CORONA CHOIR...what choral folks NEED to know with Fish the Choir Guy artwork

CORONA CHOIR...what choral folks NEED to know with Fish the Choir Guy

57 episodes - English - Latest episode: over 3 years ago -

Choirs warm up so they SING well. Choral Directors, Corona Choir is your daily warm up to LEAD well. Choristers, Parents of young Singers, Friends, Supporters and Audience Members of choral music, get ready to be informed and inspired. Join host Steve Fisher, or Fish the Choir Guy as his South African friends call him, at the juncture of Covid-19 and choir. Whether you're involved in a choir at a school or university, a community based program, a professional ensemble, or a place of worship, Corona Choir will help you survive, succeed and flourish as we endure together the ongoing pandemic. You'll hear from choral folks of all kinds, from all over the United States, and around the globe to tell us what we need to know. We'll learn from medical experts who can update and guide us so we can keep our choristers safe. Most importantly of all, we'll hear from Singers themselves, to know how they're feeling, so we can serve them better. If you join the Corona Choir email list, you will be automatically entered into a drawing to win an ALL EXPENSE PAID trip to the one place in the world that should be at the top of every person on the planet's bucket list - and especially choral folks...SOUTH AFRICA! To sign up, go to coronachoir.org.

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Episodes

PART 2 of Episode 50 with two-time Grammy Award winner Donald Nally of The Crossing

March 14, 2021 02:00 - 24 minutes - 16.9 MB

Be sure to listen to Part 1 before listening to this! Artwork for Part 2 by Steven Bradshaw. Visit www.stevenbradshawart.com.

PART 1 of Episode 50 with two-time Grammy Award winner Donald Nally of The Crossing

March 14, 2021 02:00 - 28 minutes - 19.8 MB

#50. If you're a choral nerd, get ready to nerd OUT. You're about to hang out withThe Crossing's two-time Grammy Award winner Donald Nally.  One of the remarkable things about Donald is that his immense talent does not stop him from being vulnerable.  In fact, I'm sure his openness and humility, along with his singular goal of choral honesty, are the reasons why he enjoys such success.  So give a listen and discover what professional endeavor Donald avoids because he says he's a disaster at ...

Mermaiding is a THING. What's THAT about? And what does it have to do with choral music?

February 09, 2021 11:00 - 1 hour - 42.1 MB

Not THAT much, so only give this a listen if you love mermaids or are obsessed with Ariel from The Little Mermaid, and want to explore the actual world of real life mermaiding.  Yes, it's really a THING. Of course, there are always - at most - six degrees of separation between any two people or topics.  In literature and music, mermaids have always been a popular subject.  In the Romantic period, composer Clara Shumman set German poet Heinrich Heine's  "Die Lorelei," to music as an art song....

The Long Run...building lasting relationships with our Singers and fellow Choirs

January 29, 2021 22:00 - 43 minutes - 29.8 MB

CORONA CHOIR is baaaaaaaack with both "Greatest Choir Director" and "Let the Choir Kid Talk". If you want great ideas on how to maintain and grow choral relationships, for what this episode's main guest thinks of as "the long run" - with not just your choir members but with the other choirs in which they sing - then this really fun episode is for you.  Steve Fisher has an engaging conversation with Frank Van Atta, Choir Director of Upper Choir ensembles at Germantown Friends School, along wi...

Exclusive conversation with "Colorado" aerosol study lead-researcher Dr. Jelena Srebric

November 21, 2020 02:00 - 39 minutes - 27 MB

#048.  If you still have questions around singing and the science of rehearsing and performing in person, this episode is for you! Don't miss this exclusive conversation with Dr. Jelena Srebric of the University of Maryland, one of two lead researchers on the main study that choral directors have relied upon since the pandemic began:  the International Coalition of Performing Arts Aerosol Study.  There's a lot of good news in this 3rd report, but vigilance and adhering to best practices is c...

