Month: January 2025

The Symphony and its Chorus provides us with a rich history, Canon, and tradition. It also provides us a powerful medium for living composers, and aspiring musicians.

I’m excited to share this conversation featuring the extraordinary Anthony Blake Clark—of the Dallas Symphony Chorus and Baltimore Choral Arts, who wants us to consider the Symphony Chorus as a vital part of the choral music ecosystem. In this thought-provoking conversation, we explore Blake’s approach to large ensemble rehearsal, his vision for the future of choral music, and the role symphony choruses can play in shaping lifelong music-making.

🌟 Blake’s Journey
From a small farming community in Texas to leading renowned ensembles like the Dallas Symphony Chorus, Anthony shares how his love for choral music grew during his time at Baylor University and how his studies with Simon Halsey in the UK deepened his passion for combining choral and orchestral traditions. Along the way, he’s held leadership roles with Baltimore Choral Arts, Bach Vespers in New York, and now the Dallas Symphony Chorus.

🗣️ Key Topics We Discuss:

• The Unique Role of Symphony Choruses: We discuss how the perception of choral music in the U.S.—as something for children, the elderly, or limited to university choirs—has hurt our choral culture.
• Balancing Tradition and Innovation: Anthony shares his commitment to preserving the masterworks of choral literature while also championing new compositions.
• Managing Large Ensembles: With experience conducting groups ranging from 12 to 200 singers, Anthony opens up about the challenges of working with large ensembles and the importance of building trust, establishing a rhythmic foundation, and addressing issues directly with individual singers.
• Expanding Choral Music Accessibility: We discuss how professional choirs and symphonic ensembles can bring world-class music-making to more communities, showing that choral singing can be a lifelong passion for everyone, not just a stepping stone in academic settings.

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Tune in, and have your thinking stimulated and challenged. Then, weigh in yourself with your related ideas and experiences on Facebook in the Choralosophers group or over on choralosophy.substack.com Also, don’t forget to grab a reading rope for your classroom wall from the shop! Music Reading Rope

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For future rehearsal clips, find me on TikTok, Insta and FB!

Find Ryan’s Article:

Anthony Blake Clark is a leading voice among his generation of choral conductors. He is in demand by both amateur and professional choral artists because of his “readily apparent musicality” (Baltimore Sun) and his conviction that lives can be changed by participating in classical music, whether on the stage or in the audience.

Clark has performed with some of the most important ensembles in legendary venues throughout the USA and Europe. He has prepared choral ensembles for prestigious orchestras such as the Rundfunkchor Berlin with the Berliner Philharmoniker, Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, Vienna Radio Orchestra, Dallas Symphony Orchestra, and the Richmond Symphony Orchestra for esteemed conductors such as Marin Alsop, Sir John Eliot Gardiner, Fabio Luisi, Mirga Gražinytė-Tyla, and Simon Halsey. He and his choirs have performed at the Berlin Philharmonie, the Vienna Konzerthaus, Symphony Hall Birmingham (UK), St. Martin-in-the-Fields London, The Kennedy Center, and the Washington National Cathedral, among others.

Maestro Clark was recently named the Jean D. Wilson Chair Chorus Director for the Dallas Symphony. After preparing three critically praised programs for the Dallas Symphony Chorus in 2022 and 2023, Music Director Fabio Luisi appointed Clark as Chorus Director beginning in the 2023-2024 season. As Chorus Director, Clark prepares the 200-voice ensemble for classical and pops programs. Highlights this season include Brahms’ Ein Deutsches Requiem and Schmidt’s Das Buch mit Sieben Siegeln. The Dallas Symphony Chorus under Clark’s preparation can be seen on Medici TV (Orff’s Carmina Burana and Catulli Carmina) and DSO’s “Next Stage” streaming platform (Beethoven’s 9th Symphony).

