Shows
Choir Fam PodcastEp. 132 - Expanding Singers' Tone Color Palette - Francis Cathlina“I ask them to sing with maximum efficiency, accessing their singer’s formant, and from there, we’ll ask for specific sounds. Sometimes conductors get stuck asking them to blend, to listen. When we do that, it’s like giving them an 8-pack of Crayola and asking them to color. Instead, we start the rehearsal with a 64-pack and then throughout the rehearsal we might pick out the light blue #2 to color that section of the music. They’re able to access the full breadth of their vocal powers in the rehearsal.”Francis Cathlina, D.M.A. (he/h...
2025-09-1845 min
ACDA PodcastEp. #13 - August 2025 (ft. Dean Luethi, Ethan Soledad, and Alex Canovas)As summer winds down, the ACDA Podcast dives into new beginnings and lasting legacies. This month, Steve introduces a new member of the ACDA Podcast team and welcomes Dean Luethi, National R&R Chair for 4-Year College and University Choirs. Dean shares his vision, background, and what he's learned through his own podcasting work with ChoirFam.We also hear from Ethan Soledad, winner of the Raymond W. Brock Prize for Student Composition, and Alex Canovas, co-chair of the competition, who shares how young composers can submit their work. Ethan talks about his winning piece, his passion for...
2025-08-1346 minChoir Fam PodcastEp. 107 - Strengthening Pedagogy Through Choral Literature Study - Chester Alwes"I think in many ways the pattern is the least important part of conducting. It’s much more about showing what the music should be doing, not beating four. If it were just a matter of keeping time, we could use a flashing red light. That's not what your job is. Your job is to encourage and show the music physically. I believe very strongly that the conducting gesture is nothing more than your vocal process externalized.”Chester L. Alwes holds degrees in music from Hanover College, Union Theological Seminary School of Sacred Music, and the...
2025-01-0658 minChoir Fam PodcastEp. 86 - Honoring Diversity Through Historical Research - Elizabeth Schauer“I have fallen deeply in love with looking at a piece, seeing what it is, and realizing that there are no real absolutes in music. There are no rules. You have to look at each piece of music for what it is and consider it in its historical and cultural context and then find out enough about the composer. It feels like a journey, a rabbit hole that go down.”Dr. Elizabeth Schauer serves as Professor of Music and Director of Choral Activities at the University of Arizona, where she is in her twentieth year of t...
2024-05-2347 minChoir Fam PodcastEp. 85 - Choral Music and Personal Growth - Jonathan Talberg“I grew up thinking that we should sound like the music we're singing. There was never one right way for me. There are those great choral traditions where they sing everything a certain way. I never wanted to be that way. We can do seven different pieces in seven entirely different styles. You would think, 'is that the same choir?' That's something that my choirs take seriously.”Recipient of the President’s Award from the California Music Educators Association honoring "extraordinary accomplishments in music education," Dr. Jonathan Talberg serves as Director of Choral Activities at the...
2024-05-1658 minChoir Fam PodcastEp. 84 - Building Choral Skills from the Adjudication Table - Brett Epperson“I’ve really enjoyed getting into classrooms to affirm my colleagues. I seek whenever I do a visit to say something that is both positive and true. I could just be positive, but if it’s not truthful, students can sense that. I’ve really enjoyed getting to bop in, see great teaching in action, and affirm my colleagues in front of their students.”Dr. Brett D. Epperson is Director of Choral Activities and Assistant Professor of Music at Hastings College. He directs the Hastings College Choir and teaches courses in conducting, vocal pedagogy, diction and studio voice. Bre...
2024-05-1145 minChoir Fam PodcastEp. 83 - Building Choral Excellence to Serve Communities - Joshua Cheney"Choral programs don't exist in a vacuum. They exist in a place, and they exist in a place that serves a people. That people group is always bigger than choir. The first thing that you've gotta do is answer the question, 'how are my people, how is my place going to be served by choral music?' and then build that. You've gotta build that one step at a time."Joshua Cheney, a native of Fayetteville, North Carolina, is the Assistant Professor of Music and Director of Choral Activities at Gardner-Webb University in Boiling Springs, North Carolina...
2024-04-2351 minChoir Fam PodcastEp. 82 - Inspiring and Motivating Adolescent Tenors and Basses - Vincent Oakes“Octave displacement is a really big thing with adolescent singers. Make a game out of it - I’ll have them match me, match me up an octave, match me down an octave - versus scolding when you’re in the middle of rep and someone is singing too low and you just point and say ‘that’s too low.’ That’s a little ambiguous for the average 13-year-old. To give them the strength to identify it themselves is practicing the skill we want to see played out in the repertoire.”Since 2006, Mr. Oakes has served as Director of Chor...
2024-04-1648 minChoir Fam PodcastEp. 81 - Expanding Access to Choral Participation - Marcela Molina“I started to see the possibilities of what a youth community choir could be. Seeing that profound impact on a young woman was very transformative for me. After two or three years, everything that I did had more layers. There was a new potential of enhancement and community impact. The things that make me go like a volcano are about community, access to programs, and how to break barriers for participation.”Dr. Marcela Molina has been leading the Tucson Girls Chorus since 2006, first serving as Artistic Director and taking the helm as Executive Director in 2011. Unde...
2024-04-0848 minChoir Fam PodcastEp. 80 - Bridging Artistry and Scholarship - Jessica Nápoles“If a student has been unsuccessful at elementary and middle school, by the time they get to high school, it’s really hard to shift and course correct. But if they haven’t been successful at elementary and you get them at the middle school level, you really do have the potential to shift that course in a monumental way, to reshape their views about whether they are indeed successful and worthwhile. You really have such a big role to play.”Jessica Nápoles is Professor of Choral Music Education at the University of North Texas. Sh...
2024-04-0149 minChoir Fam PodcastEp. 79 - Voice Pedagogy Concepts for a Variety of Genres - Ryan Deignan“Contemporary commercial music is closer to the students’ everyday musical culture. There’s that component of culturally relevant pedagogy that both show choir and vocal jazz meet. They are a bit more naturally motivating to a majority of students, and we honor the musical culture of the United States and our popular styles from the last 100 years when we teach these things."Ryan Deignan is Assistant Professor and Director of Choral Activities at the University of Minnesota Duluth where he leads the flagship University Singers and the award-winning vocal jazz ensemble Lake Effect and teaches voice...
2024-03-1555 minChoir Fam PodcastEp. 78 - Optimizing Choral Administration with a Booster Club - Cathy Britton"I didn’t want to do any middle level teaching because of behavior, but I ended up teaching eight years at Patrick Henry Junior High. I loved every moment of it. I learned that if the kids loved and trusted you, they would do anything for you. It was just so much fun to take what they were willing to give and do some good work with them. It all translated into how they behaved in choir."Cathleen Britton has been making music her entire life. She grew up in Aberdeen, South Dakota, and then st...
2024-03-0449 minChoir Fam PodcastEp. 77 - Creating Opportunities Through First Impressions - Stephen Caldwell"The greatest lesson that I learned as a gig singer is that your career and reputation are built one chance at a time. You get one chance and one chance only. If I want people to go out on a limb for me and recommend me for a gig, then I have to make sure that I'm protecting their reputation as well as my own. That starts with never being late, always being prepared, and almost never missing a note." Dr. Stephen Caldwell is Associate Professor and Outgoing Chair of the Faculty Senate at the...
