Episode 249: The 10,000 Foot View of Choral Repertoire with Dennis Shrock

How do we decide what is and what isn’t a “Great work of choral repertoire?” Dennis Shrock says, “Time.” Let a few hundred years pass and see if people still perform that music.

This show is proud to collaborate with authors and composers from GIA/Walton and Oxford Press. Dennis has many titles available on both!

This conversation explores the intricate relationship between politics and art, particularly in the context of classical music and education. Dennis and I discuss the historical significance of art in political spheres, the evolving definitions of classical music, and the challenges faced by modern educators in balancing diverse musical expressions with traditional repertoire. We emphasize the importance of understanding audience needs and the value of preserving classical masterpieces while fostering inclusivity in music education.

The conversation also touches on the need for support structures and resources in music education and the intersection of art and politics, advocating for a global perspective in music appreciation.

🎧 Tune in now on YouTube or your favorite podcast app!


Choralosophy presented by Ludus. Visit Ludus.com/choralosophy for the cutting edge in fine arts ticketing and marketing solutions.

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

www.sightreadingfactory.com is the best literacy tool on the market today. Enter Choralosophy at checkout to get 10% off memberships for you AND your students!

Be Sure to Find Choralosophy on TikTok!

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

Sign up for an annual membership and save over $50 by entering Choralosophy at checkout! Save 15% on monthly or annual subscriptions.

Dennis Shrock is author of three books published by Oxford University Press: Choral Repertoire (2009); Choral Scores (2015); and Choral Monuments (2017). He is also author of five books published by GIA: Performing Renaissance Music (2018); Performance Practices in the Baroque Era (2013); Handel’s Messiah, A Performance Practice Handbook (2013); Performance Practices in the Classical Era (2011); and Music for Beginning Conductors­, An Anthology for Choral Conducting Classes (2011). In addition, he is co-author with James Moyer of A Conductor’s Guide to Choral/Orchestral Repertoire, and he is editor of early-music editions for the GIA Historical Music Series

Dr. Shrock has held faculty positions at Boston University, Westminster Choir College, the University of Oklahoma, and Texas Christian University, and has had residencies at the University of Delaware, Baylor University, the University of Southern California, the University of Mississippi, and Yale University. He has also served as Artistic Director of the Santa Fe Desert Chorale and Canterbury Choral Society of Oklahoma City, Interim Conductor of the Dallas Symphony Chorus, and Editor of The Choral Journal. In addition, he has been a frequent All-State conductor and lecturer at various universities and conferences of the American Choral Directors Association.

Enter Choralosophy at Checkout for a 5% discount when you shop for folders, robes and other gear for your choir program! www.mymusicfolders.com and www.mychoirrobes.com

He has received a number of awards and recognitions for his work. The City of Santa Fe declared December 22, 2003 “Dennis Shrock Day,” Westminster Choir College granted him an “Alumni Merit Award,” the state of Oklahoma conferred on him a citation for “Contributions of Excellence,” and the University of Oklahoma granted him two “Distinguished Lectureships” and named him a “Presidential Professor.”

Dr. Shrock received a bachelor’s degree in music education from Westminster Choir College and both master’s and doctoral degrees in choral conducting from Indiana University. 

RyanMain.com is now expanding to a family of composers! Visit endeavormusicpublishing.com and of course, enter Choralosophy at checkout for a 10% discount!


@choralosophypodca

    

Car Thoughts: Evidence of Engagement is Not Evidence of Learning

Kids learn at a young age how to show teachers that they are learning. Even if they aren’t… And with many kids, ESPECIALLY when they are not.

The long awaited return of “Car Thoughts”

Short episodes designed to get you thinking about your educational practice. In this episode, I would also submit this as food for thought for parents.

I often hear music educators speak of “engagement” in the classroom as something more than it is: A really good sign. But what is ISN’T is evidence that the student is learning or mastering concepts and skills

Imagine asking a shop teacher: “How do you know your student learned to build a desk?” But, there was no desk built by a student…

“Well, he was engaged when he watched me do it!” would not cut it.

