Choralosophy
Episodes
Episode 181: Finding Equilibrium in the Teacher Life with Jimmy Robertson
10 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This week, I welcome a colleague who shares my crusade of teaching teenagers to be the best they can be through choral music. Jimmy Robertson is a vet...
Episode 180: The Performance Practice of African Choral Music with Chukwuebuka Ezeakacha
03 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The quest for diversity in Western art music has led to the influx of ‘Westernized’ African music into the choral canon, albeit tagged as ‘w...
Episode 179: YOUR Favorite 2023 Episodes!
27 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Another year of Choralosophy has come to a close! In this episode I have collected short clips, commentary and show highlights from the top 10 episode...
Episode 178: What the Heck is Going on With Choir People?
21 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Over the last few weeks I have noticed a storm after the calm in choral music circles. We saw a boil over in Texas when a clinician withdrew from a co...
Episode 177: Teaching Skills not Songs with Anthony Trecek-King
13 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This week, Dr. Anthony Trecek-King joins the Choralosophy conversation by joining me to discuss two related topics. The teaching of musical fundamenta...
Episode 176: Cementing the Spiritual as American Art with Dr. André Thomas
30 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Over the last year, I have seen Dr. Thomas present twice on the importance of ensuring that the African American Spiritual is passed on to the next ge...
Episode 175: Gratitude Makes Us Better. Thanksgiving Episode
23 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In a world characterized by constant social criticism and a perpetual desire for progress, the often-overlooked emotion of gratitude emerges as a powe...
Episode 174: Adapting the Science of Reading To Music
15 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, In this episode I will be referencing a few resources, provided in the Patreon Google Folder. The “Science of Reading” re...
Episode 173: Culturally Relevant Excellence with Dr. Jeffrey Allen Murdock
08 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This week I am excited to bring you a compelling discussion with the esteemed, and often outspoken Dr. Jeffrey Allen Murdock. In this episode we mainl...
Episode 172: Dispelling Myths About Middle School with Ian Henning and Jacob Garcia
02 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Over the years, this Podcast has been a place for many types of conversations, on a variety of topics. But, one of the recurring passions of mine has ...
Episode 171: The Culture of Choral Musicianship with David Hill
25 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This week, I have the honor of crossing the pond virtually to discuss the profound yet often overlooked concept of “vocal musicianship.” J...
Episode 170: Controversial Truths About Music Ed with Angela Ammerman
18 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This week, I connect with yet another instrumental music educator! Don’t worry, I will be fine… It was a great pleasure to speak with Dr. ...
Episode 169: Have You Ever Met a Biracial Choir Unicorn? with Kelsey Burkett
11 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Well, now I have! And so can you. In this conversation, I welcome Kelsey Burkett to discuss the magical, mystical world in which she teaches choir. I ...
Episode 168: I Need This Choir with Nathan Connell and the Glacier High School Concert Choir
04 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
I am excited to bring back the “Student Perspectives” category on the Podcast this week with the Glacier High School Concert Choir. Beth a...
Episode 167: Compose Like a Girl with Jocelyn Hagen
27 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Often times, the most confident and assertive person you will ever meet is an 8 or 9 year old girl. Then, somewhere along the way society teaches her ...
Episode 167: Compose Like a Girl with Jocelyn Hagan
27 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Often times, the most confident and assertive person you will ever meet is an 8 or 9 year old girl. Then, somewhere along the way society teaches her ...
Episode 166: A Day in the Life of a Choralosopher’s Rehearsal
20 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Easily the most frequent request I get from the audience is for more teaching examples, rehearsal videos, samples, demonstrations etc. I have decided ...
Episode 165: What IS Choral Music?
06 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode I draw on a few sources, including audience comments to present an advocacy conversation. To make the case for Choral Music classrooms...
Episode 164: Is “Music Education for All” Realistic? with Stephen Cox
30 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Stephen Cox has the honor of being the FIRST band director and educator to appear on the show! His perspective on music education brings some differen...
Episode 163: Catching the Wind in Our Sails with Dr. Scott Barry Kaufman
24 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This week, I am PUMPED to be joined by renowned Psychologist, researcher, author and host of the Psychology Podcast, Dr. Scott Barry Kaufman. We in th...
