Month: May 2026

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 music.

Joining the show is Dr. Samuel Grace, a conductor and music director from Minnesota whose recent doctoral dissertation directly explores the theoretical models of network gatekeeping in our field. He breaks down the multi-layered pipeline of how music gets created, how publishers and professional organizations decide what gets heavily marketed, and how peer conversations ultimately influence what you choose to put on your concert programs.

While contemporary popular culture tends to use “gatekeeping” strictly as a pejorative term for exclusion, we look at it through a rigorous academic lens—as an unavoidable, organic force that manages information overload and shapes cultural value.

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

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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!

Samuel Grace is a Twin Cities-based conductor known for his thirst for new music and creative collaborations. Samuel serves as Director of Music Ministry at St. Philip the Deacon Lutheran Church where he oversees four choirs. He is also Founding Artistic Director of MPLS (imPulse). Now in its 12th season, MPLS (imPulse) builds choral communities by performing living music, embracing the singer experience, and fostering novel collaborations. In his free time, Samuel can often be found riding his bike or cooking with his family. Samuel holds degrees from Gustavus Adolphus College (B.A.), The University of Minnesota (M.M.), and Indiana University (D.M.).

www.mplsimpulse.org

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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 experience directly, or indirectly with this topic, my wife took over the studio and nailed it!

In this episode, Joanne Bozeman—a researcher, voice teacher, and expert on hormonal impacts on the voice—shares her personal and professional insights into how menopause and perimenopause influence vocal health. Beth Munce sits down with Joanne in a personal, vulnerable AND information rich episode. Joanne also recently co-authored “Singing Through Change” which is a must read for anyone who wants to be informed on the topic.

Whether you’re a singer, voice teacher, or a woman experiencing these changes firsthand, this conversation offers clarity, reassurance, and practical guidance.

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

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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!

Joanne Bozeman, a graduate of the University of Arizona, has been a singing teacher for nearly 50 years. As a faculty member of Lawrence University’s Conservatory of Music, she taught singing and related courses, and was an actively performing soprano, specializing in recital repertoire, oratorio, and chamber music. Joanne developed a keen interest in the relationship of hormones with voice and the female lifespan, and co-authored the book, Singing Through Change: Women’s Voices in Midlife, Menopause, and Beyond, released in 2020. Her other serious interest concerns the singing voice and hypermobile conditions and postural orthostatic tachycardia (POTS.) Joanne is a frequent presenter for many organizations, including the National Association of Teachers of Singing, the International Congress of Voice Teachers, the British Voice Association, Pan American Vocology Association and numerous voice education collectives. Retired from academia, Joanne continues to be engaged with the voice community as an independent teacher and researcher.

Bensoussan, Yael, et al. “Menopause and the Voice: a Narrative Review of Physiological Changes, Hormone Therapy Effects, and Treatment Options. Menopause, 33(2), 2026, 232-241. DDOI: 10.1097/GME.0000000000002636

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