🎧 Tune in now on YouTube or your favorite podcast app!


Choralosophy presented by Ludus. Visit Ludus.com/choralosophy for the cutting edge in fine arts ticketing and marketing solutions.

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

www.sightreadingfactory.com is the best literacy tool on the market today. Enter Choralosophy at checkout to get 10% off memberships for you AND your students!

Be Sure to Find Choralosophy on TikTok!

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

Sign up for an annual membership and save over $50 by entering Choralosophy at checkout! Save 15% on monthly or annual subscriptions.
Enter Choralosophy at Checkout for a 5% discount when you shop for folders, robes and other gear for your choir program! www.mymusicfolders.com and www.mychoirrobes.com

RyanMain.com is now expanding to a family of composers! Visit endeavormusicpublishing.com and of course, enter Choralosophy at checkout for a 10% discount!


@choralosophypodca

    

Episode 248: What is a Vowel Made Of?

Is there value to teaching the “science of singing” to young kids? I say yes. The goal is not to over-intellectualize the voice. It is to demystify it for young singers.

Part of the Vocal Pedagogy Series

Have you ever asked kids “what is a vowel made of?” Try it! See what answers they give you.

There are ways to help young singers understand this concept. The key is small doses, and practical application.

Summary: What is a vowel “made of”?

Perceptually: The brain interpreting those frequencies as a vowel.

Physically: A voiced sound shaped by the vocal tract.

Acoustically: A specific set of resonant frequencies (formants).

Young singers can often take any timbral criticism or correction personally. Can we train them to think of their voice as an instrument like a clarinet?

🎧 Tune in now on YouTube or your favorite podcast app!


Choralosophy presented by Ludus. Visit Ludus.com/choralosophy for the cutting edge in fine arts ticketing and marketing solutions.

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

www.sightreadingfactory.com is the best literacy tool on the market today. Enter Choralosophy at checkout to get 10% off memberships for you AND your students!

Be Sure to Find Choralosophy on TikTok!

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

Sign up for an annual membership and save over $50 by entering Choralosophy at checkout! Save 15% on monthly or annual subscriptions.

1. Sundberg, Johan – The Science of the Singing Voice

  • This is the foundational text in vocal acoustics.
  • Sundberg introduces and explains the concept of the singer’s formant, formant tuning, and how the vocal tract shapes vowel identity and resonance.
  • He also explains how overtones align or conflict depending on vowel shape and pitch.

2. McCoy, Scott – Your Voice: An Inside View

  • A pedagogically friendly yet scholarly resource used in many university voice programs.
  • Covers formants, harmonics, resonance tuning, vowel modification, and implications for choral singing.
  • Includes spectrogram analysis examples of vowel shaping and overtone reinforcement.

3. Miller, Donald – Registers, Resonance, and Formants

  • A deeper dive into acoustic theory applied to singing, especially useful for understanding how register transitions and vowel modification interact with overtone alignment.

4. Bozeman, Kenneth – Practical Vocal Acoustics and Kinesthetic Voice Pedagogy

  • Applies acoustic theory directly to classical and choral singing.
  • Bozeman details how vowel shapes affect resonance, tuning, and vocal efficiency.
  • Introduces the concept of “acoustic goals” rather than fixed vowel targets.

5. Titze, Ingo – various works, including Principles of Voice Production

  • One of the most respected voices in vocal science and voice therapy.
  • Discusses the source-filter theory of speech and singing in detail.
  • His research supports how formant-harmonic interaction affects perceived pitch, vowel clarity, and vocal efficiency.

6. Benade, Arthur – Fundamentals of Musical Acoustics

  • While broader than voice, Benade’s text covers harmonic structures, resonance, and tuning systems in a way that supports overtone theory in ensemble singing.

7. Howard, David M., and Angus, Jamie S. – Acoustics and Psychoacoustics

  • Used in both music tech and voice programs.
  • Covers how humans perceive pitch, timbre, and vowel identity through formant structures and overtone relationships.

