Articles
Do you feel like the instructions you are giving your singers in rehearsal are not getting the desired result? Conductor Axel Theimer, the founder and artistic director of the Twin Cities-based Kantorei, has developed new approaches that align with research on how humans learn best. Consider his strategies for putting your singers at ease and tapping into their abilities.
If you’ve been on the internet during the past month, you’ve probably seen the quirky viral video of a chorus and orchestra covering the popular, can’t-get-it-out-of-your head song “Call Me Maybe” by Carly Rae Jepsen. There are hundreds of other videos online covering the song, ranging from topics like NFL replacement referees to the United States Olympic swim team, so what makes this one so special? With more than two million hits and counting on YouTube, mentions in newspapers around the country, and even a featured performance on the Today Show, who knew choral music could go so viral?
One Voice Mixed Chorus, Minnesota's gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and allies chorus, is committed to building community and creating social change. The group's music director, Jane Ramseyer Miller, talked with Chorus America about how their mission propelled a unique outreach to public school students in the Twin Cities.
During campaign season, "government support" comes up often as a discussion topic. As the U.S. approaches its November election, it feels like an appropriate time to remind ourselves about how government support applies to the arts. Here are some thoughts from Chorus America to get you started.
It's really the staff's job to position the board to do their best work―and most of that boils down to excellent communication and clarity of expectations.
No longer is choral music constrained to choristers standing on risers at the front of a church or concert hall. In recent years, the traditional format has evolved into multisensory, multimedia experiences.
Brooks Firestone was looking for an activity that would enliven his retirement years. Little did he know that choral singing would become his passion. Chorus America asked him to describe his unlikely journey.
Your chorus has created and launched an exciting education program. How will you fund its evaluation? Kimberly Meisten of VocalEssence and David Myers of the University of Minnesota School of Music presented these ideas at the 2012 Chorus America Conference.
Your chorus has created and launched an exciting education program. How will you measure its effectiveness? Kimberly Meisten of VocalEssence and David Myers of the University of Minnesota School of Music presented some winning ideas at the 2012 Chorus America Conference.
A renowned composer and choral artist discuss the challenges of choosing and setting texts—what every composer, conductor, and chorus seeking to commission a new choral work should know.
Choral conductor and composer/arranger Roland Carter has a passion for finding and performing the rich array of choral music from the African American tradition. While at the 2012 Chorus America Conference in Minneapolis, Chorus America talked with Carter about his life and work.
In Finland, people sing in choirs well into their golden years. Julene Johnson, PhD, a research professor at University of California, San Francisco, tells what she has learned about the importance of choral singing and healthy aging.