Member Spotlight: Erica Battle, Detroit Children’s Choir

In Detroit, music and arts organizations are pooling their resources to buy management expertise. That's how Erica Battle, a certified public accountant, stepped into her position as executive director of the Detroit Children's Choir. Here she talks with Chorus America about the shared services model that has been successful in Detroit, her new role, and her recent experience at October's Chorus Management Institute. Read more

11.04.12

Conductor's Corner: When What You Say Is Not What You Get

Do you feel like the instructions you are giving your singers in rehearsal are not getting the desired result? Conductor Axel Theimer, the founder and artistic director of the Twin Cities-based Kantorei, has developed new approaches that align with research on how humans learn best. Consider his strategies for putting your singers at ease and tapping into their abilities. Read more

10.09.12

A Chorister's Front Row Seat on History

Singing for the Soviets during the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis

The Robert Shaw Chorale and Orchestra’s 1962 tour of Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union was more than anyone bargained for. Jody Kerssenbrock, then a 25-year-old chorister, remembers what it was like to be in "enemy" territory during the Cuban Missile Crisis, when the world came as close as it ever has to a nuclear war. Read more

09.20.12

10 Tips for Engaging Your Board

It's really the staff's job to position the board to do their best work―and most of that boils down to excellent communication and clarity of expectations. Read more

09.19.12

The Evolution of Choral Concerts: Creating Multisensory Experiences

No longer is choral music constrained to choristers standing on risers at the front of a church or concert hall. In recent years, the traditional format has evolved into multisensory, multimedia experiences. Read more