Are choir directors allowed to be as tough as they need to be with their choristers today to make great music? Old school vs. warm and fuzzy with former Philadelphia Boys Choir star soloist Manny Carrera

November 16, 2020 13:00 - 52 minutes - 36.3 MB

#047.  Welcome to this first CORONA CHOIR episode recorded LIVE! You can view the video episode here.  If you ever wonder whether choir directors have gone soft, compared to when WE were choristers, this episode is for you!  In some ways the pandemic is just another challenge for our choristers.  It's not as if we didn't have things working against us during pre corona times when trying to make the music.  There will be  old and new challenges post corona times. The reality is Choir Director...

"Let the Choir Kid Talk" Part 2 with Pennsylvania Girlchoir member Audim

November 06, 2020 18:00 - 11 minutes - 8.26 MB

#046. Spoiler alert!  This is Part 2, the sequel to yesterday's cliff hanger episode (#045).  Find out Audim's decision when Steve told her that if she left the rehearsal for the upcoming world premier of The Little Dancer musical  in NYC to go to an undisclosed cheerleading practice, she would be cut from the show. (But first, be sure to listen to Part 1, episode #045.) And don't miss Audim express in her own words how important it is for young people to have music in their lives. Visit the...

"Let the Choir Kid Talk" Part 1 with Pennsylvania Girlchoir member Audim

November 05, 2020 16:00 - 12 minutes - 8.46 MB

#045. If you want to be reminded of the POWER of CHOIR in a person's life, this episode is for you.  Steve lets Audim, this week's Choir Kid of the week, TALK!  Audim is a 10th grader who has been a member of Commonwealth Youthchoirs (CY) since 2nd grade.   She started out in the Find Your Instrument!(FYI!)  program, CY's partnership with schools who don't have formal music offerings for their students.  Audim graduated from FYI! to CY's Pennsylvania Girlchoir, and never looked back.  She ha...

WED. 11-4: Ideas on where to tour with your choir next, how to plan your best, most inexpensive tour ever, and even how to tour right now with host Steve Fisher

November 04, 2020 15:00 - 14 minutes - 10.3 MB

#044. The pandemic WILL end and our choirs WILL tour again.  Steve's prediction is that, by this summer, it will be safe to tour - depending on your tolerance for calculated risk.  But you need to start planning now.  For those choirs who don't have a tradition of touring, maybe you should start one, as a carrot to get singers to return post pandemic. And here's a bold question. Why not plan your own concert tour?  That's right, no travel agents, no tour companies.   You CAN do it yourself a...

TUES. 11-3: When we put Choir Directors, including ourselves, in boxes & the need to build relationships with our Singers

November 03, 2020 17:00 - 12 minutes - 8.85 MB

#043. It's  "Greatest Director" Tuesday with a final conversation with Jenny Hutton and a shout out to the supremely awesome Dr. Donald Dumpson.  Dr. Dumpson comes up in one of Steve's "Confessions of a Choir Director."  Even when we're making real, significant, noble efforts to rid ourselves and our choral communities of internal, societal and/or institutional racism, bias can be present. The future Dr. Hutton and Steve talk about how we all tend to put choir directors in a box - including ...

MON. 11-2: When Corona is gone, CULTURAL APPROPRIATION concerns will remain. Let's reframe the aim: APPROPRIATENESS!

November 02, 2020 10:00 - 15 minutes - 10.5 MB

#042.  Veteran high school choir director and Temple University doctoral candidate Jenny Hutton and Steve take on cultural appropriation and the need to balance honoring the music without paralysis by analysis.  Jenny talks about her opportunity to work with the fabulous Rollo Dilworth and his approach to the subject.  Jenny cites a specific challenge she faced with an Aruban harvest piece and how she handled it.  What a music educator!  Visit the SHOW NOTES for links related to this episode...