2024-02-2655 minChoir Fam PodcastSeason 3 Wrap-UpThank you for listening to our show this season!!Here are the favorite choral pieces from our guests in the third season:Sommerpsalm, Waldemar ÅhlénChristmas Oratorio, Johann Sebastian BachKomm, Jesu, Komm; Johann Sebastian BachAgnus Dei, Samuel BarberBluegrass Mass, Carol BarnettAfternoon on a Hill, Eric BarnumMissa Solemnis, Ludwig van BeethovenThe Eyes of All Wait Upon Thee, Jean BergerChichester Psalms, Leonard Bernstein(x2)Ave Maria, Franz BieblBallad of the Brown King, Margaret BondsCredo, Margaret Bo...
2024-02-1913 minChoir Fam PodcastMinisode 3 - Stephen Salamunovich, Anneliese ZookChoir Fam Minisode 3 includes Lightning Round answers from two of our Choir Fam listeners:Stephen SalamunovichRenton, WashingtonAnneliese ZookGarfield, WashingtonWe want to hear from you! We'd love all our listeners to answer our Season 1 lightning-round questions for us to share with our audience. We are looking forward to getting to know you better.Email choirfampodcast@gmail.com with the following info:Subject Line: Choir Fam MinisodeFirst and last name, pronouns optionalCity and state you live inSchool where...
2024-02-1606 minChoir Fam PodcastMinisode Intro Part 3 - Share Your Story with the Choir FamWe want to hear from you! We'd love all our listeners to answer our Season 3 lightning-round questions for us to share with our audience. We are looking forward to getting to know you better.Email choirfampodcast@gmail.com with the following info:Subject Line: Choir Fam MinisodeFirst and last name, pronouns optionalCity and state you live inSchool where you teach or study, choral organization you work with, etc.Answer any and all of our lightning round questions:a. Beach or Mountain vacation?b. What was your favorite subject in HS that was...
2024-02-1602 minChoir Fam PodcastEp. 76 - Approaching Choral Music with Imagination - Jean-Sébastien Vallée“The number one thing that I look for when I meet a younger conductor is imagination, someone who comes with ideas but also has a story to tell with the music. Often younger conductors are really worried about technique, the way they look, the way they rehearse, but it starts with imagination. What do you want to communicate? People are so worried about technique that they hide themselves. We want to see the person. Who are you and what do you have to say?”Prof. Jean-Sébastien Vallée is a renowned Canadian-American conductor, scholar, and pe...
2024-02-1345 minChoir Fam PodcastEp. 75 - Connecting with Audiences Through Choral Programming - Erick Lichte“We are there to be servants of our community. A lot of amateur choirs can become bowling leagues; they show up on Wednesday night, they have a great time, and that’s the reason they do it. I think the trick is to satisfy the needs of our singers, develop them as artists and people, but also make the focus constantly about reaching out to our audience: how do I find pieces that are going to meet my singers where they are, challenge them pedagogically, and bring people to my concert and make it impactful?”Erick Lichte...
2024-02-0550 minChoir Fam PodcastEp. 74 - Commercial Music within the Large Choral Ensemble - Eric Rubinstein“So many people view conducting as a reflection of the music, and if that works for them, that's great. I view conducting as a reflection of the movement. Undergrads aren't always predisposed to musical language, but they are already predisposed to the language that Laban uses: time, space, weight, flow. Instead of saying 'that's not marcato enough,' you could instead say 'that's not heavy enough’ or ‘direct enough.’ That's language that we're already familiar with as people.”Dr. Eric Rubinstein is Director of Choral Activities and Assistant Professor of Music at Nazareth University, where he directs...
2024-01-2953 minChoir Fam PodcastEp. 73 - Developing a Personal Compositional Voice - Christopher Tin"The question I had to ask myself was, 'Do you want to change who you are as a composer just so can match a particular sound that is in fashion or is expected of you in the concert hall world or do you want to say true to yourself as an artist?'" Time and time again, whenever this question pops up, it's always you turn towards yourself and ask yourself who you are and you stay true to who you are. You don't change your sound based on what is in vogue in the music world. Be true...
2024-01-1645 minChoir Fam PodcastEp. 72 - Bridging the Exquisite and the Accessible - Melissa Dunphy“The music that I fell in love with that made me want to be a musician when I was a young teenager was not loved because it’s super difficult. That’s not the reason you love music. You love music that makes you feel and makes you think. If something is challenging, that feeling of reaching the finish line and being able to create a performance that you’re proud of is super rewarding. If something is impossible, that doesn’t excite me.”Born in Australia and raised in an immigrant family, Melissa Dunphy herself immi...
2024-01-1156 minChoir Fam PodcastEp. 71 - Openness and Authenticity in Choral Education - Marques Garrett“You can’t be a good teacher, you can’t be a good conductor, without being a good human being... I’m grateful that I have stuck with so many of the things that felt true to me. I’m honest and vulnerable but also still open to learning from other people, because everything that I do is not right. If I realize it’s not right, I need to ‘fess up to it really quickly.”A Virginia native, Marques L. A. Garrett is Associate Professor of Choral Studies at the University of North Texas. He earned his Ph...
2024-01-0353 minChoir Fam PodcastEp. 70 - Building a Career in Contemporary A Cappella Performance - Anders Edenroth“My professional career comes from something that I did not study. I think it’s called the hidden curriculum - things that you learn that are not on your schedule that are many times equally or more important as things on the schedule. Now, don’ t tell your students not to study and only spend time doing whatever they do. The combination is the secret - the inspiration you get from your fellow students and teachers.”Born in Stockholm, Anders Edenroth started playing piano and singing in choirs at an early age. From ages 10 to 20 studying...
2023-12-1540 minChoir Fam PodcastEp. 69 - Choral Music for Singers in All Career Paths - Elizabeth Chilton"When you're singing choral music, you can't be thinking about all those other things that are going on in your life. It takes incredible mental focus. People would say to me, 'how do you have time to sing in a choir when you're working on a doctorate?' and I would tell them that for me, it's like getting a mental holiday. It revives me. It refreshes me. It fills a different part of my soul and my brain and actually helps in all the other things that I was able to accomplish."Dr. Elizabeth Chilton
2023-12-0843 minChoir Fam PodcastEp. 68 - Choral Music for Social Action and Community Dialogue - Alexander Lloyd Blake“Being text-focused has been really beneficial and a change from the way I’ve seen concerts programmed in the past: ‘Do the keys align? What is the soundscape?’ Those things are important, but for these concerts, the message that we’re putting out there has to be priority. We are choral musicians, and we have words and stories to share, and those have to take precedent.”Dr. Alexander Lloyd Blake works as a conductor, composer/arranger, vocal contractor, singer, and music activist. Blake is the Founding Artistic Director of Tonality, an award-winning choral ensemble focused on spreading...
