Sing, Coach, Conduct

In this episode, host Megan Farison interviews chemical engineer Steven Holty about how theater helped him find his people and himself.

Host Megan Farison speaks with Mackenzie Bufis and Patty Sampson about their organization The Elephant Alliance, which is aimed at preventing educator sexual misconduct.

Before John Jacobson became a surprise internet sensation for his “Double Dream Hands” YouTube video, he was already an internationally recognized music educator, performer, composer and choreographer. John believes teaching is a “higher calling”, and he’s dedicated his life to improving the lives of children, youth, and adults through music. In this episode, John talks about the story behind Double Dream Hands, growing up in a family of ten children who all became teachers, his career at Disney, latest event projects and resources for educators and students-including America Sings and JJ&Me-and why there's nothing more important than the creative arts for building better human beings.

This episode is part of a series that explores how the roles of choir director and vocal coach can be united to better serve the needs of individuals in a choral classroom setting. Host Megan Farison uses her experience as a choir director and private voice instructor to offer helpful suggestions for building stronger choirs using vocal pedagogy based strategies. Just like a sports team, the stronger the individual players, the stronger the team!

What do great teachers have in common? How can we have a lasting, positive impact on our students, colleagues and friends? Educational Arranger, Mac Huff, is a classically trained pianist who found his niche in arranging pop and broadway songs for choral ensembles, and he owes his success to the people who have been highly influential in his life, starting with his father, Mac Huff Sr., a famous barber shopper and world-class coach and presenter. This episode is full of stories that inspire and educate, that teach us what it means to be a great teacher, and how we pass invaluable gifts from one generation to the next.

Emily Crocker's music has been performed all over the world for decades, and she continues to be a powerful force in the world of music creation and education. In the past thirty-five years, Emily has taught in the public school system, became Vice President of Choral Publications at Hal Leonard, and, in 1994, founded the the Milwaukee Children's Choir. Her newest resource for choral classrooms, Sound Patterns, helps to break down the process of reading music in a way that is both accessible and fun for students. In this episode, Emily shares her journey of becoming a teacher and composer and offers incredible wisdom for new and seasoned teachers alike.

How do we light a fire in the hearts and minds of our students? What are practical ways we can meet students where they are and help them to become successful? In this episode, Cristi Cary Miller shares the story of how she went from a middle-of-the-road clarinet player to a nationally recognized master teacher, conductor, composer and arranger. Cristi offers her energy, enthusiasm, and perspective on what we can do as teachers to get kids excited about choir, how to provide the tools they need for growth and success, and she talks about her recently published resources for the choral classroom.

In the words of Roger Emerson, "I will compose until I decompose." Roger is a prolific and world renowned composer and arranger whose work has spanned decades. His mother, a professional arranger for live radio in the 1930s and 1940s, brought Roger into a world of music that formed the basis for his eventual career path. Roger is not only a writer of music but a teacher, performer, presenter, friend, husband and father. In this episode. Roger offers insight on his music, on teaching, composing, copyright, his latest projects with Hal Leonard, and his family.

When Dexter Brigham was eight-years-old, he auditioned for the American Boychoir School in Princeton, New Jersey, which set him on a path to one day becoming a professional opera and musical theater performer. But just when everything seemed to be going right-landing national tours, starting a theater company, meeting the love of his life-he noticed strange occurrences with his hearing. He would later discover he has a rare condition, Meniere's Disease, for which there is no cause and no cure. In this episode, Dexter opens up about his life with the American Boychoir School, his encounters with Jessye Norman and other influential conductors and performers, the struggles of his adolescence, how a voice teacher and a heavy metal band saved him. Dexter's humor and honesty about music and life offer an entertaining and heartfelt journey for listeners.

In this episode, I sit down with my high school choir director, Richard (Rick), and his brother, Rod, both of whom are retired from highly successful careers in secondary choral music education. Together, they share stories and advice for teachers at any age and any stage: recruitment, student leadership, literature, relationships, and they reflect on the decades of memories they've made sharing their love of music with students, family, and community.