FRI. 10-30: When a boy in your boychoir says he can't sing a "boy" songs because he's not identifying as a boy today with doctoral candidate Jenny Hutton

October 30, 2020 17:00 - 15 minutes - 10.5 MB

#041.  Veteran high school choir director and Temple University doctoral candidate Jenny Hutton and Steve pick up where Micah and Steve left off in dialoging about challenges in choral communities around gender.  We tend to think of gender issues as being solely trans issues. But there is a spectrum.  CORONA CHOIR's recent guest, Adam Burdick, is gender fluid. He, in his own words, "may never fully transition." Recently, Steve encountered in his program, a very young boy who began presenting...

THURS. 10/29: Who says Forbes only cares about profit? It named Micah Hendler one of its 30 under 30.

October 30, 2020 02:00 - 12 minutes - 8.65 MB

#040. Part 6 wraps up Steve's conversation with Jerusalem Youth Chorus' founder Micah Hendler. With his Forbes free lance writer hat on, Micah talks about some of his favorite  interviews, like Eric Whitacre talking about virtual communities. Confession of a Choir Director: Steve has an ADD moment mid conversation, leaving Micah wondering where he went.  But Steve wasn't completely multitasking.  Steve then reveals the most challenging topic he thinks choirs are facing - besides corona of co...

WED 10/28: If you think "Mr. Holland's Opus" was a TERRIBLE movie, you're probably a music teacher.

October 28, 2020 16:00 - 17 minutes - 12.2 MB

#039. In Part 5 of Steve's conversation with Jerusalem Youth Chorus' founder Micah Hendler, they continue their conversation about the groundbreaking "Raise Your Voice Labs" which Micah created with Sarah Brajtbord and Austin Willacy  (pictured) . Micah recalls that Steve's Commonwealth Youthchoirs is the only ensemble of the many that have hosted JYC who invited Micah to lead a JYC style dialogue about its own internal challenges around race.  I guess you could say it was a precursor "Raise...

TUESDAY, 10-27: "Raise Your Voice Labs" harnesses the power of song writing and dialogue to transform organizations whose cultures are troubled by conflict

October 28, 2020 03:00 - 16 minutes - 11 MB

#038. In Part 4 of Steve's conversation with Jerusalem Youth Chorus' founder Micah Hendler, they talk about the groundbreaking "Raise Your Voice Labs" which Micah created with Sarah Brajtbord (pictured) and Austin Willacy, to help organizations experiencing conflict to improve their community's culture by learning to listen better via song composition and dialogue. Visit the SHOW NOTES for links related to this episode. You can also visit coronachoir.org for more resources. There you can joi...

MONDAY, 10-26: Choirs and Gender Challenges with Jerusalem Youth Choir founder Micah Hendler

October 26, 2020 14:00 - 16 minutes - 11.1 MB

#037. Do you have questions or struggles around gender inclusivity and choir? If so, this episode is for you. In Part 3 of 6 of Steve's dialogue with Micah Hendler,  Founder and Artistic Director of the Jerusalem Youth Chorus, they talk about Steve's struggles regarding gender  and the particular nature of boychoirs and girlchoirs.  Micah talks about related challenges with his own organizations on the larger level of conflict and disagreement. Luckily, Micah has tools to help us work throug...

FRIDAY, OCT-23: In this US presidential election season, we need the conflict resolution tools that the Jerusalem Youth Chorus has developed under the direction of founder Micah Hendler handles conflict more than ever

October 22, 2020 21:00 - 10 minutes - 7.03 MB

#036.  At CORONA CHOIR, on Fridays, we traditionally let the choir kid talk. But today we let the founder talk. This is Part 2 of 6 of my dialogue with Micah Hendler,  Founder and Artistic Director of the Jerusalem Youth Chorus.  Micah and Steve now have something in common.  They are both transitioning away from being the center of all things in the organizations they founded. There is a bit of gossip in today's episode. Specifically, its distinct possibility of Steve being divorced by the ...

