Choralosophy

I plan to keep it is short as possible. Presenting what I see as three categories of this controversy ranging from legit criticisms I need to seriously consider, to misunderstandings to things that just aren’t true. This weekend an argument or debate of sorts erupted on a post of mine on my personal FB page. “Kids from families of all political philosophies are welcome in my class. Their parents are welcome at all of our events.” I stand by this statement.

But some commenters were not not happy with it, and took the opportunity to use some pretty strong language in opposition to my message. But that argumentation has turned to some very concrete and specific accusations and criticisms. I will address the ones that are fair, and the ones that crossed a line.

• 1. The terrible racist message sent to his website on my behalf

5. My belief that Arreon has crossed a line in threatening to “out” 2700 colleagues who are members of my private FB group. This is not ok.

I am excited to welcome Dr. Peju Simoyan, an addiction medicine physician with a fascinating musical journey. Growing up in a Nigerian diplomatic family, Dr. Simoyan has always held a passion for music, even with limited formal training, and later in life, she rekindled her desire for piano training.

Her work took an innovative turn when she began incorporating music into group sessions at an inpatient addiction facility, where it became a powerful therapeutic tool, even inspiring patients to compose songs as part of their recovery.

Together, we explore the deep connections between music, mental health, and medicine, discussing how learning and addiction share similar neural pathways, the potential of music therapy for chronic pain, and the benefits of musical training for both personal and professional development. Through our conversation, we highlight music’s profound impact on mental health and personal growth, making a case for its broader integration in both medical and educational fields. This episode offers a thoughtful exploration of how music shapes minds, heals, and inspires across disciplines.

Tune in, and have your thinking stimulated and challenged. Then, weigh in yourself with your related ideas and experiences on Facebook in the Choralosophers group or over on choralosophy.substack.com Also, don’t forget to grab a reading rope for your classroom wall from the shop! Music Reading Rope

For future rehearsal clips, find me on TikTok, Insta and FB!

Dr. Simoyan is an addiction medicine physician and holds an appointment as a full professor in the department of psychiatry at Drexel University College of Medicine. She also holds adjunct faculty positions at Penn State University College of Medicine and Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine. She was the Founding Medical and Executive Director of Research at Caron Treatment Centers and the program director for the addiction medicine fellowship at Geisinger Marworth prior to her current position. She was also a founding faculty member at Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine.

Dr. Simoyan earned her medical degree from Penn State University College of Medicine, receiving the Leonard Tow Humanism in Medicine Award at graduation. She completed an internship in psychiatry/family medicine at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center/Western Psychiatric Institute and her family medicine residency at the Penn State/Good Samaritan Hospital Family and Community Medicine Residency program, graduating with the Family Medicine Resident Award for Scholarship.

Prior to her medical training, Dr. Simoyan received a dental degree from the University of Ibadan College of Medicine in Nigeria and a Master of Public Health degree from the Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health. She is board certified in Family Medicine and Addiction Medicine and has contributed to international public health education as a Fulbright specialist in Nigeria and an Erasmus Mundus scholar in France and the U.K. She has also volunteered on medical mission projects in Nigeria and Haiti.

Dr. Simoyan has several peer-reviewed publications and has previously served on the editorial board of Medical Education Online, the Publications Council of the American Society of Addiction Medicine and the addiction medicine sub-board of the American Board of Preventive Medicine.

She was the Founding Editor in Chief of Black Diamonds and Silver Linings, literary journals published by Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine and Reading Hospital, respectively.

A member of the American Medical Women Association’s Music and Medicine committee, Dr. Simoyan has curated a photographic exhibit featuring prominent women in medicine. As someone committed to bridging the gap between the medical sciences and the arts, she has served on both the research and the medical humanities Graduate Medical Education subcommittees at Reading Hospital/Tower Health.

Dr. Simoyan’s scholarships and awards include the Emerging Leader award from the Family Medicine Education Consortium (2010) and the American Association of Medical College’s Herbert Nickens Faculty Fellowship (2012). She also received the Humanism in Medicine Award from the Arnold Gold Foundation (2022) and the Award of Excellence in Humanitarian Services from Pro-Health International (2022). She is a fellow of the American Academy of Family Physicians and the American Medical Women’s Association and a Distinguished Fellow of the American Society of Addiction Medicine.

She has combined her interests in writing and photography in several books, including a workbook for patients in recovery, Transformation and Recovery – lessons from the butterfly. Dr. Simoyan strongly believes in the need to transform education and healthcare, with a focus on creativity, problem solving and integration of the arts and sciences.

