Way Over in Beulah Lan’
Renowned choral conductor and educator, André J. Thomas, has crafted a book that the conductor of any choral ensemble…be it church, high school, university, or professional…will want close at hand when preparing to program any concert spiritual.
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Exploring the beginnings of the spiritual, its role in society and its transition into art music. Issues of interpretation-text, diction, rhythm and tempo-are addressed in the second section, Performing the Spiritual. In addition to interviews with noted conductors Dr. Anton Armstrong and Prof. Judith Willoughby as to matters of performance and selection, the centerpiece of this section is Dr. Thomas's personal reflections on several spiritual arrangements, including his rehearsal techniques (with specific examples and measure-number references to the included scores), as well as an insightful look into his decisions of interpretation.
The Wow Factor
Contributing Author
What is it about some musicians and performers who consistently achieve success? Are they the best performers? Did they have the best teachers? Do they have the best professional contacts and connections? Is it just coincidence? Of course not!
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Dr. Steve Zegree, choral arranger and conductor of Western Michigan University's prestigious vocal jazz group Gold Company, has developed this practical guide for performers, students, teachers and parents which offers fundamental philosophies and concepts that are essential to a person's growth and development and will contribute to a successful professional life in music. More than just the basics, more than a prescribed curriculum, and more than just getting in front of an audience to go through the motions of what you did in rehearsal - call it The Wow Factor - there is something for everyone in this book! And, as a special bonus, it includes interviews with great performers from all facets of the music industry, including Simon Carrington, Nick Lachey, Ward Swingle, Roger Emerson, Mac Huff, Liza Minnelli, and many more! Chapters include: 1. The Wow Factor: The Framework; 2. How to Practice and Rehearse for The Wow Factor; 3. How to Prepare a "Wow" Audition; 4. Ifs, Ands or Buts - and Rules to Live By; 5. Don't Go to Your Face: Putting the Polish on Your Performance; 6. How to Educate and Entertain; 7. How to Win on NBC's Clash of the Choirs; 8. "Wow" Perspectives: The Interviews; 9. Coda.
Choral Reflections: Insights from American Choral Conductor
Contributing Author
Choral Reflections offers inspiration, ideas, and insights for conductor-teachers at any stage. The goal for Choral Reflections is to provide a platform for a new and more representative cross-section of American choral conductor-teachers to share their reflections, beliefs, values, and visions for the choral art.…
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Tesfa Wondemagegnehu writes, “The compendium you hold in your hands represents the glimmering of the North Star. All thought-leaders and outstanding practitioners of our time, these authors have provided myriad ways to navigate through the messy, deafening, and sometimes terrifying chaos around us.”
The thirty contributors are: Hilary Apfelstadt, Anton Armstrong, Geoffrey Boers, Edith A. Copley, Rollo A. Dilworth, Jason Max Ferdinand, Lynne Gackle, Janet Galvan, Lynnel Joy Jenkins, Craig Hella Johnson, Ann Howard Jones, Henry H. Leck, Iris S. Levine, Fernando Malvar-Ruiz, Kevin McBeth, Marcela Molina, Gary Packwood, Rosephanye Powell, Amanda Quist, Doreen Rao, Jeffery B. Redding, Eugene Rogers, Diana V. Saez, Pearl Shangkuan, Tom Shelton, Sandra Snow, Andre J. Thomas, Betsy Cook Weber, Brad Wells, and Jace Kaholokula Saplan.
In Search of Inspiration
Contributing Author
Choral conductors shoulder a great responsibility as custodians of their craft. And there is perhaps no better source of inspiration and guidance for today’s conductors than the experiences and insights of choral giants who have blazed the trail we now tread.
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In Search of Inspiration is a collection of in-depth interviews with fifteen highly respected choral conductors from around the world. Each answers a series of fundamental questions about how they shaped their achievements: How do they balance their time making music and fulfilling teaching schedules and concert schedules? How do they motivate students, manage outside professional commitments in the educational setting, and satisfy administrators?
Each conductor generously shares their wisdom and expertise, discussing memorable educational moments on the podium and in the classroom, recounting stirring experiences in the concert hall, and sharing stories about their work with historic figures in music. They also offer insights on programming repertoire and explain how they have successfully navigated a career in music.
These interviews document the through lines within the choral art—elements of performance and mentorship stemming from such luminaries as Julius Herford and Robert Shaw that connect so many of the great conductors.
A fascinating and relevant read for any choral educator, In Search of Inspiration explores the choral art through extraordinary 20th- and 21st-century voices whose artistry and influence will be felt for generations to come.
Articles
André J. Thomas - “Successful Rehearsal — Joyous Performance”, Sing Out Magazine, National Journal for the Australian National Choral Association, 2016