At Baltimore Choral Arts, Anthony Blake Clark has served as Music Director since 2017. Clark has expanded subscription concert offerings while building a robust community outreach and education initiative. He has consistently received glowing reviews, both for work on the podium and as chorusmaster for performances with the Baltimore Symphony and other area partners. His work with BCAS has been recognized with an American Prize in Choral Conducting and a second nomination for best community ensemble, as well as the Chorus America/ASCAP Alice Parker Award. He annually conducts and produces the celebrated “Christmas with Choral Arts” television concert, first on ABC2 and now on Maryland PBS station MPT, for which the ensemble has received three regional Emmyâ nominations. Clark has secured invites to several important festivals and collaborations; after a sold-out and enthusiastically received UK tour, BCAS was in residence with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra and Chorus for performances of Mahler’s 8th Symphony. Recently, Clark and Baltimore Choral Arts made their Berlin Philharmonie debut with the Freie Universität Orchester. On the same tour, BCAS collaborated with the Vienna Singakademie to perform with the Vienna Radio Orchestra under Marin Alsop.

Anthony Blake Clark also served as Artistic Director of Bach Vespers in New York City. In residence at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church in mid-town Manhattan, the Bach Choir and Players are composed of some of the finest early music professionals in the nation, presenting works of Bach using historically informed practices within the liturgical context of a Vespers service. He has also served as the James Erb Choral Chair Director of Choruses for the Richmond Symphony Orchestra.

Anthony Blake Clark is equally adept in the orchestral field, making his Baltimore Symphony debut in 2021 and made his Richmond Symphony debut in 2022. He has also appeared as cover conductor for the National Symphony Orchestra, assisting conductors such as Ton Koopman, Gianandrea Noseda, Teddy Abrams, Christoph Eshenbach, and Manfred Honeck, and has assisted Marin Alsop at the Baltimore Symphony.

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Clark is a passionate teacher and served as Director of Choral Activities at The George Washington University in DC. His university choirs performed at the Kennedy Center and National Cathedral and sang with the Washington Chorus, Baltimore Choral Arts, Naval Academy Glee Club, and the Baltimore and Annapolis Symphonies. Recently he was Guest Conductor/Lecturer for the Westminster Choir College Symphonic Choir. He regularly leads workshops and clinics for school and community ensembles.

Legacy and mentorship are paramount to Clark’s musical philosophy; he is a mentee of Marin Alsop, having worked with her extensively and studied with her at the Peabody Institute in the doctoral conducting program. Mr. Clark completed a master’s degree under three-time Grammy Award winner Simon Halsey CBE at the United Kingdom’s University of Birmingham and considers Halsey his lifelong mentor. During his time in the UK, he embedded himself in the choral life of the UK and sang under the batons of Sir Simon Rattle, Edward Gardiner, and Andris Nelsons, and had opportunities to conduct the London Symphony Chorus and the CBSO Chorus. Other teachers include Simon Carrington (Yale Norfolk Festival, Sarteano Workshop) and Lynne Gackle (Baylor University).​

An active composer and arranger, Anthony Blake Clark’s music has been performed in Washington DC, London, Oxford, Texas, and at Prague’s Dvorák Museum Concert Hall. In 2022 his new performance edition of Mozart’s Requiem was recorded by Acis Records.

@blakeclarkmusic instagram

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Music has long been celebrated as a universal language, capable of moving hearts, bridging divides, and bringing people together. But what exactly is ‘The Power of Music’? Is it in the melody, the rhythm, or something deeper?

In this episode of Choralosophy, we’re diving into a fascinating concept with Dr. Ryan Luhrs: that the true power of music might actually lie within the choir itself. Imagine a space where people from different backgrounds, beliefs, and perspectives can gather, set aside differences, and create something beautiful together. You might even call this a ‘natural laboratory for reconciliation’—and choirs, as it turns out, might hold the key.

Think about it: in a world that often feels divided and polarized, choirs create the perfect environment for collaboration, empathy, and common ground. It’s not just about singing the right notes—it’s about listening, adapting, and building trust with others. These qualities, so essential to successful music-making, are also the very building blocks of community and reconciliation. “Intergroup Contact Theory” comes from the field of Social Psychology and describes the conditions under which groups that have important differences or even conflict can find reconciliation.

In this discussion, Ryan and parse out why this matters, not just for musicians, but for anyone who believes in the power of human connection. How can choirs serve as a model for unity in a fractured world? And how can directors, singers, and audiences alike harness this power to make a real difference?

Whether you’re a seasoned choir director, a lifelong singer, or someone who simply loves music, this conversation will open your eyes to the deeper role choirs play in our society—and the profound impact they can have beyond the rehearsal room.