Episode 163: Catching the Wind in Our Sails with Dr. Scott Barry Kaufman
23 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This week, I am PUMPED to be joined by renowned Psychologist, researcher, author and host of the Psychology Podcast, Dr. Scott Barry Kaufman. We in th...
Episode 162: The Problem with “Talent” with Joshua Mazur
16 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This episode was a product of a submission on the main page here at Choralosophy.com. The prompt really grabbed me. Guest Joshua Mazur suggested that ...
Episode 161: Where Has All the Polyphony Gone? with David Simmons Wood
09 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Recently, David Simmons Wood made a splash by writing an article for Early Music America called “Toward a Rebirth of Renaissance Choral Repertoi...
Episode 160: Practical Vocal Acoustics with Kenneth Bozeman
02 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
I am excited to welcome Kenneth Bozeman to the podcast this week to blow your minds! Ken is a voice teacher, author and prominent lecturer presenting ...
Episode 159: The Entrepreneurial Future of Choral Music with Ryan Main
26 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Could it be that the new era of “the choral entrepreneur” is what we need to save Choral Music? After the pandemic, we have seen a resurge...
Episode 158: Is All Art is Political? With Melissa Dunphy
19 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Composer Melissa Dunphy believes that artistic expression is inherently connected to the socio-political landscape of the world. Artists often create ...
Episode 157: Civic Renewal Through Ensemble with Chris and Beth Munce
13 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Last week, instead of a typical adult getaway for our anniversary, Beth and I attended the National Conference of Braver Angels. From the Mission Stat...
Episode 157: Civic Renewal Through Ensemble with Chris and Beth Munce
13 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Last week, instead of a typical adult getaway for our anniversary, Beth and I attended the National Conference of Braver Angels. From the Mission Stat...
Episode 156: Choralosophers Livestream on Burnout, Literacy Instruction and the Moral Injury of Educators
05 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This week’s episode is a fast paced conversation between myself and members of the “Choralosophers” Facebook page. Choralosophers is...
Episode 155: What I Wish I Knew As A Young Conductor with John C. Hughes
28 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In this week’s episode I welcome John Hughes to discuss the things we wish we had known when we were starting out as teachers and conductors. We...
Episode 154: Turning Title 1 Challenges into Success with Mark Bailey
21 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
One of the “elephants in the room” within education discussions related to merit, opportunity and access is the wide range and disparity o...
Episode 153: Going Deeper on Gender Equity in Music Ed with Dr. Melissa Baughman
14 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In May of 2023, American Choral Directors dedicated an issue of their “Choral Journal” to Gender Inequity in Choral Music. The Research Re...
Episode 152: Prioritizing Context and Connection with Zanaida Robles
07 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In this special Oxford Series episode, I catch Dr. Zanaida Robles for a conversation about her philosophy as a composer, as well as the way all of her...
Episode 151: Omni-Musicians with Greg Thomas
31 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
What does it mean to be an Omni-American? An Omni-Citizen, or an Omni-Musician? How can Jazz be taught as a metaphor for American culture and democrac...
Episode 150: Choir After the Pandemic with Emmy Burch and Chris Munce DURING the Pandemic
25 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Now that the pandemic is officially over, I thought it would be a good time to release this audio I captured back in April of 2021. About 30 of us bra...
Episode 149: “Tár” Movie Review
17 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This week, I FINALLY respond to the many requests I got to share my thoughts on the movie “Tár,” starring Cate Blanchett. So, consider th...
Episode 148: The Arts and the Exceptional Child with Dr. Matthew Zakreski
10 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we are honored to have Dr. Matt Zakreski, a clinical psychologist, joining us to discuss neurodiversity, autism, and gifted children ...
Episode 147: Leveraging Artificial Intelligence in Music Education with ChatGPT
04 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In this unique episode of Choralosophy, we are taking it into the future that is now with a very special guest. It’s ChatGPT, a cutting-edge art...
