University of California, Los Angeles. He is the Director of Choral Studies at William Jewell College where, under his direction, the Concert Choir was Runner Up (2nd Place) for the 2015 American Prize in Choral Performance, College/University Division. In addition to his responsibilities at William Jewell College, he serves as Director of the Greater Kansas City AGO Schola Cantorum, Conductor Emeritus of the Freelance Ensemble Artists of NJ, a symphony orchestra based in Central NJ and recently was appointed the Michael and Ginger Frost “Artist-in-Residence” at St. Mary’s Episcopal Church in Kansas City. An active composer, Anthony’s choral works are growing in popularity and are published on GIA’s “Evoking Sound” choral series. In the last several years his music has appeared at state and national-level conventions, on TV, in video games, and has been recorded on Gothic Records and Centaur Records. In 2014 and 2015, Anthony was honored as a Semi- Finalist and Finalist (respectively) for the American Prize in Composition, Professional Choral Division and was recently awarded the 2016-2017 William Jewell College Spencer Family Sabbatical, a year-long fully funded sabbatical in order to compose two new large-scale works for choir, soloists and chamber orchestra. Anthony has also been commissioned by the American Guild of Organists for a new work to premiere at the AGO National Conference to be held in Kansas City in 2018. Anthony has made numerous guest conducting/clinician appearances and has prepared ensembles for such esteemed conductors as James Conlon, James Jordan, David Newman, Donald Neuen, and Alex Treger. Ensembles under his leadership have performed nationally and internationally at renowned concert venues including Disney Hall in Los Angeles and Carnegie Hall in New York City. Links William Jewell Music Tony’s Facebook Tony’s Twitter Support the show on
Jeb Mueller, of the University of Houston, stops in to talk about the value of dreaming big, telling others your goals, overcoming imposter syndrome, and strategies to clear your mind and be your best self for rehearsal. This episode is sponsored by KI Concerts. Listen Bio Jeb Mueller serves as Associate Director of Choral Studies at the University of Houston Moores School of Music where he conducts three choirs, prepares opera choruses, teaches choral music education courses, and maintains a graduate conducting studio. In addition to his academic duties, Mueller is an active clinician, adjudicator, and conference presenter with engagements throughout the United States. Mueller’s choirs have been described as “stellar,” “inspired,” and singing with “mature line and a beautiful, vibrant tone.” Under his direction, UH’s Concert Women’s Chorus performed at the 2016 American Choral Directors Association Southwest Division Conference in Kansas City, Missouri. Mueller taught high school choral music in the Houston area for six years. His choirs consistently earned superior ratings at contests and were twice chosen the Overall Best Choir at state and national choral festivals. He was recognized with Taylor High School’s “You Make a Difference” award on two occasions, received recognition as an HEB Excellence in Education state semifinalist, and was selected as a Katy Independent School District Outstanding Teacher. Dr. Mueller holds degrees from The University of Miami, The University of Texas, and Texas Tech University. He has studied with Joshua Habermann, James Morrow, Kenneth Davis, Karen Kennedy, Donald Oglesby, and Suzanne Pence. His training also includes master classes and/or lessons with such choral luminaries as Joseph Flummerfelt, Craig Hella Johnson, Ragnar Bohlin, Robert Porco, Vance George, Patrick Dupré Quigley, and Weston Noble. Dr. Mueller also concertizes as a baritone, having sung with Santa Fe Desert Chorale II and Miami’s Musica Judaica. Mueller is an active member of the American Choral Directors Association, Texas Music Educators Association, Texas Choral Directors Association, and The National Association for Music Education. Links Uhchoirs.org Jeb’s Facebook Jeb’s Twitter Support the show on
Informative interview on teachers as professional choral singers with Chris Munce, high school director, leader of Kantorei KC and Central UMC of Kansas City, MO. This episode is sponsored by KI Concerts. Listen Bio Chris Munce is an accomplished choral performer, conductor, educator, clinician and arts administrator. As a performer, he is a member of Kantorei of Kansas City, as well as its Founder and Artistic Director. He has also performed with the Simon Carrington Chamber Singers, and the Grammy Winning Kansas City Chorale. Chris was fortunate to be a part of the Chorale's Grammy Nominated album, "Rheinberger: Sacred Choral Works," as well as Simon Carrington's "Juxtapositions." With Kantorei, Chris has lead the group in making three complete commercial album recordings. "Sweet Was the Song" was self produced and released in 2011. Kantorei then completed its second album "Music and Sweet Poetry" which was released in 2014 can be found on the Resonus Classics Label. (Both albums available on