Addendum –

Her latest book, “I Played My Best for Him! – The Inspiring Stories Behind the Little Drummer Boy and Other Christmas Favorites” will be released on November 18, 2024. This book features the stories behind the songs on her Christmas CD,

“Peju Sings! The Little Drummer Boy and Other Christmas Favorites”

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Choralosophy Podcast (@choralosophy) • Instagram photos and videos

Are you an Gordon MLT devotée? A Kodály-guy? A Tonic Solfa Curwenator? How about a Takadimician? I think all of those frameworks are wrong. But also right!

In addition to these concepts, you will get a rare peak behind the scenes at creating a popular music education podcast, and why you might think you should try to make your own! But, you probably shouldn’t.

Recently, I went to share some thoughts with a meeting of the Kodaly Educators of Texas at Magnolia High School. Shout out to Thea Persinger for the invite! This is the audio AND video version of excerpts from my “Filling in the Gaps” presentation. It is based on the premise that all music education or pedagogical theories have important insights. But, of course, they all miss something. This is my attempt to fill in one of our most common music ed gaps: The Science of Reading, and how it can inform our pedagogy if COMBINED with Kodaly, Edwin Gordon, Curwen and the others.

Most popular music education theories were generated during, and draw on practices of a time when music education was almost entirely practiced on the privileged and/or kids that showed high musical aptitude at a young age. Almost any theory of music education works if you pre-select for talent in advance…

We know SO much more than we did 50 years ago about the brain and the most impactful ways to maximize its function. This presentation provides IMPORTANT context to supplement episode 219 on the importance of individual assessment, and 220 with Dr. Anita Collins, expert researcher on music and the brain.

As always, the slides to this presentation and all of my past ones, are in the shared Google folder!

Tune in, and have your thinking stimulated and challenged. Then, weigh in yourself with your related ideas and experiences on Facebook in the Choralosophers group or over on choralosophy.substack.com Also, don’t forget to grab a reading rope for your classroom wall from the shop! Music Reading Rope

For future rehearsal clips, find me on TikTok, Insta and FB!

If all our choir’s problems could be fixed with “a short bullet point” or “tip” this job would be much easier.

One of the reasons I subscribe to Choralosophy is because I know that long form content with in depth analysis and demonstrations is so much more valuable than “3 easy tricks to…”

I am a professional. I do not need tricks, I need professional development, knowledge, and skills.

I have listened to and supported your podcast since from around its inception. You have done an amazing job growing it into what it is—a tremendous resource for those of us in the choral community. Also, I agree that disingenuous is not a word to describe you. Anyone who has listened to your podcasts would know that. Keep up the good work and thank you.

The expectation that fellow educators will share resources (or do extra work) on demand/beyond what they’ve chosen to share has become a major problem in education social media spaces…

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Choralosophy Podcast (@choralosophy) • Instagram photos and videos

I have long been a fan of Michael Barrett, as well as an admirer of the way the South African people have vigorously pursued social progress in my lifetime. So, this episode was a double whammy of excitement for me.

In this episode, I sit down with Michael Barrett, a leading voice in South African choral music, to dive into both his personal journey and professional experiences. We explore how his love for music began with his mother, a concert pianist, and his time with the Drakensberg Boys Choir, which paved the way for his academic career at the University of Pretoria. Michael reflects on the importance of hard work and dedication over talent alone, and we discuss the unique challenges facing choral music education in South Africa, from generational shifts to the lingering impact of apartheid. We also dig into the role of cultural integration and music’s power to bridge divides, including Michael’s experience with arranging African music for choirs and navigating cultural sensitivity. This conversation offers a rich blend of personal stories, insights on choral conducting, and the importance of music in fostering cultural appreciation and unity. It’s a chance to really get to know Michael and the world he navigates in choral music.

Tune in, and have your thinking stimulated and challenged. Then, weigh in yourself with your related ideas and experiences on Facebook in the Choralosophers group or over on choralosophy.substack.com

For future rehearsal clips, find me on TikTok, Insta and FB!

Dr Michael Joseph Barrett is the conductor of the University of Pretoria (Tuks) Camerata and a senior lecturer in Choral Conducting in the Department of Music. He was a member of the Drakensberg Boys’ Choir from 1992 to 1997. He obtained the degrees BMus in Performing Arts (cum laude) in 2005 and MMus (Performing Arts), specialising in choral conducting, in 2008, both from the University of Pretoria. He holds a Postgraduate Certificate in Higher Education (PGCE) and a Performance Licentiate in Singing, both received in 2008, from Unisa. In 2017, Michael was awarded a Doctorate of Music degree (Performing Arts) in Choral Performance by the University of Pretoria.