Greatest Director THURSDAY, 10-22: What Israelis and Palestinians in Jerusalem singing in the same choir can teach the world with founder Micah Hendler

October 22, 2020 18:00 - 15 minutes - 10.9 MB

#035.  Here's some binge-worthy listening. Steve's guest is Micah Hendler, the Founder and Artistic Director of the Jerusalem Youth Chorus. If you know this ensemble, you love and are inspired by it. If you don't know the Jerusalem Youth Chorus, you need to.  It's an ensemble of of Israeli and Palestinian young people singing TOGETHER. But it's more than that, as choirs are always are.  Micah describes it as a music and dialogue project.  It's been featured for its innovative musicianship an...

WEDNESDAY, 10-21: Dogs vs. cats, words Brits use like "brilliant" and "jolly" and ideas on how to make your Zoom Choir rehearsals more successful and FUN with "Total Choir Resources" founders Victoria Hopkins & Christine Mulgrew

October 21, 2020 16:00 - 36 minutes - 25.4 MB

#034.    If you need ideas on how to make your Zoom Choir rehearsals more successful, Victoria Hopkins and Christine Mulgrew have some! They are the founders of "Total Choir Resources," a training and information platform that helps choir leaders all over the world to build and run successful community choirs.  They well know that many choirs, especially community choirs, are still unable to meet. With corona cases rising across the world, it may be months before we can resume in-person rehe...

TUESDAY, 10-20: How does a choir singing safely in person with Dr. Joseph Ohrt

October 21, 2020 01:00 - 12 minutes - 8.61 MB

#033. Are you still struggling to understand the science of making choral music safely in person? Is your choir transitioning from virtual to in person, or you'd like to but need to convince your community that it's safe?  Have you made the transition but are still anxious about things such as the air exchange rate in your room? Are you contemplating not having your Singers wear masks? Today, in Part 2 of my conversation with Dr. Joseph Ohrt, we talk about how he has partnered with his admin...

MONDAY, 10-19: Ubuntu, Virtual Choir and the chance to breath with Central Bucks High School-West's Dr. Joseph Ohrt

October 19, 2020 12:00 - 9 minutes - 6.76 MB

#032. Ubuntu  means "a person is a person through other people." Dr. Joseph Ohrt of Central Bucks High School-West instinctively knows what it means, evidenced by the remarkable choral program he's built. In fact, we didn't even mention the Zulu word in our conversation. Dr. Ohrt just gets it. There is no English translation for the word ubuntu. The term "community" is the closest we have, but it falls far short.  Regardless of the limits of language, we all know deep down that a person real...

FRIDAY, 10-16: Choir Conductor who lost 2 singers from superspreader rehearsal tells - unlike the LA Times - the full story of what happened

October 17, 2020 00:00 - 29 minutes - 20.5 MB

#031.  How does a choir director react when a stranger tells him he has blood on his hands?  Or when a post to his choir's facebook page asks, "Where's the remorse?"  Dr. Adam Burdick honesty and  poignantly answers  these questions and much more.  Part 6 of Steve's conversation with Adam is the culminating episode of a podcast journey to know Adam, and the widely known story of his Skagit Valley Chorale's March 10th rehearsal that resulted in almost all of the attendees becoming infected by...

Part 5: What does the shrinking brain of a lonely locust have to do with a Choir Director wearing eyeliner on Zoom?

October 15, 2020 04:00 - 7 minutes - 5.31 MB

#030.  Part 5 of Steve's conversation starts out with Steve asking Adam a question he's always wanted to ask of someone who is trans/gender fluid. Steve also reveals a recent encounter he had when a person of color in an overwhelmingly white neighborhood noticed Steve notice his presence.  The conversation winds its way to why the brains of lonely locusts shrink and the insight they offer us during the pandemic, which then leads to Adam discussing his reason for wearing eyeliner on Zoom chor...

Part 4 with Mt. Vernon, Washington Choir Director Adam Burdick

October 14, 2020 14:00 - 11 minutes - 8.08 MB

#029.  From Matthew Shepard and Tyler Clementi, to the subject of unmarried men who interact with children often being suspected of being pedophiles (!), once again, today's conversation with Adam Burdick of the Skagit Valley Chorale winds its way to unexpected topics that Steve had no intentions of talking about when he first envisioned an interview with Adam. But they're important and fascinating ones, and ones that give both Adam and Steve another dimension as people and choir directors. ...