iTunes.) Most recently, Kantorei finished recording "To Bethlehem" with was released by Resonus Classics in October of 2016. Chris received a Bachelor of Music Education and a Master's Degree in Choral Conducting from the UMKC Conservatory of Music and Dance. His graduate research focus was the performance practice of early Baroque choral singing in the French and Italian styles. Chris has studied with Eph Eely, Charles Robinson, Ryan Board, William Dehning, Peter Bagley and Jerry McCoy. He also served as adjunct faculty at the Conservatory teaching choral arranging, and at Blue River Community College as a professor of voice. Chris recently finished a term as the President of Conservatory's Alumni Board of Directors. Chris is now teaching at Lee's Summit High School as the Director of Choral Studies, where his premier ensemble "Sounds of Summit" has recently performed at the Piccolo Spoleto Festival in Charleston, SC and on a Masterclass with the multiple Grammy Award winning vocal group Chanticleer. Mr. Munce is also Director of Music at Central United Methodist Church. He has been an active private voice instructor since 1999. Links http://www.kantoreikc.org Support the show on
Betsy Cook Weber pops in to talk about being present as a choral director and planning for her upcoming ACDA National Conference performance. Support our sponsor for this episode: KI Concerts Listen Bio Dr. Betsy Cook Weber is Professor of Music and Director of Choral Studies at the University of Houston’s Moores School of Music and is also active internationally as a conductor, clinician, adjudicator, and lecturer. In the summer of 2013, Weber became the 13th person and 1st woman to receive the Texas Choral Director Association’s coveted Texas Choirmaster Award. She is editor of the Betsy Cook Weber choral series with Alliance Music Publishing. Weber was appointed Director of the Houston Symphony Chorus in Fall of 2014, a group that she served as Assistant/Associate Director in 1990 – 1997. In that role, she prepares or has helped prepare choral-orchestral masterworks for some of the world’s greatest conductors, including Robert Shaw, Andrés Orozco-Estrada, Christoph Eschenbach, and David Zinman. Choirs under Weber’s direction, including the Moores School Concert Chorale, have been featured at multiple state and national conventions including the American Choral Directors Association national convention in Miami in 2007 and 2017. Internationally, Chorale has won prizes and received acclaim at prestigious competitions in Wales, France and Germany, including a first-place finish as one of only ten choirs world-wide selected to compete in the famous International Chamber Choir Competition in Marktoberdorf, Germany. Chorale won first place in their primary division in the Grand Prix of Nations in Magdeburg, Germany in 2015. In the Musica Mundi ranking of the Top 1,000 choirs worldwide, Concert Chorale was ranked third among all choirs and first in the under-24 category. Weber has prepared singers for Da Camera, for early music orchestras Ars Lyrica and Mercury Houston, and is also routinely called upon to prepare singers for touring shows, including Josh Groban, NBC’s Clash of the Choirs, Telemundo’s Latin Grammy’s, Star Wars in Concert, Andreas Bocelli. and Legends of Zelda, Dreamworks, and Final Fantasy. Before coming to the University of Houston, Weber taught vocal music, K-12, in the public schools. She holds degrees from the University of North Texas, Westminster Choir College (Princeton, NJ), and the University of Houston. Links Support the show on
The inaugural interview of THE MAESTRO SERIES, an on-going series dedicated to some of the world's greatest choral and orchestral conductors. Stanley Engebretson, conductor of the National Philharmonic Chorale drops in on The African American Voice in Classical Music, Patrick D. McCoy to discuss the upcoming performance of the Verdi Requiem at the Music Center at Strathmore with stellar soloists soprano Arianna Zukerman, mezzo-soprano Patricia Miller, tenor Don Bernadini, and bass Kevin Deas with the National Philharmonic Orchestra. About Stan Engebretson: Dr. Stan Engebretson in addition to his work with the National Philharmonic Chorale is also Director of Choral Studies at George Mason University, teaching conducting and directing the University Symphonic Chorus, University Singers, and three Vocal Jazz Ensembles. An active guest conductor and clinician, Engebretson holds performance degrees in Voice and Piano from the University of North Dakota, and the Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Conducting from Stanford University. In addition, he has received several research awards and grants for advanced study in Aspen, San Francisco, New York, and Europe with internationally acclaimed conductors including Gregg Smith, Margaret Hillis, Roger Wagner, Eric Ericson, and Robert Shaw. In Washington, DC, he is the Director of Music at the historic New York Avenue Presbyterian Church. An active clinician, Engebretson has appeared in Germany, Switzerland, Spain, Lithuania, and most recently, Iceland, to present workshops in American music.