Michael’s choirs have won numerous national and international awards, as well as choral competitions all over the world, including the Grand Prix of Nations (Latvia, 2017); the 8th World Choir Games (Latvia, 2014); the St Petersburg Choral Competition (Russia, 2013); the Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod (Wales, 2012); the Krakow International Advent Choral Competition (Poland, 2012); Europe and its Songs (Spain, 2010); and the International Youth Music Festival (Slovakia, 2010). In 2017, Tuks Camerata was invited to perform at the World Choral Symposium in Barcelona, Spain. The choir has released three CDs, which were all nominated for South African Music Awards. 

Michael is an active composer and arranger whose music is published internationally by Santa Barbara Music Publishers and Walton Music. He is regularly invited to present workshops and adjudicate choral competitions both locally and abroad. He is also the executive director and co-producer of Capital Singers, South Africa’s largest community choir project. 

Music Reading Rope

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Choralosophy Podcast (@choralosophy) • Instagram photos and videos

Dr. Anita Collins joins me this week from Canberra, Australia. We had lively and informative discussion about the intersection of music education and neuroscience, as well as the connection between language and music.

Anita and I discussed the cognitive benefits of music education, emphasizing the importance of music for all students’ cognitive development, not just those interested in a music career. More importantly, we went into aspects of this topic that are often unknown to the general public, as well as music educators themselves. We also discussed the myths and misconceptions surrounding the topic, and the importance of flexibility in our profession in terms of “favorite methods.” Lastly, we discussed the potential benefits of research on how children learn through music, the importance of rhythm and beat in music education, and Anita’s organization, “Bigger Better Brains” efforts to advocate for music education, and how they can help YOU advocate in your community.

Tune in, and have your thinking stimulated and challenged. Then, weigh in yourself with your related ideas and experiences on Facebook in the Choralosophers group or over on choralosophy.substack.com

For future rehearsal clips, find me on TikTok, Insta and FB!

Dr. Anita Collins is a distinguished educator and author,
celebrated for her impactful work in brain development and
music education. Her seminal work, “The Music Advantage,”
offers comprehensive guidance for parents and teachers on
the role of musical learning in enhancing the developmental
stages of children across all ages.

• Bigger Better Brains – https://www.biggerbetterbrains.com.au/

She is also the founder of Bigger Better Brains, a worldwide platform dedicated to advancing the understanding of music education through neuroscience. The initiative focuses on three core missions: to educate music educators globally on the brain science underpinning music learning, to empower them to disseminate this knowledge within their communities, and to enlighten parents, school leaders, and educational policymakers about the profound benefits of music education.

Anita’s global influence is noteworthy, particularly for her leadership in spearheading initiatives and releasing critical reports in Australia over the past five years. These efforts have markedly improved music education provision. Her influence has expanded to the UK and Ireland, where she collaborates with leading organizations to enhance the status and availability of music education for all.

Music Reading Rope

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Choralosophy Podcast (@choralosophy) • Instagram photos and videos

This past weekend I had the chance to visit with the amazing students of Magnolia High School as well as the local chapter of the Kodály Educators of Texas. In this episode, you will hear a portion of a presentation in which I outline our process of pre-testing beginning students to determine an appropriate reading level for their individual work. Theorists and researchers like Kodály, Edwin Gordon, John Curwen, and many others, have for centuries offered excellent observations and discoveries. But more recent science is now available. Can we bridge that gap?

The presentation begins in the human brain with a discussion about how humans learn to read. “What works for me” teacher response is a fallacy. What we should be seeking is “what works for kids’ brains.” There is still room for teacher individuality and approach/method within that framework. We talk about the parts of the brain used to process the various aspects of reading from decoding to recall to everything in between. You will also see some demonstrations and explanation of how I determine what SRF level is appropriate for students.

As always, Patreon and Substack paid subscribers will have access to the slides for this and past/future presentations. Members there will also find un-edited FULL versions of my presentations last week in Texas.

Tune in, and have your thinking stimulated and challenged. Then, weigh in yourself with your related ideas and experiences on Facebook in the Choralosophers group or over on choralosophy.substack.com

For future rehearsal clips, find me on TikTok, Insta and FB!

Music Reading Rope

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Choralosophy Podcast (@choralosophy) • Instagram photos and videos

Composer Kyle Pederson is a big advocate for “co-creation” in Music classrooms. This includes the more intuitive ways like empowering singers to be involved in the creative process (composing, text-writing, etc)…but in more subtle ways too, like finding opportunities in the rehearsal for students to insert original text, or even just come to a group decision about what “story” they are telling with the piece.

In several of his scores, Kyle provides space/time for singers to include narration/spoken word…which provides more opportunity for conversation in their choral classroom, and more opportunity for singers to lean into their own creativity. In this episode, we discuss this process and its benefits for young people. We even have a brief discussion of modern politics toward the end, so stick around for that!

As always, I hope you find something useful here!