Episode 146: The Vibrato Question with Dr. Jennaya Robison
26 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In today’s episode, we have a special guest, Jennaya Robison, who is an accomplished conductor, vocalist, and music educator. In this episode, w...
Episode 145: Teaching Skills, Not Facts with Melanie Trecek-King
19 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This week, I am excited to have Melanie Trecek-King as our guest. Melanie is a science educator who specializes in teaching science to non-science maj...
Episode 144: A Thousand Tiny Cuts with Jasmine Fripp
12 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, I am thrilled to be joined by guest Jasmine Fripp, a music educator and advocate for cultural sensitivity and anti-racism in music ed...
Revisiting the Anti-Fragile Choir: Resilient, Robust, Powerful with Eric Barnum
06 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
I was recently exploring the recent rise in the use of the word “trauma” to describe the events of our lives. From small inconveniences to...
Episode 143: Toward a Diversity of Diversities with Survey Results!
29 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This episode is a pastiche of sorts from several sources. We will start with the introduction from my “Togetherness Activism” live present...
Episode 142: How the Sausage is Made in Sheet Music with Dan Forrest
22 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, I have renowned composer and publisher Dan Forrest on the show to talk about the current state of the publishing industry. In additio...
Episode 141: Education’s Relationship with Masculinity with Dr. Brendan Kwiatkowski
15 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Did you know that boys have fallen behind girls in almost every measurable academic category? Boys are 3-6 times more likely to have an ADHD diagnosis...
Episode 140: Balancing Individual Vocal Pedagogy in a Group Setting LIVE at CMEA
08 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The beautiful challenge is that in vocal music ensemble instruction, every instrument is unique. So unique in fact that an instruction that helps one ...
Episode 139: Digging into National ACDA
01 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Last week, I attended the first national gathering of the American Choral Directors since 2019. I had some incredible experiences, saw incredible choi...
Episode 138: Evolving the Musical Mind with Dr. Alan Harvey
22 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
From the very beginning of our species, musical communication has been a key component of prosocial, cooperative behaviors, acting as a counterweight ...
Episode 137: Literacy is Equity Live from CMEA
15 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This presentation is the second part, or “why” sequel to Episode 135. In that episode, I lay out processes and procedures to build indepen...
Episode 136: Remaking History with Dr. Marques L.A. Garrett
08 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This week, welcome BACK to the show Dr. Marques Garrett, who last appeared in episode 17, “Beyond Elijah Rock,” where many of us were intr...
Episode 135: The A Cappella Rehearsal Live at CMEA
01 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Last week I had the incredible honor to headline at CMEA in Colorado Springs. I was able to introduce the A Cappella rehearsal (no piano played while ...
Episode 134: The A Cappella Connection with Deke Sharon
25 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
When you perform, it’s your job to go out there and save a life. Deke Sharon This week, I welcome the “Father of Contemporary A Cappella,&...
Car Thoughts: Student Led Sectionals
18 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
“Whoever is doing the talking is doing the learning.” Jen York-Barr In this special car thoughts I will not only DESCRIBE how I use sectio...
Episode 133: Should We Pay Student Teachers? With Dr. Tina Beveridge
11 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Is student teaching a “class?” or a “job?” Does this practice need a revamp in the face of the current teacher shortage? In th...
Episode 132: Learned Helplessness with Christine Sefein
05 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Is it possible that the over-politicization of classroom education could be contributing in some way to the epidemic of mental health problems amongst...
Year in Review! Top Episodes of 2022
28 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
2022 was an exciting year on this show! The first solid year of weekly episodes, a wide range of topics. (Only ONE Covid episode, thank God.) We saw l...
Episode 131: Going Beyond Good Intentions with Robyn Hilger
21 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In part two of my conversation with ACDA Executive Director Robyn Hilger, we pick up right where we left off last week in Episode 130. I begin by aski...
Episode 130: The Value of an Outsider with Robyn Hilger
14 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The American Choral Directors Association is the largest organization of choral musicians in the world. ACDA sets the tone and direction of choral mus...
Episode 129: Channeling Emotional Contagion with Dr. Gary Seighman
07 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
There is an often felt, but rarely quantified sense within ensemble music experiences that something truly MAGICAL is happening that changes us profou...
