Shows / Choir Fam Podcast
Choir Fam Podcast
The Choir Fam Podcast is a venue for conversations about the current state of choral music. Hosts Dean Luethi and Matthew Myers seek to bring the worldwide choral community closer together through their discussions with a variety of guests who work with choir in its various forms. The goal of the podcast is to provide listeners with interesting tidbits of knowledge they could use in day-to-day choral rehearsals and to bring light to the ways that issues in the choral field are being observed…
Episodes
- Choir Fam Podcast
Ep. 112 - Building Cultural Empathy Through International Travel - Emily Ellsworth
“People may live in a place that's very different from us, but they have the same hopes, dreams, fears, and struggles with everyday life that we all do at some…
- Choir Fam Podcast
Ep. 111 - Saying "Yes" to New Opportunities - Jessica Koenig
“A big part of being a musician is believing in yourself and saying ‘yes’ to the little opportunities that come your way. Sometimes we can get down on…
- Choir Fam Podcast
Ep. 110 - Flourishing and Growing Amidst Life's Surprises - Julie Yu
“In science, they're not tied to an outcome. They're open to the possibilities of what is going to result from an experiment. How freeing is that – not to be…
- Choir Fam Podcast
Ep. 109 - Growing and Thriving in the First Years of Teaching - Ross Cawthon
“Your first year is not going to be perfect. You're not going to feel like you're having a lot of success a lot of the time because you're figuring out how to…
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Ep. 108 - Adapting the Voice for Solo and Ensemble Singing - Alisa Toy
“Going back for a master’s was exhilarating. So many of the things that I had been doing in my studio were corroborated with education. On the flip side, I had…
- Choir Fam Podcast
Ep. 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…
- Choir Fam Podcast
Ep. 106 - Building Bridges Between Singers and the Music - Luke McEndarfer
“You have to create the bridge between the instructor and the student. Talk about your passion about the music, why you're performing it, why the piece is so…
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Ep. 105 - Advocating for the Study of Music Written by Women - Alan Davis
“I said, ‘I really wish a book existed with more women composers in it’... This book is so important in 2024 with equality and inclusivity being at the…
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Ep. 104 - Musical Experiences to Feed the Spirit - Pearl Shangkuan
"I have always been very intentional about my programming. My students sit in front of me, they're 18 to 22 years old, but I would have programmed for their…
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Ep. 103 - Developing Choral Tone Through Community Building - Joel Tranquilla
“I don't have a sound that I'm trying to make the choir fit into. I'm trying to understand and uncover the palette of sounds that are in front of me and then…
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Ep. 102 - Breaking Barriers for Women-Identifying Conductors - Coreen Duffy
“Historically, in higher education and in music in general, it was a male-dominated podium expectation. When we step on the podium as women-identifying…
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Ep. 101 - Developing Listening Skills and Fostering Empathy Through Singing - Ethan Sperry
“When people talk about what skills kids are lacking in America these days, two of the skills that come up a lot are the ability to listen to each other and…
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Season 4 Wrap-Up
Thank you for listening to our show this season!! Here are the favorite choral pieces from our guests in the fourth season: St. John Passion, Johann Sebastian…
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Ep. 100 - Strengthening the Bond Between Composers and Choristers - Sarah Quartel
“For me, choral music is all about the people. I write for the choristers. I've gone through that phase in my life where I've written only for myself, where I…
- Choir Fam Podcast
Ep. 99 - Exploring Passion and Expression Through Gospel Music - Trey McLaughlin
“No one cared about my accolades coming in as a freshman. It’s not enough just to be good, because everyone is good. It forced me not to ride on my natural…
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Ep. 98 - Growing the Choral Community Through International Collaboration - Ken Steven
“In Indonesia, choral singing has just been really popular recently, maybe around ten years. It has become a lifestyle. Everyone wants to be part of a choir…
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Ep. 97 - Growing Cross-Cultural Appreciation Through Choral Music - Michael Barrett
“As choral conductors, we're first and foremost educators, and we have to realize that we have to come with compassion in everything that we do when we listen…
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Ep. 96 - Building the Culture of Choral Music in Your Community - David Fryling
Dr. David Fryling is director of choral activities at Hofstra University, where he conducts both the select Hofstra Chorale and Hofstra Chamber Choir and…
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Ep. 95 - Improvisation and Community from the Folk-Acoustic Tradition - Lissa Schneckenburger
“A lot of what I end up teaching with regards to all of music, but certainly improvisation, has to do with becoming comfortable. You can do all kinds of…
- Choir Fam Podcast
Ep. 94 - Encouraging Musical Ownership for Middle School Singers - Karla McClain
“That's my job: to take the foundation of what they have – love of singing and basic vocal technique – and then just refine it, to challenge them to start…
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Ep. 93 - Cultivating Confidence for Elementary Singers - Bethany Main