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Tune in, and have your thinking stimulated and challenged. Then, weigh in yourself with your related ideas and experiences on Facebook in the Choralosophers group or over on choralosophy.substack.com Also, don’t forget to grab a reading rope for your classroom wall from the shop! Music Reading Rope

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For future rehearsal clips, find me on TikTok, Insta and FB!

Find Ryan’s Article:

Ryan Luhrs is Associate Professor of Music and Director of Choral Activities at Lenoir-Rhyne University in Hickory, NC. In that role, he directs the Lenoir-Rhyne A Cappella Choir, the university’s flagship touring choral ensemble, coordinates the Sacred Music Program, teaches courses in choral music education, and co-leads the Lenoir-Rhyne Summer Youth Music Camp. He also frequently teaches a course on fine arts and social change in the general curriculum.

Luhrs is also the Artistic Director/Conductor of the Hickory Choral Society, a 100-voice volunteer chorus, and serves as Music Director/Organist at St. Andrew’s Lutheran Church in Hickory.

Prior to Hickory, Luhrs taught at Andrew College in Cuthbert, GA, where he oversaw the music program. He holds a Ph.D. in Choral Conducting & Music Education from Florida State University, a Masters of Sacred Music degree from Luther Seminary (with St. Olaf College), and a B.A. in Music from Luther College. Prior to graduate study, Luhrs taught music in public schools for five years in Iowa and Minnesota. He has served as a church choir director and organist for congregations in Wisconsin, Iowa, Minnesota, Georgia, and North Carolina. He was also Stage Band Director and Tour Director with the Kids from Wisconsin from 2005 to 2010 and sang with the Minneapolis-based National Lutheran Choir from 2008 to 2012.

A proponent of using singing in groups to break down social barriers, Luhrs has co-organized choral festivals in rural Minnesota, southwestern Georgia, Tallahassee, FL, Hickory, NC, and Hammond, LA. His doctoral dissertation entitled Singing for Social Harmony: Choir Member Perceptions During Intergroup Contact investigated how choral music functions in settings where people of diverse backgrounds are present. Related research was published in the February 2017 issue of The Choral Journal and presented at the 2016 Chorus America national conference, the 2016, 2018, and 2020 Southeastern American Choral Directors Association (ACDA) Conferences, 2024 North Carolina ACDA conference, and the 2015 Tallahassee Sacred Music Conference. In 2018, he co-produced with Dr. Frances Fonza the AVoice4Peace Concert in Louisville, KY

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The US is a cultural exporter, and often times, we don’t do a great job of importing. I find it fascinating and valuable, as an American, to seek out stories from around the world. As a American choir director, it is easy to assume that the way choral music functions in our culture is “normal.”

So, let’s broaden our horizons by talking with Javiera Lara Salvador, a talented choral conductor from Chile, who brings valuable insights about choral music and education in her country. Javiera walks me through her journey, beginning with her discovery of singing in school and continuing to her studies in choral conducting in Santiago. She shares how choral music education in Chile offers unique pathways, though opportunities, such as full-time choir teaching, remain limited to nonexistent .

We also explored the vibrant choral scene in Santiago, including community choirs supported by local municipalities, and the fascinating repertoire that blends traditional Chilean music with influences from around the world. We discuss her work with “Voces de Vitacura,” a community choir with members spanning generations, and University Choir at the University of Adolfo Ibáñez and the Taktus Ensemble.

Our discussion touched on the parallels and contrasts between music education in Chile and the United States, highlighting the privilege of access to music education and the universal challenges faced by choir directors. Javiera even shared her enthusiasm for Latin American composers like Modesta Bor and Cesar Alejandro Carrillo, sparking a discussion about the joy of integrating diverse musical traditions, and pushing boundaries of the art form while honoring its traditions.

If you’ve ever been curious about the global choral community or want to celebrate the joy of making music with others, this episode is for you. Let’s dive in!

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Tune in, and have your thinking stimulated and challenged. Then, weigh in yourself with your related ideas and experiences on Facebook in the Choralosophers group or over on choralosophy.substack.com Also, don’t forget to grab a reading rope for your classroom wall from the shop! Music Reading Rope

Be Sure to Find Choralosophy on TikTok!