2023-11-2744 minChoir Fam PodcastEp. 67 - Promoting Healthy Singing in All Styles - Ryan HolderRyan W. Holder is currently in his eighteenth year as the Associate Director of Choral Studies at Northern Arizona University (Flagstaff, AZ), where he directs Vox Astra and the Northern Voices and High Altitude vocal jazz ensembles, teaches undergraduate and graduate conducting and choral methods, supervises choral student teachers, and serves as the adviser for the NAU student chapter of the American Choral Directors Association and the three contemporary a cappella groups. In addition, he is the coordinator of the annual Jazz/Madrigal festival, which brings in over 85 high schools and 145 choirs every year.Dr. H...
2023-11-1545 minChoir Fam PodcastEp. 66 - Building Connections Through Music Education - Hilary Apfelstadt“I really thought I wanted to be a high school teacher, but the first job I got was in elementary. That turned out to be the best ‘teaching-me’ experience I could have had, because I learned that if one could get music across to people without much background, you can get it across to anybody.”Dr. Hilary Apfelstadt is Professor Emerita of Choral Studies at the University of Toronto where she held the Elmer Iseler Chair in Conducting and received the inaugural Teaching Excellence Award in 2013. Previously she taught at the Ohio State University and the University of North...
2023-11-0748 minChoir Fam PodcastEp. 65 - Prioritizing Equity in Choral Spaces - Arreon A. Harley-Emerson“We were doing some Anglican chant, and we went on to the Hogan ‘Ride On, King Jesus.’ It was as if it was the first time we had ever seen light. It was a revelation for me and for the singers and led to a lot of rebranding of who we are, our values, whose music is important, and the right balance we should be striving for. I felt like I had finally found a place where I could express my full musical identity because it had been fragmented in every other professional setting.”Arreon A. Harley-E...
2023-10-261h 04Choir Fam PodcastEp. 64 - Cultivating Musicianship in Singers of All Levels - André J. Thomas“If people think you value them, they will do anything in the world to make the music for you."André J. Thomas is an Associate Artist with the London Symphony Orchestra.Thomas is Professor Emeritus of Music at Florida State University. He was visiting Professor of Choral Conducting at Yale University from 2020-2022. He also served as faculty member at the University of Texas, Austin.Dr. Thomas received his degrees from Friends University (B.A.), Northwestern University (M. M.), and The University of Illinois (D.M.A). He is in demand as...
2023-10-161h 13Choir Fam PodcastEp. 63 - Passion and Perseverance in the Choral Arts - B.E. Boykin“Let your passion guide you. That has been such a huge help to me in this journey because I know that I’m doing it because I love to do it. Don’t get caught up in going through the motions. It’s easy to be on autopilot and push things to the back of your mind so you can keep putting out work, good performances, or good rehearsals, but always try to be in tune with yourself and listen to what your body needs.” B.E. (Brittney Elizabeth) Boykin is a native of Alexand...
2023-10-0543 minChoir Fam PodcastEp. 62 - Goal Setting and Self-Improvement for Choral Educators - Lynn Brinckmeyer“It’s people first. You need to address the humans that are there in front of you and help them be where they are. There are some kids who are hungry, who haven’t had anything since their last meal at school the day before or the week before. The human part of them has to feel safe before they can care about whether that’s a late sixteenth note.”Dr. Lynn M. Brinckmeyer recently retired as Professor of Music, Associate Dean of the College of Fine Arts and Communication and Director of Choral Music Education...
2023-09-2540 minChoir Fam PodcastEp. 61 - Building Student Agency in the Choral Rehearsal - Joe Svendsen“Social practice is the ability to let peer groups problem-solve together and work things through. This is what I try to practice a lot of in the learning stages of music making. The phrase I use is ‘You learn music with us so that someday you can go learn music and make it without us.’ If they’re not identifying how to problem-solve and correct on their own, they are less likely to go out and be able to do that independently.”Joseph Svendsen is the Director of Choral Studies and Associate Professor of Music at the Uni...
2023-09-1452 minChoir Fam PodcastEp. 60 - Nurturing Choral Expression for the Disadvantaged - Jonathan Palant“It’s powerful to see [the Dallas Street Choir] perform. It’s powerful to see the invisible become visible. Both the audience reaction to take an invisible, isolated population and see them for the very first time in many ways, but it’s also powerful for them to be seen.”Jonathan Palant is Associate Dean of the Arts and Director of Choral Activities at the University of Texas at Dallas and is founder and conductor of the Credo Community Choir, a 140-member adult mixed choir, and the Dallas Street Choir, a musical outlet for those affected b...
2023-09-0650 minChoir Fam PodcastEp. 59 - Making an Impact in the First Year of Teaching - Christina Hall“As first-year teachers, we have more power than we think we do. Our voice is heard more because we’re the new person in town. As young teachers, I think that our confidence is still growing. We’re still learning to navigate what to ask and how to ask admin... You can always ask for something, and the worst thing they’re going to say is ‘no’ or ‘not yet.’”Christina Hall is a master's student in Choral Conducting at Arizona State University. Concurrently, she is in her third season as a soprano in the GRAMMY-award winning Phoenix Chorale. C...
2023-08-2350 minChoir Fam PodcastEp. 58 - Building a Toolbox for Accessible Choral Singing - Tracy Wong"The timbre of the singing voice [in Malaysian music] is definitely different from singing Western art music mainly because of the language itself. The way the language is being spoken accesses a different space in our whole instrument. If you want sing the music of a different culture or language in that particular tone, listen to how a person would speak the language, and you won't go far from it."Dr. Tracy Wong is a Malaysian-Canadian choral conductor, music educator, composer, vocalist, and pianist. Dr. Wong is passionate about helping choral leaders and educators to...
2023-08-0750 minChoir Fam PodcastEp. 57 - Integrating Choral Pedagogy with Musicianship Skills - John Guarente"The repertoire will always have some sort of example of something that you're talking about in music theory, and it helps really build that connection between the studying of music and the doing of music. The more and more I teach theory, the more little leaves I uncover, and I'm able to help students make that connection more and more every year."John Guarente is Professor of Choral Ensembles and Music Theory at South Puget Sound Community College. He leads the SPSCC Choirs and teaches courses in music theory, popular music, and music appreciation.
2023-07-3152 minChoir Fam PodcastEp. 56 - Transcending the Limitations of Art Music - Michael McGlynn"My entire philosophy of choral music is that of all forms of music it is the one that has the capacity to produce a state of transcendence, and as a composer that is my primary function. Bear in mind, I don't write music for choirs; I write music for people. If you perform the music correctly, it can open a gateway, a higher state of consciousness."Born in 1964 in Dublin, Ireland, Michael is a composer of music and lyrics, film maker and runs the three connected vocal ensembles that he founded ANÚNA, M’ANA...
2023-07-241h 01Choir Fam PodcastEp. 55 - Empowering Student Leaders in the Choral Ensemble - Monika Tabor"The first year is the worst. The kids will want everything that’s not you, and that’s OK. They don’t want to know what you know until they know that you care about them, so you just wear them down with kindness and that sense of wonder about music. That’s my trick. I try and find what they wonder about music and then find ways to hook that into the materials I’m choosing.”Monika Tabor serves as Director of Choirs for Lake Stevens High School and as advisor for LSHS Associate Student Body...