Episode 128: The Strange Relationship between Choral Music Ed and Vocal Ped with Dr. Sharon Hansen
30 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
One of the oddest things about Vocal Music Education as a profession, is how little we are required to learn in our schooling about the voice. Vocal P...
Episode 127: An Alternate Universe with Vaughan Fleischfresser
23 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The Music Department is an alternate universe where pupils are often unrecognizable from who they are outside of it. The shy become confident. The agi...
Episode 126: Expanding our Musical Vocabularies with Christopher Tin
16 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Humans aren't capable of completely original ideas. Everything is borrowed.
Episode 125: Making the Case for Choir with Tom Metzger
10 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Advocacy Episode! Our jobs as music educators, sadly, MUST include the ability to persuasively and passionately make the case in our communities that ...
Episode 124: Teaching in a Famous Classroom with Myles Finn
02 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
So, what happens when you post a video on the internet from inside your classroom and it goes viral with millions and millions of views?! It’s u...
Episode 124: Teaching in a Famous Classroom with Myles Finn
02 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
So, what happens when you post a video on the internet from inside your classroom and it goes viral with millions and millions of views?! It’s u...
Episode 123: The Belonging Buffet
27 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Obvious: All humans need to feel connected and have a sense of belonging. Less obvious: Teacher’s have less power to actually achieve this with ...
Episode 122: The Problem of “Racializing” Music with Contraband
20 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Will, the host of the show invited me on to share some the experiences that I have had in conversations with colleagues who may be "missing the point"...
Episode 121: When Magic Happens with Chanticleer
12 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The twelve men of Chanticleer and I had a fast paced round table discussion about what it's like to be at the Choral music mountaintop in the ensemble...
Episode 120: Jake Runestad Live in My Classroom!
05 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, filmed in front of a “live studio audience” in the form of my students, I have the opportunity to sit down with one of ou...
Episode 119: Yes Middle Schoolers CAN! with Dale Duncan
28 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode I sit down with THE Middle School choir guru, Dale Duncan to talk about sweet spot for success in Middle School vocal music. Middle Sc...
Episode 118: Leveling the Playing Field with Dr. Chantae Pittman
21 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode Dr. Chantae Pittman joins me in the ongoing conversation surrounding the philosophy of choral music education. Why are we there? What ...
Episode 117: Finding My Voice with Benedict Sheehan
14 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode I have a chat with GRAMMY nominated conductor and composer, Benedict Sheehan of the St. Tikhon Monastery Choir. This passionate conver...
Episode 116: What is Our MAIN Job?
07 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Is creating a welcoming, inclusive, fun, engaging and safe learning environment enough to be an excellent choir teacher? I say no. Is choir an activit...
Episode 115: The A Cappella Revolution with Rob Dietz
01 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
A Cappella guru Rob Dietz joins me this week to tell his story of passion for the “Pop A Cappella” genre of ensemble vocal music. Rob is w...
Car Thoughts: Thank you for your mistake
25 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, I reflect on the psychology of gratitude, and on the importance of helping our students develop a healthy relationship with their own...
Episode 114: Boys Keep Singing! With Martin Ashley
18 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
A Choralosophy Oxford Series episode! One of the most challenging aspects of being a teacher of singing is dealing with the male changing voice. Not o...
Car Thoughts: Back to School with No Masks and Normalizing Noise Making
13 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Anxiety from within is normal. The belief that students can’t overcome the anxiety can often come from the teacher’s approach. It is criti...
Everyone CAN Get an A, But Not Everyone Will
04 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
A Summer Refresher on Grading and Assessment at Alabama ACDA This episode is in many ways, the live presentation SEQUEL to Episode 21: Everyone Can Ge...
Episode 113: Are We Doing Anti-Racism Wrong? with Dr. Sheena Mason
28 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
*Racism* is the social construction that necessitates our continued & (mostly) blind belief in & upholding of “race” ideology &...
Episode 112: Arts of Personhood and Shining Eyes
21 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
LIVE at Alabama ACDA “Who am I being that my children’s eyes are not shining?” Benjamin Zander This week I had the honor and privile...