For future rehearsal clips, find me on TikTok, Insta and FB!

Choirs recommended by Javiera:

Ignis Camerata

Coro de Camara de Copiapó

Conjunto de Madrigalistas de Viña del Mar

Javiera Lara Salvador is a renowned choral conductor with an outstanding academic background. She began her career by earning a Bachelor’s degree in Music Theory from the University of Chile, followed by a specialization leading to the Professional Title of Choral Conductor. She later pursued a Master’s in Musical Arts with a focus on Choral Conducting at Universidad Mayor, graduating with the highest distinction.

Javiera is the founder and current leader of the Taktus Vocal Ensemble, a group dedicated to performing diverse vocal repertoire ranging from classical to popular and folkloric-rooted music, with a strong emphasis on works from the 19th century to contemporary creations. She also directs the Adolfo Ibáñez University Choir, a group she has led since 2022, bringing together students, faculty, and staff through choral singing.

She serves as Associate Director and Coordinator of the team of conductors for the “Voces de Vitacura” Community Choir, a program of the Vitacura Cultural Corporation that annually offers over 200 local residents the experience of performing in a large choral concert. Additionally, Javiera has worked as Choirmaster for the productions of Lord of the Rings in Concert and Gladiator Live, held at Movistar Arena.

A significant part of her career has been dedicated to premiering works by renowned Chilean and Latin American composers at prestigious festivals and events, such as the CopiU Festival, the Contemporary Music Festival of the University of Chile’s Music Department, and the Sacred Music Encounter at the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile.

In the field of education, Javiera has built a solid career in institutions such as the Music Institute of Universidad Alberto Hurtado, where she currently teaches, as well as the Music Institute of the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile and the Music Department of the Metropolitan University of Educational Sciences. She has taught both theoretical music subjects and courses in choral practice and conducting.

As the founder of the Taktus Cultural Foundation, Javiera stands out as a leader in the development and promotion of choral music in Chile.

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There is a paradox between performance and pedagogy. Are we teaching our ensembles to perform? Or are we teaching them skills that LEAD them to become performers? Is it time for a paradigm shift?

This week, I am thrilled to bring you a fascinating conversation with Dr. Andrew Schmidt, an accomplished music educator and researcher. Andrew’s passion for music cognition and educational PROCESS takes us on a deep dive into the relationship between learning music, performance, and cognitive development.

Together, we unpack the challenges of conducting meaningful research in our field, the nuanced differences between instrumental and vocal instruction, and the power of teaching students the why behind the what in music education. Often times, ensemble music teachers feel the pressure to put the performance on the calendar and then sprint!

This episode is about more than just music; it’s about helping students connect the dots, fostering executive function, and balancing the process of learning with the magic of performance. It’s about TEACHING. Andrew also shares some thought-provoking ideas on teaching powerful knowledge in rehearsals and rethinking how we engage students with music.

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Tune in, and have your thinking stimulated and challenged. Then, weigh in yourself with your related ideas and experiences on Facebook in the Choralosophers group or over on choralosophy.substack.com Also, don’t forget to grab a reading rope for your classroom wall from the shop! Music Reading Rope

Be Sure to Find Choralosophy on TikTok!

For future rehearsal clips, find me on TikTok, Insta and FB!

Andrew Schmidt in faculty at Kennesaw State University where he teaches in the school of music and musical theater program. He is also part of the music education faculty at Georgia State Univesity where he teaches choral methods. Andrew is also a freelance singer, and conductor, as well as the founder and Artistic Director of EarlyBird, a professional chamber chorus, Voces Altum, an advanced treble chorus, and Music Director of the Summer Singers of Atlanta. He holds a PhD in Music Education from Georgia State University, an M.M. in Choral Conducting from the University of Washington as well as a B.M.E. from Northwestern University, Evanston, Il. Andrew recently achieved his certificate of Estill Voice Figure Proficiency. He holds a Brain and Behaviors Fellowship through the GSU Neuroscience program.

Andrew’s research examines the intersection of vocal and choral pedagogy with an emphasis on building individual and group multivocality (where a person’s musical identity matches their individual identity). In practice, by teaching multivocality through a rigorous pedagogical framework, he hopes to rectify academic inequities in music education.