🧪 Peer-Reviewed Journal Articles (Examples)

  • Titze, I. R. (2008). “Voice research: Where do we stand?” Journal of Singing.
  • Sundberg, J. (1987). “The acoustics of the singing voice.” Scientific American.
  • Ternström, S. (1993). “Perceptual evaluation of voice source characteristics of professional and amateur singers.” Journal of the Acoustical Society of America.
Enter Choralosophy at Checkout for a 5% discount when you shop for folders, robes and other gear for your choir program! www.mymusicfolders.com and www.mychoirrobes.com

RyanMain.com is now expanding to a family of composers! Visit endeavormusicpublishing.com and of course, enter Choralosophy at checkout for a 10% discount!


@choralosophypodca

    

Episode 247: Solving Music Education’s Literacy Crisis with Carol Krueger

“If they cannot pick up a piece of music at the end of the year (at whatever level) and do it themselves, I would question what we had been doing in my classroom.”

One of our most popular guests in the show’s six year run is BACK.

(Part of the Music Literacy Series)

Carol Krueger returns with an update on the state of literacy levels for music students and pre-service teachers as well as ideas to help make your process and pedagogy more efficient! We don’t have to choose between truly fluent reading and diverse instructional methods.

In this conversation, Carol Krueger and I discuss the challenges and opportunities in music education to solve many issues with one tool. We explore the decline in music reading skills among students, the importance of connecting music literacy with linguistic literacy, and the crucial role of higher education in addressing these issues. The discussion emphasizes the need for individualized instruction, practical solutions for improving music literacy, and the significance of creating a supportive learning environment for students. Throughout the discussion, Carol provides examples of this “better way” forward that will allow us to make our pedagogy more efficient, saving time for giving our students a more diverse experience.

After we ended the episode, Carol and I kept talking and shared even MORE warm ups and instructional ideas. We even had a friendly debate about the use of the metronome in class. I will make that 20 minutes available on the private podcast available on Patreon or Substack.

🎧 Tune in now on YouTube or your favorite podcast app!


Choralosophy presented by Ludus. Visit Ludus.com/choralosophy for the cutting edge in fine arts ticketing and marketing solutions.

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

www.sightreadingfactory.com is the best literacy tool on the market today. Enter Choralosophy at checkout to get 10% off memberships for you AND your students!

Be Sure to Find Choralosophy on TikTok!

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

Sign up for an annual membership and save over $50 by entering Choralosophy at checkout! Save 15% on monthly or annual subscriptions.

Dr. Krueger formerly served as the Director of Choral Activities at Valdosta State University, Emporia State University, and Florida Southern.  She also served as the Associate Director of Choral Activities at the University of South Carolina and the University of Montevallo.  A native of Wisconsin, Krueger received her bachelor’s degree in Music Education from the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh and both an M.M. and D.M.A. in Choral Conducting from the University of Miami.

Enter Choralosophy at Checkout for a 5% discount when you shop for folders, robes and other gear for your choir program! www.mymusicfolders.com and www.mychoirrobes.com

An active clinician, adjudicator and guest conductor, Krueger has most recently conducted festivals and honor choirs at the collegiate, high school and middle school levels in Maryland, Arkansas, South Dakota, North Carolina, Virginia, Wisconsin, Kansas, New York, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Hampshire, Tennessee, Alabama, Florida, Washington, Georgia, South Carolina, North Dakota, Indiana [2021] and Kentucky [2021]. In addition, Dr. Krueger served as the guest conductor of the North-North Central ACDA Middle School Treble Choir (Milwaukee, 2020) of Vivaldi’s Gloria in Carnegie Hall (2010), the Adult Chancel Choir and Chamber Singers at Montreat Presbyterian Association of Musicians Conference (2010), and multiple performances of Epcot’s Candlelight Processional and Massed Choir Program (2005). 

RyanMain.com is now expanding to a family of composers! Visit endeavormusicpublishing.com and of course, enter Choralosophy at checkout for a 10% discount!

