Renaissance Man - Philip Brunelle and Music

This episode features Philip speaking with Plymouth Church's "Engaging with Aging" group about his childhood and early career, his relationship with his mother, and the importance of gratitude, providence and curiosity in establishing a remarkable career and life.

When we proposed this podcast episode to define a theoretical "MBA of Philip Brunelle," his response was, "good luck." Turns out there's plenty to reveal. And it all starts with that most important trait/skill/characteristic: Curiosity. "It must be your north star," Philip replies. We began at the beginning: 55 years ago Philip founded an arts organization. We discuss where the name VocalEssence came from. And we talk about what constitutes his approach—as a startup going from zero to "n." Philip details a deliberate mindset, a vision which informed how VocalEssence (at the time called the Plymouth Music Series) operated. We discuss consistent Philip's approach to managing, hiring, budgets, rehearsing and board relations. Then we talked about the importance of truly understanding your audience. As Philip puts it, VocalEssence's audience is, "always willing to hear new things, provided they are produced top notch. They know they will be challenged (by the repertoire) but they also know the performance will be world class." Finally, we dive into Philip's reaction to a non-profit fundraising challenge articulated by the author and educator Seth Godin. This episode ends with "The Earth Adorned" by performed by the Plymouth Congregational Church in Minneapolis choir from the album Praise And Thanksgiving—Music And Spoken Word.

Here's an episode for anyone curious about how a 55+ year old choral arts organization continues to thrive through its operational leadership. This Thanksgiving weekend we're turning our gratitude to VocalEssence Executive Director Mary Ann Aufderheide to celebrate her 20+ years helping lead the organization. So much to uncover in this episode, including her journey to VE, decades of lessons learned, insights around arts leadership, the evolution of arts management, and the challenges and joys of evolving a leadership role alongside an organization co-founder. Philip, Tim and Mary Ann discuss the balance of executive versus artistic leadership, the evolving role of an arts org board, and Mary Ann's highlights over the past 20 years. Thanks for your remarkable era of leadership, Mary Ann!

Philip loves jokes and puns. So let's start there as a prelude to describing the 55th seasons at both VocalEssence and Plymouth Congregational Church in Minneapolis. Turns out various choir members have given Philip books of jokes and riddles, along with many other trinkets over the decades so we discussed that tradition. Then we worked through the many highlights of VocalEssence's 55th season, noting numerous new choral commissions, various collaborations, the challenge of selecting just 90 minutes of "favorites" from 55 years of curating and commissioning, and the return (in March) of Melanie DeMore—listen to Philip's interview with Melanie from episode 09 (link below). The second half of this episode focuses on the diverse repertoire selected for Plymouth from September to June, again highlighting lots of new commissions. The episode ends with a 2010 VocalEssence recording of the American folks song "Oh Dear! What Can the Matter Be" arranged by Norman Luboff.

NOTES

VocalEssence's 55th Season

https://www.vocalessence.org/event/subscribe-vocalessence-2023-2024-season/

Melanie DeMore Interview (episode 9)

https://soundcloud.com/renaissanceman-352514445/09-protest-music-with-melanie-demore

We're each a product of our times and experiences. In this episode Philip retraces some historic moments to uncover insights across 80 years of choral direction, church music and artistic leadership. We discuss his favorite church organs around the world. That moment at the New York Philharmonic in June 1968 holding the score to Gunther Schuller's Concerto for Doublebass and Chamber Orchestra, while sitting between Leonard Bernstein and Aaron Copland. And the opportunities and challenges when shifting from performer to leader. We get Philip's perspective on the word "retirement," to wit, "I'm not going to." And his advice to signers, conductors, organizational leaders and audiences.

23 - St Olaf ACDA Interview by Tim Brunelle

This episode is a quick recap of Philip's journey to Istanbul for the 2023 World Choral Symposium. We talk about his previous trip to Istanbul 60 years prior, and the range of insights uncovered during this year's event, and his visit to the historic Blue Mosque. We also preview the final concert of VocalEssence's 54th season featuring Moira Smiley, the American Choral Director's Association annual meeting at the end of this month, and Philip's plans for the summer.

