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

#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 Directors have always had to push their choirs to hang in, stay choral tough, raise the bar, and get the job done under impossible circumstances, inspiring them to never, never, never give up.  But is that possible with the today's general approach to raising young people?  Former Philadelphia Boys Choir and Chorale star soloist, and Girard Academic Music Program student and teacher alum, Manny Carrera chats with Fish about the "old days," with Philadelphia local choral legends and "tough as choral nails" Dr. Robert Hamilton and Dr. Jack Carr. Have we lost permission as choir directors to push our choristers hard?  You'll love the clip of Manny singing the solo in John Rutter's "Et Misrecordia" from Magnificat.  Fish and Manny also talk about the ongoing challenges of choir during the pandemic, including getting school district administrations - even ones who are listening - to understand what choir directors need to be successful during this challenging time.  In this episode you'll learn how to get an exclusive invite to Fish's upcoming free virtual workshop, "Sing Like A South African" being held on Sunday, January 3rd, 2021 at 1pm.  All attendees will receive a free arrangement of the Zulu song "Shumayela."  All attendees will also be  entered into a drawing to win and all expense paid trip to South Africa with Fish in late December 2021/early January 2022 to make music in the townships with his South African friends.