2023-07-1041 minChoir Fam PodcastEp. 54 - Affirming Identity Through Choral Music - Xiaosha Lin"Every time on stage when we connect with the choral music and I see the students moved or touched by choral music, that's the moment I fall in love with choral music. The love of choral music is affirmed again and again by the connection you make with these humans and the music."Xiaosha Lin is currently assistant professor and director of choral activities at Whitworth University in Spokane, Washington. Prior to her appointment at Whitworth, she served as Director of Choral Activities at the University of Toledo and Assistant Conductor at Hong Kong Baptist...
2023-06-2749 minChoir Fam PodcastEp. 53 - All in the Family: A Choral & Wind Conducting Duo - Shelby and Micah Laird"In this small community, they’re going to hear Beethoven’s 9th Symphony in their backyard. The festival has the intention to broaden the horizons of this community through music. That’s why we do what we do: to learn and grow and teach and support each other." - Shelby Laird"I've always been in love with the choral rehearsal. It is so methodical and engaging. Every step is planned out, but there's always room for flexibility and growth. That kind of stuff that is so streamlined and normal in the choral classroom is something we can really...
2023-06-2051 minChoir Fam PodcastEp. 52 - Immersing Yourself in the Music of a New Culture - John W Mathre"The choir totally operates in Estonian. Luckily I think my musicianship is good enough that I can fall back on those skills even when I don't understand most of what the conductor says in rehearsals. When we start singing again, I can pick it up and improve on what we're doing. Sometimes I get what's happening based on context, and I'm also learning the language enough to pick up on what's going on."John William (or JW) Mathre is a full-time professional singer living in Tallinn, Estonia. Originally from Taylorsville, KY, he completed a dual emphasis Bachelor...
2023-06-0250 minChoir Fam PodcastEp. 51 - Sibling Choral Conductors: A Literal Choir Fam - John Parezo & Stephanie Schumacher"I had already taught about a third of the students that we had at the opening of the school. We were able to hit the ground running. We spent a lot of time getting to know each other and team building. We built our own culture and have decided what we want to be." - John Parezo"It's been a really cool experience for me to teach elementary students for the first time. What's still blowing my mind every week is how musical and tuneful and brilliant these little people really are and how quickly they soak...
2023-05-2652 minChoir Fam PodcastMinisode Intro Part 2 - Share Your Story with the Choir FamWe want to hear from you! We'd love all our listeners to answer our Season 2 lightning-round questions for us to share with our audience. We are looking forward to getting to know you better.Email choirfampodcast@gmail.com with the following info:Subject Line: Choir Fam MinisodeFirst and last name, pronouns optionalCity and state you live inSchool where you teach or study, choral organization you work with, etc.Answer any and all of our lightning round questions: a. When you were in high school, who was your favorite musical artist? b. If you...
2023-05-2303 minChoir Fam PodcastSeason 2 Wrap-UpThank you for listening to our show this season!!Here are the favorite choral pieces from our guests in the second season:Even When He Is Silent, Kim André ArnesenSt. Matthew Passion, Johann Sebastian BachChichester Psalms, Leonard BernsteinPrayer of the Children, Kurt Bestor, arr. Andrea KlouseAve Maria, Franz Biebl (x2)Ein Deutsches Requiem, Johannes BrahmsGeistliches Lied, Johannes BrahmsHymn to St. Cecilia, Benjamin BrittenPamugun, Francisco FelicianoFlight, Matthew Lyon HazardNunc Dimittis, Gustav HolstLittle Child, Robert K...
2023-05-2119 minChoir Fam PodcastMinisode 2 - Dan Walls, Christina FangmanChoir Fam Minisode 2 includes Lightning Round answers from two of our Choir Fam listeners:Dan WallsRockford, IllinoisChoir teacher at Boylan Catholic High School in Rockford, IllinoisChristina FangmanPasco, WashingtonMusic teacher at Amon Creek Elementary School in Kennewick, WashingtonWe want to hear from you! We'd love all our listeners to answer our Season 1 lightning-round questions for us to share with our audience. We are looking forward to getting to know you better.Email choirfampodcast@gmail.com
2023-05-1808 minChoir Fam PodcastEp. 50 - Bridging Cultural Gaps and Fostering Empathy - Reena Esmail"In choir we have a chance to learn to embody a different culture through its language. When you're singing pieces in another language, there's a moment where you have to feel that you speak that language if only for a few words, if only a few moments. I think that has the capacity to create a kind of empathy regardless of whether that's your culture or not. To embody it does create this empathy that I really believe in as a way to make our world a little closer for the right reasons."Indian-American composer ...
2023-05-1651 minChoir Fam PodcastEp. 49 - Redefining the Confines of Genre: Representation in Vocal Music - Adrian Dunn"My goal as an artist, conductor, and thought leader is to make sure that we always start with 'why are we singing? Are we picking these pieces because people are telling us that we should, because they’ve been prescribed by lists? Are we picking these pieces because these are culturally relevant topics for the people who are part of our communities of singing? Why are we doing it?' Sometimes we should ask, 'Why are we still doing it?'" Adrian Dunn is a critically acclaimed singer, composer, and conductor. Mr. Dunn holds a Ba...
2023-05-0148 minChoir Fam PodcastEp. 48 - Fostering Connection Through Choral Music - Reginal Wright"The middle school was a three-story building. At the bottom were all of the 'rough' kids. There was a second floor that was moderate. All the kids who had resources had their classes on the third floor. I'm teaching choir down in the bottom where there's a fight every 90 seconds. Over the course of my five years there we ended up through the choir program merging the entire school from top to bottom. It was one of the most memorable, rewarding experiences of my entire life."Reginal Wright was born in Henderson, Texas. His life...
2023-04-2145 minChoir Fam PodcastEp. 47 - Exploring Multiple Avenues to Musical Fulfillment - Anthony Maglione"I try to be flexible with the way I write for people. For me it's a service when I get commissions, so I want to be able to serve the community that I'm working with in the same way that I would tailor a lesson to my classes depending on what the students need. I would do the same for what an organization needs with composition." Conductor/Composer/Producer Anthony J. Maglione is a graduate of Westminster Choir College of Rider University, East Carolina University, and the University of California, Los Angeles. He is the...
2023-04-1145 minChoir Fam PodcastEp. 46 - Building a Support System in the Choral Community - Matthew Gardner & Taylor Stricklin"I first spend time building trust between me and then ensemble and then having them build trust within the ensemble. If they don't trust me, we won't be able to do a particular level or type of music. We spend so much time learning to work together." - Matthew Gardner"I entered my teaching career with all these ideals about teaching choral music, but what if they don't receive those ideals? There's a certain truth of listening to where your students are in the moment that you're there and then gaining the trust to be able to...
2023-04-0358 minChoir Fam PodcastEp. 45 - Delivering Hope Through Choral Outreach - Amanda Weber"That was the beginning of me working with a homeless women's choir. As someone who grew up doing music my whole life, it was just part of my DNA. This broke open everything I had ever thought or experienced about music, and it gave me some really new opportunities and new ways to look at the power and purpose of singing. For the people I was working with, it was part of what would get them through a day or week, and that was really powerful." Amanda Weber currently serves as Director of Worship and t...