“My goal is that no child will leave my classroom thinking they can't sing. If I have a coworker say, ‘I can't sing,’ I'm like, ‘no, no. First, give me 15…
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Ep. 92 - Developing Independent Musicianship in Choral and Instrumental Ensembles - Will Gunn
“I wanted to get kids to work more collaboratively. We say we’re a collaborative group, but the conductor is behind the piano teaching the choir parts rather…
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Ep. 91 - Building Artistic Versatility Through Contemporary A Cappella - J.D. Frizzell
“At the end of that first year, I did a pops concert. I developed the formula that I use now, which is to make it sound a lot like the actual songs. You give a…
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Ep. 90 - Reinvigorating Historic Music with Modern Creativity - Robert Hollingworth
“Uniformity is a two-edged sword, isn't it? Within a choir you need uniformity or you're not going to get a good blend, but within that uniformity, I want as…
- Choir Fam Podcast
Ep. 89 - Creating Choral Camaraderie on a Global Level - T. J. Harper
“The folks who I think are really doing incredible work around the world, not just for one festival or for one tour, but for decades, are the folks who are…
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Ep. 88 - Prioritizing Representation in Choral Music - Matthew Chi Lee
“I haven’t moved exclusively to doing multicultural music in our classroom, but I have done a lot of music that has a positive message that they can relate to…
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Ep. 87 - Sharing Stories to Stir the Soul - Tim Seelig
“From my first ACDA in 1991 to ACDA now: complete reversal. People are not afraid to perform something that moves the soul, and in 1991 nobody did it. Now…
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Ep. 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…
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Ep. 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…
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Ep. 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…
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Ep. 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…
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Ep. 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…
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Ep. 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…
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Ep. 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…
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Ep. 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…
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Ep. 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…
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Ep. 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…
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Season 3 Wrap-Up
Thank you for listening to our show this season!! Here are the favorite choral pieces from our guests in the third season: Sommerpsalm, Waldemar Åhlén…
- Choir Fam Podcast
Minisode 3 - Stephen Salamunovich, Anneliese Zook
Choir Fam Minisode 3 includes Lightning Round answers from two of our Choir Fam listeners: Stephen Salamunovich Renton, Washington Anneliese Zook Garfield…
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Minisode Intro Part 3 - Share Your Story with the Choir Fam
We 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…
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Ep. 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…
- Choir Fam Podcast
Ep. 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…
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Ep. 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…
- Choir Fam Podcast
Ep. 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…
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Ep. 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…
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Ep. 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…
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Ep. 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…
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Ep. 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…
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Ep. 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…
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Ep. 67 - Promoting Healthy Singing in All Styles - Ryan Holder
Ryan W. Holder is currently in his eighteenth year as the Associate Director of Choral Studies at Northern Arizona University (Flagstaff, AZ), where he directs…
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Ep. 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…
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Ep. 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…
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Ep. 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…
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Ep. 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…
- Choir Fam Podcast
Ep. 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…
- Choir Fam Podcast
Ep. 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…
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Ep. 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…
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Ep. 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…
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Ep. 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…
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Ep. 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…