Tune in, and have your thinking stimulated and challenged. Then, weigh in yourself with your related ideas and experiences on Facebook in the Choralosophers group or over on choralosophy.substack.com

For future rehearsal clips, find me on TikTok, Insta and FB!

Kyle Pederson is a Minneapolis-based composer, lyricist, pianist, and educator.

He enjoys working at the intersection of the sacred and secular, and his lyrics and music invite the choir and audience to be agents of hope, grace, and compassion in the world.

Pederson was awarded the American Prize in Choral Composition in 2019, and the ACDA Genesis Prize in 2020. Pederson has an undergraduate degree from Augustana Universi-ty, a Masters Degree in Education from University of St. Thomas, and an MFA in Music Composition from Vermont College of Fine Art. His work is commissioned, performed,

and recorded by community, school, and professional choirs around the world and is published by Walton, Santa Barbara, ECS, Hal Leonard, Beckenhorst, Alfred, Carl Fischer, Hinshaw, and Gentry. Additional information and links to Kyle’s music can be found at kylepederson.com

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Choralosophy Podcast (@choralosophy) • Instagram photos and videos

“If I were to return to K-12, I would not touch the piano.” One of the most important things we do to teach students independence, resilience and leadership in a rehearsal is to CONVINCE them that they don’t need you in order to learn the music. This takes time, and commitment to a process, and a pedagogy that is committed to this ultimate outcome.

Another crucial component is the director’s intentional structuring of rehearsals in ways that kids have the time and the resources they need to become co-creators of the music with us. We will hear Betsy’s thoughts about this as well as my reflections about some of the practices I installed since I first had this conversation.

As always, I hope you find something useful here!

Tune in, and have your thinking stimulated and challenged. Then, weigh in yourself with your related ideas and experiences on Facebook in the Choralosophers group or over on choralosophy.substack.com

For future rehearsal clips, find me on TikTok, Insta and FB!

Choralosophy Podcast (@choralosophy) • Instagram photos and videos

In this episode, you will have a front row seat (video version recommended on YouTube and Clips on TikTok!) to the opening 10-12 minutes of our beginning Treble, Advanced Treble, Beginning Tenor-Bass and advanced SATB curricular choirs. This of course, is a snapshot of a day and should not represent an exact facsimile of our daily routine. Because, in fact, we don’t have a “daily” routine.

Instead, I will explain through demonstration and commentary the exercises we do, why we do them, and why I believe it’s important to use “warm up” time for a wide variety of things, and to mix it up from day to day. We use this time for voice building, literacy skills, music theory, relationship building and so much more. Our classes are tragically only 44 minutes long. So, the reality is we have to pick and choose the things they have a chance to try and experience.

As always, I hope you find something useful here!

Tune in, and have your thinking stimulated and challenged. Then, weigh in yourself with your related ideas and experiences on Facebook in the Choralosophers group or over on choralosophy.substack.com

For future rehearsal clips, find me on TikTok, Insta and FB!

Choralosophy Podcast (@choralosophy) • Instagram photos and videos

In this episode, I have the pleasure of speaking with the remarkable composer Libby Larsen about her journey into the world of music. We discuss the importance of viewing music education as a language-based approach, where understanding the “language” of music is just as critical as performance. Libby and I also explore the relationship between composition and performance, emphasizing the role of performers in bringing a composer’s work to life and the contemporary challenges that composers face in today’s music industry.

Our conversation extends to the impact of social media on artistic promotion and the pressure on composers to establish a personal brand based on identity categories at the expense of the focus on the music itself. Libby shares valuable insights from her own career, including her notable works for Oxford and some other publishers. We delve into the creation of meaningful art, the challenges of getting noticed in the industry, and the significance of staying true to one’s passion in the face of external pressures.

Tune in, and have your thinking stimulated and challenged. Then, weigh in yourself with your related ideas and experiences on Facebook in the Choralosophers group or over on choralosophy.substack.com

For future rehearsal clips, find me on TikTok, Insta and FB!

She has created a catalogue of over 500 works spanning virtually every genre from intimate vocal and chamber music to massive orchestral works and over 15 operas. Grammy award-winning and widely recorded, including over 50 CDs of her work, she is constantly sought after for commissions and premieres by major artists, ensembles, and orchestras around the world, and has established a permanent place for her works in the concert repertory.

As a vigorous, articulate advocate for the music and musicians of our time, in 1973 Larsen co-founded the Minnesota Composers Forum, now the American Composer’s Forum, which has become an invaluable aid for composers in a transitional time for American arts.  A former holder of the Papamarkou Chair at John W. Kluge Center of the Library of Congress, Larsen has also held residencies with the Minnesota Orchestra, the Charlotte Symphony, and the Colorado Symphony.

Choralosophy Podcast (@choralosophy) • Instagram photos and videos