Andrew sings bass with professional choirs like Kinnara, The Thirteen, The Santa Fe Desert Chorale, and The Crossing. He can be found on recordings by both Kinnara (Provenance) and The Thirteen (Truth & Fable).

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Enneagram study has been used to heal families, relationships, work places and more. It is also used by individuals seeking to simply have a better relationship with themselves. In this episode, we explore the possible uses of this system for understanding human motivation in ensembles, classrooms and even in music making.

In this episode, I’m thrilled to sit down with Sarah McMahill for a thought-provoking conversation about the fascinating intersections between the Enneagram, music, and personal growth. In the opening segment of the podcast, I make a short presentation on “The Math of the Enneagram” and its implications on group dynamics and classroom management. Then, Sarah takes us on a journey through her experiences with this powerful personality framework, sharing how it has deepened her understanding of herself, her students, and her colleagues.

Sarah is vulnerable about how the Enneagram provided clarity during challenging moments in her life, including its role in mental and physical wellbeing. We discuss everything from the alignment of the body’s physical centers with Enneagram principles, to how understanding stress responses can help manage stage fright and other performance challenges. We even touch on the connections between the Enneagram and music theory, exploring ideas like the tritone as a metaphor for growth and change, and Sarah’s creative process in writing a song cycle inspired by the nine Enneagram types.

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Tune in, and have your thinking stimulated and challenged. Then, weigh in yourself with your related ideas and experiences on Facebook in the Choralosophers group or over on choralosophy.substack.com Also, don’t forget to grab a reading rope for your classroom wall from the shop! Music Reading Rope

Be Sure to Find Choralosophy on TikTok!

For future rehearsal clips, find me on TikTok, Insta and FB!

Sarah McMahill has woven their three businesses together (Heart to Hands Myofascial (MFR) Massage, Kintsugi Studios & Publications, and Dragonfly Enneagram Center) to create custom services as Wellness Weaving. Wellness Weaving provides mind-body coaching using experiential methods. These methods include myofascial massage, the enneagram, and music & the arts to engage our whole being as a way of understanding and experiencing how our hearts, bodies, and minds are connected.

HEART TO HANDS MFR MASSAGE
Sarah is an ABMP Certified Massage Therapist and Nationally Board Certified Massage Therapist. They are skilled in working with musicians, performers and people living with chronic pain by utilizing myofascial release therapy, craniosacral therapy, manual lymphatic drainage, fascial counterstrain, energy/meditation work, trigger point therapy, and proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitated stretching. They’ve been in private practice since 2004.

KINTSUGI STUDIOS & PUBLICATIONS
Member of ASCAP, IAWM, and ACDA.
Sarah studied music education at Doane College with 2 music scholarships before transferring to SMSU. They have been taking composition lessons with Raphael Fusco. They played clarinet with the St. Anthony Civic Orchestra (2004-2019), occasionally involved with community theater productions, sang with Calliope Women’s Chorus (2004-2011) and have been singing with One Voice Mixed Chorus since 2011. They offer voice lessons with a focus on assessing and releasing vocal and related structural tension. Earlier this year they won Soli Chamber Ensemble’s emerging composers competition along with 29 other talented composers.
They started Kintsugi Studios & Publications to self-publish their music, poetry, and other writings. In their art studies, they came across something called Kintsugi. Kintsugi is the Japanese art of repairing broken pottery by mending the areas of breakage with lacquer dusted or mixed with powdered gold, silver, or platinum. As a philosophy, it treats breakage and repair as part of the history of an object, rather than something to disguise. What they share are parts of their history, methods of their healing, and the journey they’re on.

DRAGONFLY ENNEAGRAM CENTER
Sarah originally learned about the enneagram in 2000. It wasn’t until 2011 when they took a deep dive into the enneagram. (That’s a story for another place.) They received enneagram teacher trainings through Full Circle Enneagram, Dynamic NLP Enneagram Training through Changeworks, and Moving Forward Australia. They have studied with Russ Hudson, Andrea Isaacs, and Catherine Bell. They provide enneagram coaching and online workshops. Some of the workshops are alongside Roland Legge and they have created on-demand videos. They are an Accredited Professional through the International Enneagram Association. Sarah is among the pioneers of incorporating bodywork, the enneagram, and music.

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