Krueger has presented interest sessions at the American Choral Directors National Convention in New York, the OAKE (Kodaly) National Convention in Charlotte, the ACDA Southern Division Conventions in Mobile, Nashville and Louisville, the Southern Division MENC Convention in Charleston, the North Central Division ACDA in Madison, the Eastern Division ACDA in Providence, the Eastern Division NAfME in Hartford, as well as interest sessions or workshops in twenty-eight states (Alabama, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Illinois, Kansas,  Kentucky, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota,  Mississippi, New Hampshire, New York, North Dakota, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, Wisconsin, and West Virginia), Australia and England. Krueger is also widely recognized for her work with music literacy. Oxford University Press publishes her book, Progressive Sight Singing.


@choralosophypodca

    

Episode 246: Don’t Sleep on Filipino Choral Music with Reagan Paras

Choirs across the Western world are making huge strides as we push for more diverse repertoire as well as approaches to vocalization and instruction. Reagan Paras urges us to include the Philippines as a rich resource.

In this conversation, Reagan Paras shares his unique perspective on Filipino choral music and its cultural significance. He discusses his journey from the Philippines to the United States, the challenges of cultural identity, and the importance of diverse repertoire AND methods in music education. Reagan emphasizes the complexity of Filipino choral music, its indigenous roots, and the need for cultural recognition in various pedagogies. He also provides resources for choral directors to access Filipino music, highlighting the promising future of this genre in the global music landscape.

In this conversation, Reagan discusses the vibrant choral music scene in the Philippines, emphasizing the unique vocal qualities and cultural significance of singing in Filipino society. He explores the challenges faced by composers and performers, the importance of embracing the full range of the human voice, and the need for effective communication in music education. The discussion also addresses the social dynamics surrounding male participation in choirs, the crisis of male singers in the choral world, and strategies for engaging young male singers in choir programs. Also discussed

  • The sound ideal for Filipino choirs in contrast to the US and UK
  • The ambiguity of over-broad cultural and racial categories when used to serve diversity goals.
  • “We should be ringing the alarm bell” about recent trends of boys avoiding choir.

🎧 Tune in now on YouTube or your favorite podcast app!


Choralosophy presented by Ludus. Visit Ludus.com/choralosophy for the cutting edge in fine arts ticketing and marketing solutions.

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

www.sightreadingfactory.com is the best literacy tool on the market today. Enter Choralosophy at checkout to get 10% off memberships for you AND your students!

Be Sure to Find Choralosophy on TikTok!

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

Sign up for an annual membership and save over $50 by entering Choralosophy at checkout! Save 15% on monthly or annual subscriptions.

Reagan G. Paras, (aka The Choral Doctor) serves as an Associate Professor for Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts for the Music Education Department.

A passionate conductor, singer, and educator, he has directed performance tours across the United States and abroad. He is the Artistic Director for Many Voices: Mechanics Hall Youth Singers, performing repertoire that authentically honors the mosaic of cultures represented in the ensemble. He serves as Music Director for The Salisbury Singers, one of the premier choral ensembles in the state. Throughout the summer, he conducts the Kodály Music Institute Choir, which is comprised of music educators from across the globe. Reagan was recently elected to represent the United States as a Conducting Fellow for the American Choral Directors Association’s International Choral Exchange Program. He is a guest conductor, clinician, and adjudicator for various music festivals across the country. An emerging researcher, Reagan regularly presents at research symposiums across the United States.

He is an advocate for choral music education, serving on various executive boards for music associations across the northeast. Currently, he is the Diversity Chair for MA-ACDA and has held the position of Higher Education Representative for MA-Music Educators Association.

Enter Choralosophy at Checkout for a 5% discount when you shop for folders, robes and other gear for your choir program! www.mymusicfolders.com and www.mychoirrobes.com

He is a proud husband to his amazing wife Lindsey, and father of three children ages 10, 9, and 6.

TheChoralDoctor on Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/thechoraldoctor

RyanMain.com is now expanding to a family of composers! Visit endeavormusicpublishing.com and of course, enter Choralosophy at checkout for a 10% discount!


@choralosophypodca