2023-03-2351 minChoir Fam PodcastEp. 44 - Utilizing Social Media to Get More People Singing - Beth Philemon"If people are taking pictures with their phones and having them in their hands all the time, why are we not leveraging these to talk about choral music? I am so tired of us being afraid of what people are going to say. Share what you're doing! Look at what your athletic programs are doing. Sports teams are sharing their losses. It's choir: 95% of the time, we don't lose. You can't lose!"Beth Philemon is a choir teacher, business owner, product manager, dog-owner, gluten-free-pizza-obsessed traveler and lover of all things beautiful and ugly. A national...
2023-03-1357 minChoir Fam PodcastEp. 43 - Finding Your Window to Seize Opportunity - John Dickson"It gave me some amazing opportunities, just that one phone call, that one chance. For my grad students, that's one of the things that I really try to model and mentor and teach them: you can be a fantastic musician, but if you aren't one that seizes the moment or takes the initiative, it makes a difference."John Dickson is Professor Emeritus and former Director of Choral Studies at Louisiana State University’s School of Music. Holding the School of Music’s first Chair as the Edward G. and Catherine M. Galante Chair for Choral Music...
2023-03-0249 minChoir Fam PodcastEp. 42 - A Quick Start Guide to Choral Singing - Matt Bumbach and Dean Luethi"I call it 'choral confession.' They come up to you and tell you their history with choir: 'I don't read sheet music.' 'I'm not a soloist.' These are wonderful capable singers, musically creative individuals that love what they do and contribute so much. My hope is that a book like this can give them the confidence to look at themselves and say 'I'm not just the blending voice that maybe my seventh grade choir teacher told me I am. I'm a contributor."Matthew Bumbach is a sought-after conductor, composer, adjudicator, and clinician...
2023-02-2149 minChoir Fam PodcastEp. 41 - Creating Spaces of Safety and Belonging - Erin Guinup"It is important for our members to be seen in spaces that they've traditionally not been welcome to. When you feel that you belong in a space, it changes something inside of you... You learn to use your voice by singing, and then you have the confidence to go use it in ways that dramatically impact your life and the lives of others."Erin Guinup’s pursuit of creative, uplifting, and service-oriented work is the driving force behind her varied career. She is the founding Executive and Artistic Director of the Tacoma Refugee Choir which ha...
2023-02-0650 minChoir Fam PodcastEp. 40 - Deep Listening in the Choral Rehearsal - Jo-Michael Scheibe"It's not about only 'what do you hear,' it's about how you hear. What is the color of the sound you hear? What do you hear in the vocal mechanism? What are some of the things that they are doing that maybe are reflected in my conducting? Is my conducting reflective of the music? Is my conducting causing the issues?"Jo-Michael Scheibe, a Southern California native, has spent years cultivating his passion for choral music and higher education. Mike, currently retired, recently chaired the Thornton School of Music’s Department of Choral and Sacred Mu...
2023-01-3059 minChoir Fam PodcastEp. 39 - Brain Breaks and Focus Games for Middle-Level Students - Alana Scott"The feeling that I got from being part of a good, and solid and warm choir culture was a big one for me. The feeling of being the person that has a hand in creating that space for somebody else and also sharing my love for music in the same breath just really appealed to me. I never saw myself going for anything else, really, except for music ed."Alana Scott is a fervent curator of sounds, committed to sharing rich stories through the crafts of education, composition and songwriting. The Louisiana-native educator/musician treats...
2023-01-2352 minChoir Fam PodcastEp. 38 - Publishing Considerations for the Aspiring Composer - Reginald Unterseher"I was in this limbo place, and I took a church job and a community chorus job. [I thought,] 'I need a piece that does this thing, and I can't find one, so I might as well just write it.' I discovered that I really liked it. It became central to me fairly quickly. Writing has always been a fairly need-driven activity rather than something that I just did off the top of my head."Reginald Unterseher is Music Director and Composer-in-Residence at Shalom United Church of Christ, Richland, Washington. His works are published...
2023-01-1744 minChoir Fam PodcastEp. 37 - Grace and Grit in the Choral Classroom - Coty Raven Morris"As someone who moves at a million miles per hour, choir -- music -- is the one thing that does make time stop for me. I knew that I needed to be in the arts. I have to be a teacher, I have to be a conductor, so that I can live in this endless moment that is quite finite but feels like infinity. I want to live in this forever."Coty Raven Morris is a proud alumnus of Texas State University- San Marcos where she studied with Drs. Lynn Brinckmeyer, Jonathan Bacock, and Joey M...
2023-01-1147 minChoir Fam PodcastEp. 36 - Conducting and Composition Commingled - Skip Stradtman"As a realist, it's hard for me to be a dreamer, but I think when you're creative, you have to be. You have to find those ways to surround yourself with people who speak opportunity into your life. That's something that I'm really focusing on: how to find a neat path forward that isn't necessarily set in stone."Skip Stradtman is a choral composer and arranger based out of Tuscaloosa, AL. He is pursuing a DMA in music composition at the University of Alabama, where he serves as graduate assistant for the University Singers. He...
2023-01-0345 minChoir Fam PodcastEp. 35 - Unlocking Creativity Through Collaboration - Jocelyn Hagen & Timothy Takach"I'm an only child. I grew up in rural North Dakota in the country, and I spent a lot of time by myself and at the piano bench and in my own head. I hold my ideas very close to the chest. I don't let them out until I'm pretty sure I know what they're going to be. Learning to collaborate was something I actively had to go after and figure out." - Jocelyn HagenJocelyn Hagen composes music that has been described as “simply magical” (Fanfare Magazine) and “dramatic and deeply moving” (Star Tribune, Minneapo...
2022-12-2233 minChoir Fam PodcastEp. 34 - Breaking Boundaries in Choral Composition - Jocelyn Hagen & Timothy Takach"A lot of our projects and our pieces seek to empower people and to bring stories to the surface that don't always get told. We have a literal stage to put these ideas forth, and we're able to ask our audiences for a little more out of them." - Timothy TakachJocelyn Hagen composes music that has been described as “simply magical” (Fanfare Magazine) and “dramatic and deeply moving” (Star Tribune, Minneapolis/St. Paul). She is a pioneer in the field of composition, pushing the expectations of musicians and audiences with large-scale multimedia works, electro-acoustic music, d...
2022-12-1539 minChoir Fam PodcastHoliday Special with Hosts Dean Luethi and Matthew MyersOn the Choir Fam Holiday Special, Dean and Matt discuss making music during the busy holiday season and also look back on some favorite winter memories from their childhoods. We wish all our listeners a happy holiday season! We hope you all can enjoy some rest and relaxation as your semesters wind down.Choir Fam wants to hear from you! Check out the Minisode Intro episode to hear how to share your story with us. Email choirfampodcast@gmail.com to contact our hosts.Podcast music from Podcast.coPhoto in episode artwork by Trace...
2022-12-0837 minChoir Fam PodcastEp. 33 - Situating Community at the Center of Artistry - Alysia Lee"We’ve found other ways to make music by centering on the creative process and composition – collective composition in particular. Bringing young people together to meet across difference and to put music at the center as a tool for them to engage in dialogue has just been greater than I could have imagined."Alysia Lee receives national recognition for advancing access, equity, and decolonization with leaders, organizations, and communities. Her methods center on youth, anti-racism, creativity, and justice.Alysia is the inaugural President of the Baltimore Children & Youth Fund, the bold hyperlocal grantmaker stewarding public fund...
