The Choir Girl

I'm a choir girl who is passionate about all things choir, music, and performance-related. I detail my musical musings and experiences here on this blog.

Recent Blog Posts

Fifteen Years to This Day
Posted
Dear Choir Girl readers,My blog is 15 years old! I am as surprised as you. While I have contemplated with the idea of retiring this blog, a few readers convinced me it is not yet time. There is less arts journalism all the time. It is rare for a magazine or newspaper to even have funds to co...
Published at The Choir Girl
Podium 2022
Posted
 Dear fellow choral survivors of the pandemic,We made it this far! Perhaps our laptops are all running a bit slower with the increased amounts of video recording and sound recording software we downloaded to complete virtual choir tasks, we have an increased array of lounge pants to work in,...
Published at The Choir Girl
The Beginning of Happiness
Posted
Dear readers,When a fellow live theatre goer shouted at me in the Fall 2021, "another survivor!!!" I chuckled at the statement. It took a moment before I realized that it was no exaggeration. I wish to acknowledge the hardship, adaptation, revision, planning, cancellations, equipment, protocols, ...
Published at The Choir Girl
An Interview with Deirdre Kellerman
Posted
  There is no such thing as perfect. This theme emerges as I chat with Tone Cluster’s new Artistic Director, Deirdre Kellerman. In fact, Kellerman feels that parting with the mindset of perfectionism holds the key to discovering who people are as singers. This past year was Kellerm...
Published at The Choir Girl
Do Not Be Afraid: A discussion on musical appreciation vs appropriation by Melissa Morgan
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Do Not Be Afraid: A discussion on musical appreciation vs appropriation by Melissa Morgan
The subject of cultural appropriation verses cultural appreciation is a hot topic right now. While there are several books, articles, and blogs which address this subject, I have found that musicians and specifically choral conductors do not know what to do when programming music from a culture d...
Published at The Choir Girl
Guest Blogger: A Conductor’s Self-Reflection by Gloria Wan
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My name is Gloria. My parents bravely emigrated from Hong Kong to Canada over 40 years ago, making me proudly Chinese-Canadian. Additionally, I’m a conductor, educator, singer, instrumentalist, and Candy Crush enthusiast (Still? Yep). I’ve had my heart set on choir since my first encounter with a...
Published at The Choir Girl
Guest Blogger: Who’s Behind “Decolonizing the Choral Classroom”? by Kiernan M. Steiner
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Guest Blogger: Who’s Behind “Decolonizing the Choral Classroom”? by Kiernan M. Steiner
In a recent Instagram post, I shared some questions that I have been considering for the past couple of years, and I would like to provide some more background information regarding that initial posting.  First, I must acknowledge my positionality in this conversation.  I am an able-bod...
Published at The Choir Girl
An Introduction to the decolonizing choir series
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An Introduction to the decolonizing choir series
Dear Reader,I am excited to share with you news about an upcoming decolonizing choir series hosted here on The Choir Girl Blog. This series is not a guidebook to becoming a decolonized choral professional. Rather, the blog will be a platform to share information and stimulate discussion. The...
Published at The Choir Girl
An Interview with Konomi Kikuchi
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An Interview with Konomi Kikuchi
 Japanese Dancer, Konomi Kikuchi, is an understudy dancer for The Beginning of Happiness. She took some time to share her thoughts regarding the rehearsal process so far:What is some of your background? I started training in classical ballet in Japan at the age of three. I graduated fro...
Published at The Choir Girl
An Interview with Melissa Morgan
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An Interview with Melissa Morgan
Melissa Morgan’s professional world underwent significant change in 2019. Firstly, she decided to step away from duties with the Prairie Chamber Choir (PCC). The group was at a point where either there would be a major investment of time to continue the non-profit group established or it was time...
Published at The Choir Girl