The Choral Contrarians

Latest Episodes:

Game Time! Apr 23, 2020

Show notes

What do cyborg arms, Pampered Chef, truth, lies, and influential composers have in common? Nothing! Take a dive into some game time with Richard and Eric as they have fun (for once).

Living in Zoom Apr 04, 2020

Show notes

Richard, who has been living in Zoom, must be rescued by Eric and brought back to the corporeal with the power of the *beep bop boop.* They discuss how the use of technology could continue to grow and be implemented by conductors and musicians after the initial wave of global pandemic. What could be some long term ramifications? Eric ends up uploading his mind to the interwebs.

From the Bunker Mar 21, 2020

Show notes

Richard and Eric riff on what's going on from their isolated bunkers. What are a just couple ways that choral music could be effected by this pandemic?
Be safe, be healthy, be well everyone!

Inspired at Home Mar 06, 2020

Show notes

With Richard gone, Eric goes solo to give some inspiration for those who are staying home from the choral conventions taking place nationwide in the United States this week. He spends time with an excerpt from Howard Swan's "Conscience of a Profession," and looks at what we can do to stay present and inspiring for those we interact with on the home front.
H. Swan. "Conscience of a Profession." Hinshaw Music. (June 1, 1987).

Sacred Cow Tipping: Them Themes Feb 16, 2020

Show notes

Richard and Eric hobnob about the concept of 'theme' in music programming. Do themes play too prevalent of a role in the programming craft of a choral conductor? What's the purpose of a theme anyway, and what might it look like to have program without any theme? Perhaps a theme is inevitable, but its worth thinking about to keep things in context.

Canon goes Boom! Jan 25, 2020

Show notes

Richard and Eric make their return after a short winter hiatus. They begin 2020 discussing the choral "canon" and some composers therein. What is it? What do we do with it or how do we engage with it? Does it matter whether we engage with it or not nowadays? Should we care that some "great" composers may find themselves generally forgotten?
https://www.classicfm.com/discover-music/latest/most-underrated-composers/
https://culture.pl/en/article/many-composers-have-been-erased-from-history-an-interview-with-marcin-swiatkiewicz

What's the Point? Dec 04, 2019

Show notes

Richard and Eric respond to a small excerpt about Nora Ephron found in Greg McKeown's wonderful book: "Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less." Finding out "the point" of something is worth considering, and the two try to figure it out as it relates to the choral art and conducting. Perhaps an impossible task... They go so far as to ask what is the point of discovering the point?
McKeown, G. (2014). Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less. Ebury Publishing.

Bring Your Tired... Nov 05, 2019

Show notes

Richard and Eric broach the subject and philosophy of being within the ensemble. How 'real' are we really willing to get with the people around us? When we enter a space, do we think it is important to 'leave everything at the door?' How do we navigate being tired or depressed? How do we encourage others who are dealing with that same tiredness? The guys land on some encouraging conclusions.

Mr. Maslow Goes To A Choir Concert Oct 27, 2019

Show notes

Richard and Eric take an unusual approach in discerning what it means to have successful choirs in performance and practice. Looking through the lens of Abraham Maslow's mid-20th Century psychological paradigm of an 'Hierarchy of Needs,' fully expressed in his 1954 book "Motivation and Personality," they look at key factors that potentially make individuals successful and fulfilled. Can these same functional needs work out similarly within the context of a music ensemble, no matter the performance level? While seemingly simple at first, the power of using this tool becomes quickly and incredibly evident.
Maslow, A. (1954). Motivation and Personality. New York, NY: Harper.
https://www.simplypsychology.org/maslow.html

Sacred Cow Tipping: The 'Warm-Up' Oct 15, 2019

Show notes

Richard and Eric ramble on in attempting to tip over a perceived 'sacred cow' of the current choral scene: the 'warm-up'. What is a choral 'warm-up,' and what are the various ways it could be seen to be a positive or negative tool and experience? Are we being thoughtful in our time 'warming up' an ensemble, or is this a time of ritual and routine?
Jordan, J. (1994). Rehearsal Technique: A Guide for Planning the Choral Rehearsal. Up Front. EC Schirmer Music Co.

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