2022-11-3042 minChoir Fam PodcastEp. 32 - Activating Artistry Through Administrative Excellence - Robyn Hilger"The skill set of the executive director is actually the activation of knowledge in the organization rather than the specialization of the knowledge itself. I’m better served in clearing the road so that the artistry can come through. The outcome of that is really exceptional experiences for students and their teachers."Robyn Hilger is beginning her second year as executive director of the American Choral Directors Association. A native Oklahoman, Hilger is a classically trained clarinetist. She graduated with high honors in 1999 from Oklahoma City University with a bachelor’s degree in instrumental music education. She earn...
2022-11-2152 minChoir Fam PodcastMinisode 1 - Jessica Koenig, Kayla Mommsen, Ben Morgan, James RodrigueChoir Fam Minisode 1 includes Lightning Round answers from four of our Choir Fam listeners:Jessica KoenigRockford, IllinoisChoir and piano lab teacher at Harlem Middle SchoolKayla MommsenPullman, WashingtonChoral music education student at Washington State UniversityJames RodrigueBaton Rouge, LouisianaChoral conducting graduate student at Louisiana State University and co-founder of Opus Vocal Ensemble in New Orleans, LouisianaBen MorganHouston, TexasAssistant Choir Director at Porter High School...
2022-11-1410 minChoir Fam PodcastEp. 31 - Mitigating Burnout Through Time Management - Ben Hawkinson"It's really easy for a teacher to work 80, 90, 100 hours a week. What does that do to a person? When I'm exhausted, I'm a less effective communicator. I am less prepared to deal with the emotional challenges of the classroom. I am less likely to give grace when I'm tired. Giving 100% of yourself is not an effective educational strategy. You can't give everything."Benjamin Hawkinson is Director of Choral Activities and Assistant Professor of Music at Millikin University. There he conducts numerous ensembles including the University Choir, the True Blue Chorale (TB) and Millikin's premier vocal jazz ensemble...
2022-11-0343 minChoir Fam PodcastEp. 30 - Delving Deeper with Comprehensive Musicianship - Colleen McNickle"When I was teaching high school, I really wanted to do some comprehensive and interdisciplinary lessons and didn't have the time to do that for all of my music. Now I have some time to do that research. Inspired Choir is a place that I get to share well-researched information on individual pieces of music."Dr. Colleen McNickle is Assistant Professor of Music Education at Arkansas State University, where she teaches undergraduate and graduate music education courses and conducts Scarlet Voices and the Singing Statesmen. With a PhD in Music Education and Choral Cognate from Michigan State...
2022-10-2649 minChoir Fam PodcastEp. 29 - Making Connections Through International Cultural Exchange - John Warren"The International Conductors Exchange Program was a profound experience. What was unique was the chance to work with Cuban choirs, not just take an American choir and perform in a spectacular setting. It really is a life-changing cultural exchange. There's nothing like international travel to broaden your horizons."John F. Warren is Professor of Music and Director of Choral Activities at Syracuse University, where he conducts choirs, and teaches both graduate and undergraduate courses in conducting, choral literature, and rehearsal techniques.During his fifteen-year tenure, Syracuse choirs have performed at two state and three Eastern...
2022-10-1752 minChoir Fam PodcastEp. 28 - Engaging the Choir with Kinesthetic Learning - Reed Criddle"If you can give students really clear directions about what they're doing with their bodies at all times, then their minds are much more likely to be focused. By the end of the rehearsal, there's all this energy. That comes if you're able to grab their attention and have everyone participate in a visual and kinesthetic way."Dr. Reed Criddle is Director of Choral Activities at Utah Valley University, where he conducts the Chamber Choir and Men's Choir and teaches conducting and voice. In recognition of his innovative pedagogy and professional work as a composer and conductor...
2022-10-0355 minChoir Fam PodcastEp. 27 - Meeting Your Students Where They Are - Jacob Funk"One of my opportunities here at this school is to be able to do ‘harder’ music while still honoring our mission of being for the community. I have people who don’t read music. I have people who have never been in a choir before in their lives. But everybody should sing, so come on in here, and let’s do the best we can."Dr. Jacob Funk is director of choirs at Clark College in Vancouver, Washington. He came to Clark from the University of Missouri—Kansas City where he completed his Doctor of Musical Arts degree in...
2022-09-2643 minChoir Fam PodcastEp. 26 - Honoring Folk Tradition Through Innovative Composition - Nilo Alcala"A lot of my choral works get inspiration from Philippine indigenous chants. We have 7000+ islands with different cultures and soundscapes, and that is itself is a very rich jump-off point for a new composition. I contact a tribe, interview them, ask permission to use a folk chant, and recompose it in a manner that is respectful of the original form of the chant but with something new added to it."Trailblazing composer and artist Nilo Alcala is carving a legacy for Philippine Arts internationally. He is the first Philippine-born composer to receive the COPLAND HOUSE Residency Award (2017...
2022-09-1942 minChoir Fam PodcastMinisode Intro - Share Your Story with the Choir FamWe want to hear from you! We'd love all our listeners to answer our Season 1 lightning-round questions for us to share with our audience. We are looking forward to getting to know you better.Email choirfampodcast@gmail.com with the following info:Subject Line: Choir Fam MinisodeFirst and last name, pronouns optionalCity and state you live inSchool where you teach or study, choral organization you work with, etc.Answer any and all of our lightning round questions: a. Do you have a favorite flavor of ice cream? b. What is your favorite guil...
2022-09-1604 minChoir Fam PodcastSeason 1 Wrap-UpThank you for listening to our show this season!!Here are the favorite choral pieces from our guests in the first season: Even When He Is Silent, Kim André ArnesenThe Gift I Leave You, Kim André ArnesenBist du bei mir, J. S. BachDer Geist hilft unsrer Schwachheit auf, J. S. BachSt. Matthew Passion, J. S. BachWarrior, Kim BarylukChichester Psalms, Leonard BernsteinHymn to St. Cecilia, Benjamin BrittenWar Requiem, Benjamin BrittenIn the Beginning, Aaron Copland (x2)Ka Hu...
2022-09-1412 minChoir Fam PodcastEp. 25 - The Intersection of Gifted Education and Choral Music - Heath Weber"Smart kids are good thinkers. They don't like to make mistakes, but they're going to. So many of them are perfectionists, as are many musicians. The beauty is giving students a chance to explore, to fail, and try again - all the time figuring out what it means to be okay with being uncomfortable. Beautiful things come out of that vulnerability."Heath Weber is Dean of the School of Visual and Performing Arts at Morningside University. During his tenure at Morningside, he has served as Associate Dean for Performing Arts, Music Department Chair, Director of Choral Activities...
2022-09-1246 minChoir Fam PodcastEp. 24 - Vocal Technique from the Stage to the Choir Loft - Benjamin Sieverding"Being part of an ensemble taught me to look not just at my line but at all the music. The composer gives you so much information in the orchestra that you don't get from just the vocal line. That really informs your character. It allows me to be more fun and more creative if I can focus on being part of the whole at any given time."Bass Benjamin Sieverding of Minneapolis, MN has gained notice for his “resonant, expressive bass” (StarTribune). He most recently made his Metropolitan Opera debut as one of the Offstage Voic...