VocalEssence Concert

https://www.vocalessence.org/event/singing-the-world-awake2/

World Choral Symposium

https://wscmistanbul2023.com

"Singing is a tricky business!" notes Philip, before he flies East to attend the 2023 World Choral Symposium in Istanbul. "It's the only musical experience where you can't see your instrument." In episode 21 we sat down to talk about the business of being a choir director. "It begins with observing the product, the choir in action," says Philip. He learned by being a choir member first, then watching how others, including Robert Shaw and Charles Munsch, directed. Philip's first full-time choir director position came with also being the organist at Holy Trinity Lutheran in Minneapolis at age 20. (He had joined the Minnesota Orchestra the year prior.) Philip moved to become Organist and Choir Director at Plymouth Congregational Church in Minneapolis at age 25, where he has remained since.

"Choirs need three things," says Philip. "The first is rhythm. That's the most important skill. Then you learn notes. And then words. That's it!" Philip also talks about the business of "singing as one," which is not about blend—rather, about achieving a unified sound. He also reveals various habits, process and techniques for helping balance choirs, build confidence among singers, and increase their flexibility. "50% of what a choir does is vocal. 50% is listening," says Philip. As a director, you are always coaching ways to actively listen, so a choir hears where and how each part fits in the picture.

This episode features excerpts from two VocalEssence recordings. The first is from Lobgesang (Hymn of Praise)by Felix Mendelssohn (1840). The second is "A Ukrainian Prayer" by John Rutter. Both can be found at VE's YouTube page.

The State of Choral Music Around the World, Circa 2023. To begin the 2023 season of this podcast we journey around the globe to gain an understanding of choirs, audiences, repetoire and innovation in choral music. Philip surveyed his network to gain perspective from choral leaders, including:

• Simon Halsey, Chorus Director – City of Birmingham (England) Symphony Chorus

• Jorge Cordoba, radio program: Horizontes de Nuestra Música (Mexico)

• Reijo Kekkonen, publisher of Finnish choral music - Sulasol 

• Jonathan Velasco, Senior Lecturer, University of Philippines College of Music 

• Virginia Bono, Founder and Artistic Director, Estudio Coral Meridies (Argentina) 

• Yoshi Egawa, Deputy Secretary-General, Japan Choral Association

Both choirs and audiences are coming back, but slowly, worldwide. Within Philip’s network, he’s estimating audiences returning to roughly 60-75% of pre-Covid levels, as of early 2023.

Interestingly, in both Finland and especially the U.S. there’s been a shift in ticket purchasing—from season tickets and per event tickets sold months in advance to much shorter purchasing windows. The average is now just a few weeks, and often day-of purchasing, which is impacting the ability for choral organizations to plan financing of choral programs effectively. 

Choirs are also curious about and embracing more diverse sources of repetoire. In Mexico there’s a resurgence in interest in pre-Hispanic sounds and instruments.   

And in a nod to the value of continuous innovation, Philip encourages young choral musicians to, “Be curious—See what’s out there, and what’s out there may not be brand new...it may be somthing that was written 100 years ago.”And to conclude, Philip’s assessment of the state of choral music globally is: It is thriving, growing and embracing a wider range of music, in great part because, “Everyone needs music in their life for their own soul and for their own well being.” 

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We closed out this episode with a snippet of Felix Mendelssohn’s Lobgesang (Hymn of Praise), performed by the VocalEssence Chorus & Ensemble Singers featuring Nicholas Chalmers, tenor, JoAnna Johnson, soprano, Elsa Buck, soprano II, and orchestra conducted by Artistic Director & Founder Philip Brunelle—recorded at Benson Great Hall, Bethel University in Arden Hills, MN on Saturday, October 15, 2022.

Philip dives into the work involved in planning not one, but two seasons: His 54th as Organist and Choir Master at Plymouth Congregational Church in Minneapolis, and the 54th season of VocalEssence. As Philip notes, "People love challenges in choral music" and both seasons deliver. We discuss the business of being a music director in these two seasons, and the efforts required to get them ready for launch. Then we talk through details behind the six major concerts in VE's 54th year.