"You can write an amazing score or an amazing song, but it can sit in a drawer forever if there's no people to sing it."

This episode is near and dear to my heart, as I interview two of my long-time students. This past summer at our South Shore Children's Chorus Summer Choral Intensive, these two singers came up with a saying about my direction: "so real, so true, so valid."  This was a mantra they would chant (and became our summer inside joke with the whole choir) every time I would stop and give a correction or praise in rehearsal. My students (unbeknownst to them) validated everything I had been trying to communicate: honesty. That small saying/joke that they giggled over impacted me as an educator, and told me I was on the right track in my relationship with my students.

In this episode, my students and I explore the story behind this inside joke, and why having an open and honest director makes a difference. From a student perspective, they give insight to having a "safe space" in the classroom, and how directors can best create a bond of trust between their students. 

This episode is heartwarming for anyone who teaches, and I hope you really enjoy it! Let me know what you think at www.choralconnectivity.com. This episode is available anywhere you listen to podcasts: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and more!

This week's episode kicks off the SSCC Series, where I chat with the staff of the South Shore Children's Chorus (Quincy, MA) that I founded in 2016. Here, I speak with Liz Schorr - an expert in engaging in mindfulness in the classroom and creating equitable space using trama-informed approaches and responses with students. Inspired greatly by the Breathe for Change program, Liz is masterful when presenting mindfulness exercises to elementary students, middle school students, and even with the SSCC Staff at our professional development retreat this summer. You'll walk way from this episode with FREE strategies that you can use as soon as tomorrow in your classroom.

Do you use mindfulness in your classroom? How does it improve the relationship between you and your students, or your students with eachother?  Head on over to www.choralconnectivity.com and use the contact form to reach out. I'd love to hear from you!

This week, I speak with choral colleague Dale Duncan, a middle school choral conductor in Atlanta and creator of the S-Cubed sight singing program. We dive into what creates a culture of acceptance in a classroom, as well as swap student stories that prove a people-first approach is inspiring and worthwhile. The episode may seem long, but you won't regret listening all the way through for some heartwarming and inspiring discussion!

Did this episode remind you of a student who benefited from a people-first approach?  I would love to hear your story and feature it on the show! Head on over to www.choralconnectivity.com and use the contact form to tell me your story.

A basic description of our job as choral conductors or music teachers is to get a bunch of humans to make the specific noise at specific times to the best of their ability. There are standardized ways of getting these specific noises to happen, and also common terms that we use to describe the noises. As a conductor and teacher, I pay specific attention to the words I use when giving direction or feedback. More importantly, I am hyper aware about how the words I choose might make the singers feel emotionally or affect them psychologically. There are certain common terms that choral conductors use that I have deleted from my vocabulary and it has only served the group and individual singers well.

Did this episode spark thought? I would love to hear what you think! Head on over to www.choralconnectivity.com and use the contact form to leave me some feedback.

On this episode I speak with Dr. Jamie Hillman, the Elmer Iseler Chair in Conducting at the University of Toronto. Dr. Hillman and I discuss his experiences and philosophies with people-first approaches to singing. His vast experience ranges from starting a choir with incarcerated men at a prison in Massachusetts, through adjudicating solo and choral festivals, and being a teacher of the next generation of conductors. This inspiring conversation looks to the future of choral conducting, and how we can aim to EMPOWER the singers above all.

Have a thought, suggestion, or feedback? Drop me a line at www.choralconnectivity.com - I would love to hear your thoughts!

This week, I speak with friend, choral colleague, and music educator Justine Hansen, who poses the question: Do we need to commit to a large shift away from performance-based music education? Why is there so much research that Music Education is one of the best things we have to offer humankind, and yet public school education systems aren't "following the science?" Music advocacy has used research-based science regarding the importance of music education in child development for years, and yet the facts are so often not being considered in schools. What do we need to do differently to be heard? Is it time for a complete overhaul/renaissance with a community-based (not performance-based) focus, especially as we build up from what was lost through the pandemic?

After listening, we hope to hear from you about your thoughts on our musings, as we prepare a Part 2 episode after hearing your creative ideas on a potential shift in the goals of music education. Share your thoughts and ideas here with us: www.choralconnectivity.com

Why do choral directors feel the need to audition their singers prior to them joining the ensemble? Community and children's choir singers are often too afraid of auditions to even show up, no matter how inviting you make it. In this first episode, we'll discuss how choral ensembles should reexamine closely their audition processes, and present a philosophy of inclusivity. The goal? Helping singers with mental health issues or performance anxiety participate in quality music-making, rather than excluding them with the fear of singing alone.