2022-09-0247 minChoir Fam PodcastEp. 23 - Choral Concepts for Rehearsal and Performance - Edith Copley"It's not about the notes. It's not about the rhythms. It's about connection. It's about getting a connection with each other, a connection to the conductor, and a connection to the music -- and discovering that it's a relationship with the music that will make a huge difference. I'm there as facilitator to make that happen."Dr. Edith A. Copley is regents professor emeritus at Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff, where she conducted the Shrine of the Ages Choir, Chamber Singers, and University Singers and taught undergraduate and graduate conducting, choral methods, and graduate choral literature. Her...
2022-08-2454 minChoir Fam PodcastEp. 22 - Leadership in Choral Music Education - Barbara Tappa"In mentoring a new teacher, I ask, 'How do we bring the music home to the students? Really, what is our job as music educators?' I believe my job as a music educator is to create better people. That's what I try to instill within my student teachers."Barbara Tappa just completed her 15th year at Ferris High School in Spokane, Washington, and her 23rd year of teaching overall. During her time at Ferris she led a comprehensive program with six choirs, including mixed choirs, treble choirs, a tenor/bass choir, show choir, and jazz choir...
2022-08-0841 minChoir Fam PodcastEp. 21 - Breaking Down Barriers: Choral Music and Social Change - Amanda Stevenson"My tunnel vision of choral music just exploded. I was able to learn so much about all these different cultures that were in my school and the music that represented them. That's where I really learned that students have to have some representation to make them feel that they're really part of this community."Amanda Stevenson is currently the 4th and 5th grade vocal music teacher at Titan Hill Intermediate School in Council Bluffs, Iowa. Recently, Ms. Stevenson was the Founding Artistic Director for the Omaha Children’s Choir - an organization she founded to provide all si...
2022-08-0154 minChoir Fam PodcastEp. 20 - Expanding the Canon to Expand Choirs' Reach - Matthew Bumbach"We all get this exposure to popular music as young children, and when we get to the academy, we're quickly taught that popular music is less worthy, less valuable. The idea that started to settle with me is that we don't tear down the choir model that we have, but we start to add to it and allow different avenues."Matthew Bumbach (he/him) is known for heartfelt choral programming that engages singers and audiences alike. He uses choral performance to develop the whole person and equips students with the tools to think deeply, create imaginatively, and...
2022-07-2547 minChoir Fam PodcastEp. 19 - From the Ground Up: Building Choral Excellence at a New Institution - Aubrey Dunham"Quality breeds quantity. If we establish really high expectations, people will be attracted to that, and they're going to want to be a part of it. I just led with some sort of blind enthusiasm that you can only have as a new teacher. I just wanted to go for it."Aubrey Dunham just completed her first year as choir director at South Salem High School in Salem, Oregon. At South, she directs 6 curricular ensembles and serves as the vocal music director for South’s musical productions. Previous to her time at South, Aubrey served as choral di...
2022-07-1151 minChoir Fam PodcastEp. 18 - Teaching Through Trauma: From Chaos to Community - Sara Bray"In the times that we are in, trying to reach students, encouraging them to be themselves, and giving them that safe space is so important. I've learned so much about how unwelcoming the world is for some of my students, and I like that they feel comfortable and safe in my classroom."Sara Bray is entering her seventh year as the choral director at St. Amant High School in Ascension Parish, Louisiana. She received her bachelor’s degree from the University of South Dakota and her master's degree in choral conducting from the University of North Dakota. Sa...
2022-06-2851 minChoir Fam PodcastEp. 17 - From Mentee to Mentor: Sharing Wisdom with the Next Generation of Teachers - Kimberly Barclay Ritzer"My elementary music teacher took a chance on me. She was the one who opened music up to me, and it was incredible. I've come from being the mentee to the mentor. I just want to pass on that information and let people feel what I felt as a young student."Kimberly Barclay Ritzer is in her 31st year as director of the Green Valley High School Choirs in Henderson, Nevada, opening the school in 1991. She is in her 32nd year as a teacher for the Clark County School District. She is a 1990 graduate of UNLV where...
2022-06-2244 min
The Beth and Kelly Show: Music Teaching (and Life)The Beth and Kelly Show Episode Twenty: Ruth Boden & Dean LuethiToday’s show features “music ed power couple” Ruth Boden (low strings specialist) and Dean Luethi (choral specialist) — 2 amazing music faculty members at Washington State University! We dig in to the life-changing aspects (for our students) of participation in music and the flip-side of the coin: navigating the gauntlet of time-honored structures in music ed that have shown (especially in this era touched by COVID) to sometimes cater to only the super-served, and sometimes even extinguish the deeply personal joy that we as educators KNOW our students can attain.
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2022-06-021h 09Choir Fam PodcastEp. 16 - Poetic Imagery and the Choral Arts - Dale Trumbore"The text is so crucial to my process. I try and derive every little detail -- rhythm and harmony and melody and the overall mood and tone and textures and timbres of the piece -- from the text itself. The text is really at the heart of everything I do."Dale Trumbore is a Los Angeles-based composer and writer whose music has been called "devastatingly beautiful" (The Washington Post) and praised for its "soaring melodies and beguiling harmonies deployed with finesse" (The New York Times). Trumbore's compositions have been performed widely in the U.S. and internationally...
2022-05-3052 minChoir Fam PodcastEp. 15 - Diagnosing and Recovering from Vocal Injury - Aubrey Nelson"Receiving the news that I would need to have vocal cord surgery was really hard. I love teaching and singing. I need my voice for both of those things that are literally my entire life. I'm extremely grateful for my ENT, and her expertise helped me feel comfortable and eased my fears."Aubrey Nelson is active as a music educator, singer, and flutist in the Houston, TX area. She is a high school choir director and AP Music Theory teacher in Cypress-Fairbanks Independent School District, and will soon begin her fifth year as a public school music...
2022-05-2355 minChoir Fam PodcastEp. 14 - Championing Social Justice and Bringing Voices to the Table - Angelica Brooks"Through breaking down stereotypes and saying 'this is who I am'...my students in turn would be their authentic selves and break down some of their own stereotypes about how they're supposed to sound... and be more open to the journey of being creative through choral music."Angelica Brooks is an acclaimed choral director and music educator. With a passion for excellence in music and education, Mrs. Brooks’ résumé exhibits service, equity, and drive. She has taught at all levels and served various student populations. Angelica Brooks was recently the Director of Choral Activities at Bowie High...
2022-05-1750 minChoir Fam PodcastEp. 13 - Identity and Self-Discovery in Choral Education - Raul Dominguez"Education is an opportunity for self-reflection, a beautiful time to look inwards and ask 'Who am I? Why am I here? Do I really want to be here?' Those answers for me have been, 'yes, I really want to do this. I want to effect change in this world in a positive way.'"Dr. Raul Dominguez was recently accepted as a Fellow for the Cleveland Institute of Music's inaugural Future of Music Faculty Fellowship, sponsored by the Sphinx Organization. He is also the founder of the Choral Conductors Colloquium which provides its 900+ subscribers with opportunities...