Ep 111: The Righteous Musician with Reena Esmail
15 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
True diversity is the varied life experiences and cultural upbringings that lead us to our widely disparate moral “palettes.” As we gather...
Episode 110: Creating Laboratories for Friction with Mónica Guzmán
07 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Classrooms have become ground zero for the problem of political polarization. What is being taught, who is teaching it, how it’s being taught, h...
Episode 109: Doing the Business of Choir with Alex Gartner
30 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Do you think of yourself as a “choir leading business person?” I am going to guess that most of you don’t, and I’m going to su...
Episode 108: Dropping the Covid Ball with Dr. Nikki Johnson
22 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The Return of Covid Conversations! Sadly, many of us in education have lived at the epicenter of the Covid Wars. Possibly the biggest political footba...
Episode 107: Retention Matters MORE than Recruitment
15 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Straight out of the archives! Most of my live presentations are reserved for Patreon Subscribers, but I felt so strongly about the ideas in this prese...
Episode 105: Work Less Hard, Have Better Choirs
02 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Sound too good to be true? Well, it is if you are thinking that there is a quick and easy pill to swallow in order to get to that next level in your c...
Episode 104: Don’t Abandon the Canon! With Dr. Anika Prather
26 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Like many topics in education, we have strains of the same philosophical divides in music education as we do in other areas of education. This week, m...
Episode 103: Finding My Voice with Brittney E. Boykin
19 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In Collaboration with Oxford University Press to Bring You Great Conversations In the next edition of the Oxford Series, I am excited to bring you a n...
Episode 102: Belonging Isn’t Top-Down
12 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
A hybrid episode! We run the risk of oversimplifying educational concepts, packaging them in seminars and professional development sessions for sale, ...
Episode 101: The Science of Program Building with Dr. Seth Pendergast
05 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Dr. Seth Pendergast of Colorado State University joins me to dig through the critical aspects of recruiting and retention. As we are (hopefully) comin...
Episode 100: Sing Softer, You’re Off Key with Beth Munce
27 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
This episode is a milestone. The 100th full length episode of the podcast. Since my wife Beth was the FIRST guest on the show, I thought it would be g...
Episode 99: The World Imagined with Gabriel Jackson
21 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Part of the Oxford Series on the Choralosophy Podcast Dig into the mind of Gabriel Jackson, one of my FAVORITE composers. His ability to mix the moder...
Episode 98: You Are Your Story with Brent Morden, Michelle Pollino and Angel Eduardo
07 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
A New Initiative from a New Organization: FAIR in the Arts is a program from the Foundation Against Intolerance and Racism We have to think about grou...
Senioritis vs. The Last Concert
24 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
I did a live episode recently on Teacher Burnout, and another one in December about teacher burnout leading up the Holiday Break, but STUDENT burn out...
Episode 97: Intentions Matter with Emily Williams Burch
17 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
A Podcast Exchange! Emily Williams Burch is back. What makes us tick? Can we be collegial without knowing each other? What was it like for me to traip...
Episode 96: “Real Men” Sing? with Braeden Ayres
10 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Dr. Braeden Ayres is a teacher, conductor and composer with a passion point related to concepts of masculinity in choral music. What stereotypes are w...
Episode 95: Your School’s PD is Not Evidence Based with Dr. Kristina Mitchell
04 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Teachers, this is the episode you want to send to your admin! “Hi, Dr. Principal. I listened do an expert on a podcast that says our new distric...
Episode 94: Singing High, Singing “Us” with Patrick Dailey
24 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
An episode inspired by the Oxford Handbook of Vocal Studies by Dr. Alisha Jones called “Singing High: Black Countertenors and Gendered Sound in ...
Episode 93: Togetherness Activists with Micah Hendler
17 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The Third Anniversary Episode of the Choralosophy Podcast! The serendipity of having this episode ready to publish this week, on the third anniversary...
Episode 92: Live at Missouri Music Educators
13 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
LIVE conventions are back! I am so excited, because this online thing does not do it for me. So, I was itching to talk to people! So, I traveled with ...