Do you think of yourself as a “choir leading business person?” I am going to guess that most of you don’t, and I’m going to suggest that maybe you should. There are aspects of leading any type of choral program that require business acumen in order to excel. This makes many of us bristle as artists because we love to stay wrapped up in the emotional and in the art. But the reality is that we often have to call upon skills that our training programs didn’t prepare us with. They didn’t teach us tax law, or marketing or accounting, but we have to develop these skills or our programs fall apart. So I had a conversation with Alex Gartner about that very thing. Tune in as we discuss the business of doing choir.
Find the Book!
Alex Gartner serves as the Artistic & Executive Director of the Pensacola Children’s Chorus in Pensacola, FL. Under his leadership, the organization has grown to impact nearly 25,000 individuals throughout Northwest Florida, including over 5,000 youth, through innovative programs, performances, and organizational practices. He also serves the American Choral Directors Association as the Children’s and Youth R&R Coordinator for the Southern Region, is an all-state coordinator for the Florida Music Education Association, and previously served on the national arts education council with Americans for the Arts. An active clinician, guest conductor, and composer, his arrangements are available through many reputable publishers. Check out his latest work on social media or at www.AlexGartner.com.
Episode 291: Wrestling With AI in the Arts with Beth Philemon
Should would we reject AI, or embrace it? Or maybe neither? Like all new technologies, there will be problems. Early adopters, and late ones, and some that NEVER get on board. In what areas can AI tools help artists and educators be better at their jobs? But also, which AI tools are a genuine threat…
Episode 290: Ethical Choral Gatekeeping with Samuel Grace
Is there even such a thing as “Ethical Gatekeeping?” In modern discourse, the term seems to always be a negative. Maybe some gates need a keeper. Today’s conversation hits incredibly close to home as we pull back the curtain on power dynamics, public perception, and the hidden structures that dictate taste and legitimacy in choral…
Episode 289: Voice Change Isn’t Just for Adolescents with Joanne Bozeman
This episode is GUEST HOSTED by Beth Munce! Our voices continue to change through our lives. This can affect us as directors, but also the singers under our charge. One of the most tumultuous vocal changes outside of the famous “boy in puberty” is the woman’s voice in Perimenopause and Menopause. Since, I have no…