2022-05-0343 minChoir Fam PodcastEp. 12 - Reducing Tension to Conduct with Ease - Angelica Dunsavage"I came to Alexander Technique trying to see if there was a way that I could experience less pain when I conduct. Over time, I retaught myself. It's not a quick process, because nothing about Alexander Technique is a quick fix, but I do experience less pain."Dr. Angelica Dunsavage serves as Assistant Professor of Music and Director of Choral Activities at Tennessee State University, where she conducts the TSU University Choir and the Meistersingers. Prior to her appointment at TSU, Dr. Dunsavage taught music education and choral/vocal classes at Washington State University. Dr. Dunsavage received...
2022-04-2452 minChoir Fam PodcastEp. 11 - Rebuilding a Culture of Singing - Amanda Sprague Hanzlik"Let's celebrate the choral art form in all of its varieties. What you do does not have to look like everyone else. Your choir and your community are going to look and feel and sound very different than other communities."Amanda Hanzlik is the Director of Choral Activities at Edwin O. Smith High School in Storrs, Connecticut. She currently serves as Immediate Past-President of the Connecticut Chapter of The American Choral Directors Association (ACDA) and was a Semifinalist for the 2021 GRAMMY Music Educator Award. Mrs. Hanzlik is co-chair of the Connecticut CMEA High School All-State Choirs and i...
2022-04-1854 minChoir Fam PodcastEp. 10 - Cultivating Choral Music on an International Scale - Melanie Brink"A retreat sets the tone, sets the table, but throughout the year, whether it's a little sprinkle of a community-building activity, an exercise that is reflective, or a revisit to something that they did at the retreat, that's even more important. The retreat is just the first step... then we maintain that culture in our ensembles."Melanie Brink grew up and began her career in South Dakota, U.S.A. prior to teaching abroad. Her undergraduate degree in vocal music is from Augustana University and she holds a Master's in Educational Leadership from Southwest Minnesota University.
2022-04-0449 minChoir Fam PodcastEp. 9 - Building Choral Tone Through Voice Matching - John Stafford"I'm really into using music to teach culture and life lessons... It's like cuisine. With different tastes come different etiquettes. It's the same thing with music. You want to show respect for how the music was written and try to have it sound that way."John Stafford II is the Associate Professor of Music, Director of Choral Activities, and Co-Coordinator of the Music Department at Kansas City Kansas Community College (KCKCC). Professor Stafford was a 2015 recipient of the John & Suanne Roueche Excellence Award for outstanding teaching and leadership at the community college level. Also, Stafford was the...
2022-03-2855 minChoir Fam PodcastEp. 8 - Treasuring Singers' Humanity and Finding Flow - Jace Saplan"In the context of talking about the value of choral music, are you acknowledging the identity of the person in front of you? Does the beauty of what we do require components of strict uniformity in which that person has to forget themselves, or does it speak to an amplification of self?"Dr. Jace Kaholokula Saplan serves as the Director of Choral Activities and Assistant Professor of Music at the University of Hawai’i at Mānoa. Dr. Saplan teaches courses in undergraduate and graduate choral conducting and pedagogy, conducts the Concert Choir and the University of Haw...
2022-03-2347 minChoir Fam PodcastEp. 7 - Finding Your People in the Choral Community - Katherine Rosenfeld"Working with different people on the podium has given me a lot of skills I can take back to my classroom. It's just a matter of reaching out. If you have one connection, you have 25. If you have 25, you have 1000."Katherine Rosenfeld graduated from Northern Arizona University in 2019 with a degree in choral music education. Her time at NAU was marked by leadership roles including serving as the President for both the NAU chapter of the American Choral Directors Association and the Shrine of the Ages Choir. Rosenfeld grew up in Arizona and is an alumna of...
2022-03-0736 minChoir Fam PodcastEp. 6 - Choral Magnetism: The Undeniable Urge to Make Music - Coreen Duffy"One of the real benefits from being away from music is that you really appreciate it more. I understand what it's like to live without that opportunity to make music. Now I'm immersed in what I always wanted to do."Coreen Duffy is director of choral activities at the University of Montana School of Music, where she conducts Chamber Chorale and University Choir, teaches conducting, choral methods, and supervises student teachers. Under her direction, the UM Chamber Chorale has earned invitations to perform at the NW American Choral Directors Association (ACDA) Conference in 2022, as well as from...
2022-02-2853 minChoir Fam PodcastEp. 5 - Reexamining Ensemble Hierarchies - Dominique Petite"I have a strong connection with treble ensembles because of our shared experiences. It feels safer to make a mistake. I feel I can take more risks with them."Dr. Dominique Petite serves the faculty of Ohio University as Visiting Assistant Professor of Choral Music Education. Prior to her appointment at Ohio, while pursuing her doctorate at Louisiana State University, she directed choirs (both mixed and treble ensembles), coached undergraduate conducting, and taught Music Theory for Non-Majors. Her research interests include rehearsal pedagogy, fostering musicianship in ensemble settings, mentorship across the teaching continuum, and utilizing energetics in...
2022-02-2149 minChoir Fam PodcastEp. 4 - Flexibility: From Tone Color to Teaching Mode - Courtney Evans"Whether you're looking to be a teacher or a vocal performer, to be marketable, you have to be able to do more than one thing. Healthy singing is healthy singing regardless of the genre."Courtney Evans is in her third year as choir director at Marcos de Niza High School in Tempe, Arizona, where she directs four choral ensembles and serves as the faculty advisor for students in the Vocal Performance and Musical Theatre pathways in the Marcos Fine Arts Academy. In 2019, Courtney was recognized as Future Choral Educator of the Year by Arizona Choral Educators and...
2022-02-0748 minChoir Fam PodcastEp. 3 - Advocating for Music Education on the National Stage - Lynn Brinckmeyer"People at all levels can be advocates for music education. It's telling stories. It's educating people that don't have the same experiences that we do." Dr. Lynn M. Brinckmeyer is Professor of Music, Associate Dean of the College of Fine Arts and Communication and Director of Choral Music Education at Texas State University. During 2006-2008 she served as President for The National Association for Music Education (formerly MENC). Other past offices include: President for the Northwest Division of MENC, Music Educators Journal Editorial Board, and Washington Music Educators Association General Music Curriculum Chair. In addition to chairing t...
2022-01-3142 minChoir Fam PodcastEp. 2 - We Always Find Our Way Back Home - Dean Luethi"There was a line of places where doors just opened up, and I went through. I believe I'm meant to be here... The challenges you're provided will prepare you for what's to come in your future."Dr. Dean Luethi serves as the Director of the School of Music, Director of Choral Activities, and Associate Professor at Washington State University. He received his BM in Vocal Music Education from the University of Wisconsin – Green Bay, his MM in Choral Conducting from the University of South Florida in Tampa, and his DMA in Choral Music from the University of Il...
2022-01-241h 07Choir Fam PodcastEp. 1 - Making a Mark in Times of Transition - Matthew Myers"I will always be able to pivot from now on. There will always be Plan B and C in my head… I learned a lot of flexibility in that COVID year of teaching."Dr. Matthew Myers serves as assistant professor of choral music education at WSU. He conducts the University Singers and Treble Choir and teaches courses in music education methods, conducting, and voice. He earned his DMA in choral conducting at Louisiana State University, his master’s degree in choral conducting from Northern Arizona University, and his bachelor’s degree in vocal performance and music education from L...
2022-01-1751 min