Part 3 with Mt. Vernon, Washington Choir Director Adam Burdick

October 12, 2020 05:00 - 11 minutes - 8.18 MB

#028. Never estimate the power of a smile. Today is Part 3 of Steve's conversation with Skagit Valley Chorale artistic director and conductor Dr. Adam Burdick. What is the power of smile? Adam knows. And you should too - for the next time you encounter someone who is different, and they catch you looking. Visit the SHOW NOTES for links related to this episode. You can also visit coronachoir.org for more choral goodies.

Part 2 with Mt. Vernon, Washington Choir Director Adam Burdick

October 12, 2020 04:00 - 11 minutes - 8.04 MB

#027. Steve's conversation with Skagit Valley Chorale artistic director and conductor Dr. Adam Burdick continues. The Chorale, based in Mt. Vernon Washington, made international headlines when its March 10th rehearsal resulted in most of the attendees getting sick - including Adam and his wife. Sadly, two Singers passed away. Today's dialogue includes Adam talking more about his journey of gender fluidity, which began at age 11. Him agreeing to have a conversation with Steve on Zoom represen...

Special 25th Episode FRIDAY 10-9: Part I with Mt. Vernon, Washington Choir Director Adam Burdick

October 09, 2020 04:00 - 11 minutes - 7.8 MB

#026. Today is Part 1 of host Steve Fisher's conversation with Skagit Valley Chorale artistic director and conductor Dr. Adam Burdick. The Chorale, based in Mr. Vernon, Washington, made international headlines when a rehearsal resulted in most of the attendees getting sick with Covid-19, including Adam and his wife. Sadly, two Singers passed away from the disease. To say it hit home for choral folks is an understatement. The reality is, it could have been any of our choirs. This conversation...

Greatest Choir Director THURSDAY 10/8 - Is your choir being told their not allowed to sing?

October 08, 2020 16:00 - 11 minutes - 8.07 MB

#024. Is your choir being told you're not allowed to sing?  Are athletic teams at your school or in your area being allowed to do things that your choir isn't?  Like...meet?  Or not adhere to social distancing and masks.  Then this episode is for you!  High School Choir Director Brett joins us again to talk about his ongoing journey with his administration to get permission to sing beyond chanting.  Wanna go to South Africa with Commonwealth Youthchoirs in 2022 - ALL EXPENSES PAID? To be ent...

"What in the World" WEDNESDAY 10/7 - Will choirs be able to tour this summer?

October 06, 2020 16:00 - 11 minutes - 8.11 MB

#024. If you are wondering whether your choir is going to be able to internationally tour this summer, this episode is for you. Steve shares what his organization is saying now to his choristers and how he's putting things in place in the event that it is possible and prudent to tour. He offers some tips about how to frame tour to your choral community.  He then takes us to South Africa to catch up with his good friend and colleague Thabang to find out how he and his Lesedi Choir is doing. T...

"Science & Singing" TUESDAY 10/6 with Chorus America's CEO Catherine Dehoney, Part 2

October 05, 2020 05:00 - 7 minutes - 5.48 MB

#023. The Corona Choir roller coaster continues. With President and Mrs. Trump and many in the White House inner circle having tested positive, everyone is reminded again that this ongoing pandemic is real. The Skagit Valley Chorale (SVC) community needs no reminders. In March this adult choir based in Mt. Vernon, Washington lost two choir members to Covid-19. Be sure to listen to this Friday's episode, as it will be a poignant one for all of us choral folks when Steve has a conversation wit...

