This was originally published on the Embro Thistle Singers' blog.  I was reading an article posted to Facebook the other day.  Esa-Pekka Salonen became a conductor when he filled in for an absent colleague.     In the following short video, you can pick up on both his talent and sense of humour.  Below is a summary of ... read more

This is originally published in the Embro Thistle Singers blog.    There was a very interesting article in the Telegraph U.K. talking about audience responses & behaviour during a concert.  Click here to ready the full article.  This is a different take on how audiences respond & what is acceptable.  I think there is... read more

(This post was orginally written for the Embro Thistle Singers blog.)   I think sometimes we get so focused on making the music as directors and singers, we forget that the people around us have "baggage" good and bad that we need to unpack before we can be a cohesive unit.Now, please don't get me wrong.  I don't mean that we need to ha... read more

It is fun and challenging to truly listen.  When you allow the sound you hear to connect with the brain, some interesting synapses are formed.  Whether you are listening to a recording, live performance or a conversation, using the energy to truly listen creates an experience that is unique and enervating.   I can tell you the skil... read more

This post was orginally found on our Embro Thistle Singers blog. I remember when we had Professional Development Days when I was teaching, the teachers would complain that they were more tired that day than from a whole day of teaching.  I had had the opportunity to study and do workshops on Listening, a Learned Skill.  I told them tha... read more

It was a very interesting discussion onChoralNet.  There was a choir concerned that they had a concert and only 17 people turned up. They asked for some input on how to do things differently so that they didn't have that happen again.There were some very great ideas and it really made me think about how and why people schedule their performanc... read more

Here you are reading a blog so you are all ready part of social media.  There are so many opportunities to be in touch with other musical people that we will try to sort those out. Twitter is an amazing way to connect with people all over the world.  It is fun because each message is 140 characters or less.  You can add p... read more

Of course, this very blog is a great tool and certainly, sharing other blogs has been an amazing learning curve for me. Many blog platforms such as Blogger are free and quite simple to use & set up.   1. TIME - You could of course spend your whole day keeping your social media feeds updated but that would be rather silly.  You... read more