"It's about the Music" MONDAY 10/5 with Chorus America's CEO Catherine Dehoney, Part 1

October 05, 2020 01:00 - 11 minutes - 7.58 MB

#022. Nelson Mandela said, "a great leader has time for people." Chorus Amercia's CEO Catherine Dehoney can check that box.  Listen to find out why.  If you're missing leadership in the world like the kind Nelson Mandela provided, you'll love this episode. Wanna travel with host Steve Fisher and Commonwealth Youthchoirs to South Africa in 2021 - ALL EXPENSES PAID? Sign up for the Corona Choir email list at coronachoir.org. Because SOMEBODY is going to South Africa!  Visit the SHOW NOTES to f...

"Let the Choir KID Talk" FRIDAY 10/2 with New Jersey Boychoir member Aidan

October 03, 2020 18:00 - 7 minutes - 5.36 MB

#021.  If you ever wonder what your young choristers are thinking, this episode is for you. From the mouths of choir kids come insight, wisdom and inspiration!  Aidan talks about how school is going this year, what he misses most about choir, how he feels about virtual choir vs. in person singing, and how he decides whether or not to participate in choir offerings.  Aidan and Steve also discuss the merits of "Sleigh Ride" vs. Ceremony of Carols, and dyed green hair. Wanna travel with host St...

"Greatest Choir Director" THURSDAY 10/1...with Choir Director, Actor, Composer, and now Audio Narrator Brett Boles

October 02, 2020 03:00 - 11 minutes - 8.38 MB

#020.  The pandemic has required choral folks to reinvent how they do what they do.  Many of us are also reinventing ourselves and doing NEW things. If you're finding yourself needing or wanting to take a leap to a new line of work in the arts, but you worry it's too late, this episode is a must listen!  It's also not too late to do something else you've always dreamed of...travel to SOUTH AFRICA.  Come along with host Steve Fisher and Commonwealth Youthchoirs on its tour in late December 20...

"What in the World" WEDNESDAY 9/30...with Daniel Moon of World Vision Children's Choir Festival

October 01, 2020 03:00 - 10 minutes - 7.58 MB

#019.  Wondering when your choir can tour again?  Looking for guidance about what countries are allowing foreigners and how to track when things change? Then this episode is for you.  Spend time with Daniel Moon, manager of South Korea's World Vision Children's Choir.  They had to cancel their annual invitational festival, but it's back on for this coming August.  On our weekly annual virtual choir tour, we also touch down in New York to find out the latest with the arts, and in Portugal for...

"Science and Singing" TUESDAY 9/29 with a question from Ian Sanchez about choir room ventilation

September 29, 2020 16:00 - 7 minutes - 4.94 MB

#018. Room ventilation and in person choral singing. It's not easy to understand the science, let alone how that applies to our own choral spaces. If you have questions about it, this episode is a must. Wanna travel with host Steve Fisher and Commonwealth Youthchoirs to South Africa in 2021 - ALL EXPENSES PAID? Sign up for the Corona Choir email list at coronachoir.org. Because SOMEBODY is going to South Africa! You'll find this episode's show notes at coronachoir.org as well.

"It's about the Music" MONDAY 9/28 with J.W. Pepper's Tom Sabatino and Jennifer Moorhatch

September 28, 2020 20:00 - 11 minutes - 7.77 MB

#017. The arts in 2017 contributed $877.8 billion (4.5%) to the United States gross domestic product. That’s five times higher than the contribution of agriculture, and more than the sectors of construction and transportation/warehousing combined. So the health and future of the arts, including iconic arts businesses like J.W. Pepper should be a priority for everyone. Today we talk to Pepper’s Manager of Product Sales Tom Sabatino and School Editor Jennifer Moorhatch, to find out about what ...

"Let the Choir PARENT Talk" FRIDAY 9/25 with Jenny Mazzola, choir mom of Garden State Girlchoir's Grace and Megan

September 21, 2020 08:00 - 10 minutes - 7.24 MB

#016. Jenny Mazzola is a Garden State Girlchoir choir mom. And she is a chorister in her own right as a member of the fledgling Sparrow Women's Chorale. Jenny has been singing in choirs since she was the age of her own daughters, both of whom are serious choristers. Grace and Megan come by their love of choral music honestly! Grace, a senior at Pitman High School, has already decided she wants to be a choir director. Not a solo performer who is going to major in music education as a "back up...

"Greatest Choir Director" THURSDAY 9/24...with Hazzan David Tilman of Keneseth Israel in Elkins Park, PA

September 21, 2020 07:00 - 8 minutes - 5.9 MB

#015. Hazzan, or Cantor, David Tilman of Keneseth Israel in Elkins Park, PA is this week's "Greatest Choir Director." Venerated Choir Director, Eph Ehly says, "Choir directors, stop competing! Stop feeling better than, stop feeling less than. Because, we are all small and all big. Each Choir Director and their choir are in their our own little tiny corner of the world." Therefore, each of us are the greatest choir director and the greatest choir in the world. David is a graduate of the Juill...

"What in the World" WEDNESDAY 9/23 with Chilean Choir Director Jorge Sharp

September 21, 2020 06:00 - 12 minutes - 8.83 MB

#014. Charles Dickens said, "At the end of your life, you will not regret the things you did do, but the things you did not do. The world is your home. Go forth." This resonates with choirs folks and our tradition of touring. With the pandemic, our tours for the spring and summer were cancelled. And like everything else, we're wondering when choirs can tour again. Today, we head out on a virtual tour to an extraordinary city at the very tip of South America... Punta Arenas, Chile. The warmth...

"Science and Singing" TUESDAY 9/22 with Sing-Safe mask inventor Kym Scott

September 21, 2020 05:00 - 14 minutes - 9.69 MB

#013. Today we're talking to Kym Scott, the inventor of Sing-Safe masks. Kym has designed two masks, what she calls the Performer's Mask to accommodate and protect the Singer while performing, and the Teacher's mask that eliminates the muffled speech challenges when lecturing associated with regular cloth. Kym is uniquely qualified for this unexpected entrepreneurial adventure in several ways. She is the Director of Choral Activities at West Virginia University. She developed another major q...

"It's about the Music" MONDAY 9/21 with Dr. Elizabeth Cassidy Parker of Temple University

September 21, 2020 04:00 - 12 minutes - 8.32 MB

#012. Recently, The New York Times declared the U.S. college campus as the new covid hot spot. When Texas Christian University cancels its opening football game, you know it's serious. To-date, there have been approximately 88,000 college covid cases across America. Only 27% of colleges tested students when they first arrived on campus. Because it's expensive - as much as $100 per test - it's no surprise that there is a strong correlation between the size of the university's endowment and th...

"Let the Choir Kids Talk" FRIDAY 9/18 with 8th grader Chloe and 9th grader Charlie

September 14, 2020 08:00 - 9 minutes - 6.41 MB

#11. Today, we "Let the Choir Kid Talk." Choir Directors don't like to hear talking in rehearsal, but we love to hear what choristers are thinking during the pandemic. What they're feeling. What their ideas are. Their disappointments. Their hopes. In honor of today's young guests, (and yesterday's! #hope), today's feature song is "Hope for Resolution." Chloe is an 8th grader, a chorister at William Allen Middle School where this week's Greatest Choir Director Hope Knight teaches. Charlie, a ...

"Greatest Choir Director & Choir" THURSDAY 9/17 with Hope Knight of William Allen Middle School and President of South Jersey Choral Directors' Association

September 14, 2020 07:00 - 8 minutes - 5.58 MB

#10. This week's Greatest Choir Director is Hope Knight. This week's Greatest Choir is her William Allen Middle School Choir in New Jersey's Moorestown School District. Hope worked with her administration to adjust the choral schedule this year to align with her philosophies around choirs and corona.  #justsaynotovirtualchoirs #authenticchoralselves Hope's General Music class schedule is a lot to absorb. But she is making it work, as music educators are used to doing! Hope is also president...

"What in the World" WEDNESDAY 9/16 with Dr. Aoife Hiney, founder and conductor of Portugal's Voz Nua

September 14, 2020 06:00 - 6 minutes - 4.51 MB

#009. Every Wednesday, we grab our passports and take a choir tour around the world to see what's going on in different corners of the globe. The itinerary includes Sydney, Australia, the Czech Republic, London, England, and a sit down in Aveiro, Portugal to spend time with Dr. Aoife Hiney. Aoife is the founder of Voz Nua, a non-professional adult choir that rehearses at the University of Aveiro, where she works as a researcher. Voz Nua's approach is unique, where the Singers contribute to p...

"Science and Singing" TUESDAY 9/15 with respiratory expert, Dr. David Mannino

September 14, 2020 05:00 - 8 minutes - 5.58 MB

#008. David Mannino, MD, is a top-ranked medical expert in the research and treatment of COPD, a chronic lung disease that includes chronic bronchitis, emphysema, or both. While in med school Dave sang in choir. You won't believe which one. I didn't. From 1991 to 2004, Dr. Mannino was with the Center for Disease Control focusing on Respiratory Health Branch. While there, he helped develop the National Asthma program. Wanna travel with Steve Fisher and Commonwealth Youthchoirs to South Africa...

"It's about the Music" MONDAY 9/14 with Aoife Hiney, Corona Choir host Steve Fisher, and Bass 2 Jake

September 14, 2020 03:00 - 7 minutes - 5.11 MB

#007. Voz Nua Founder and Conductor, Aoife Hiney, makes an audio appearance from Aveira, Portugal. Every choir leader in the world still is uncertain about who's recommending what, what's prudent, what's safe, what's best for us and our choir members. Remember, a choir is a reflection of its director. If we don't do what works for us, it won't work for our choirs. But we need accurate information. So we're BACH for another week of CORONA CHOIR... what choral folks NEED to know. Today's episo...

Let the Choir Kid Talk THURSDAY... with Sam, rising 9th grader

September 07, 2020 04:00 - 5 minutes - 4.13 MB

#005. Sam, a rising 9th grader, lets us know what was hard about last spring, and what the silver linings were. He tells us what he thinks of his school's decision to go completely virtual, and whether he'll do the virtual musical at school. Most importantly, Sam shares with us what he's realized about choir that he never appreciated before.  #ubuntu. Wanna travel with Steve Fisher and Commonwealth Youthchoirs to South Africa in 2021 - ALL EXPENSES PAID? Sign up for the Corona Choir email li...

What in the World FRIDAY...with South African choir director Thabang Mokoena

September 07, 2020 04:00 - 5 minutes - 4.16 MB

#006. Choir folks around the world have been challenged by not being able to make music in the same room.  For South African choral folks, there is added layer of emotional strain. That's because choral music is not an activity in South Africa. It's not a profession. It is a way of life for all South Africans.  Host Steve Fisher talks to his good friend and fellow choir director Thabang Mokoena to see how he and his Lesedi Choir members are coping.  Wanna travel with Steve Fisher and Commonw...

What in the World FRIDAY... with South African choir director Thabang Mokoena

September 07, 2020 04:00 - 5 minutes - 4.16 MB

#006. Choir folks around the world have been challenged by not being able to make music in the same room. For South African choral folks, there is an added layer of emotional strain. That's because choral music is not an activity in South Africa. It's not a profession. It is a way of life for all South Africans. Host Steve Fisher talks to his good friend and fellow choir director, Thabang Mokoena, to see how he and his Lesedi Choir members are coping. Wanna travel with Steve Fisher and Commo...

Greatest Choir Director WEDNESDAY... with Abington Junior High Choir Director Mindy Walker

September 07, 2020 03:00 - 4 minutes - 3.5 MB

#004. Abington Junior High choral Director Mindy Walker has been recognized in many ways as a great music educator. She was awarded a Citation for Excellence from the Music Educators Association. She was selected to teach and learn in a South African immersion program founded by Dr. Kathy Robinson of the University of Alberta and me. But none of that is why she's Corona Choir's first ever "Greatest Choir Director."  She can thank Dr. Eph Ehly and his wisdom for that. Wanna travel with Steve ...