Category Archives: Rehearsal

unattainable

Posted on May 3, 2014 by mllama4

R – “Let’s realize first that the arts are not an ivory tower of retreat. They are a doing. They are a making. They are sweat, strain, cramps, blisters, tears, blood, profanity and mocking laughter.” – Robert Shaw Vivaldi’s Gloria, … Continue reading →

Posted in Music is work, Performance, Rehearsal | 1 Comment

concerts and reflective thinking – part 2

Posted on March 15, 2014 by mllama4

R – One of the wonderful things to happen in my career has been the establishment of the grassroots, Maine Arts Assessment Initiative. The mission statement is, “Creating an environment in Maine where quality assessment in arts education is an integral … Continue reading →

Posted in Performance, Rehearsal, Standards | 2 Comments

letters from marv, part 2

Posted on December 14, 2013 by mllama4

R – Here is the second set of excerpts from of a set of articles I published just over 20 years ago for the Vermont Choral Directors association. In part 1 I gave some background on Marv and his impact … Continue reading →

Posted in Etcetera, Performance, Programming, Rehearsal | Leave a comment

letters from marv, part 1

Posted on November 30, 2013 by mllama4

R – Everybody needs (deserves) a mentor. I’ve had several who helped mold me into the director I am today. But when I began my career as a choral director, I found an amazing one; someone who challenged me intellectually … Continue reading →

Posted in Etcetera, Performance, Programming, Rehearsal | 1 Comment

goal setting

Posted on September 14, 2013 by mllama4

R – I am reaaaaallllly tempted to hate goal setting. Not in a “I gotta sit down and do this and I don’t wanna” kind of way, but it just seems like every Fall that’s what we all get in … Continue reading →

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difficult intervals

Posted on May 13, 2013 by mllama4

R – A couple of weeks ago I was getting ready for school thinking about how singers, at the heart of it, only struggle with singing specific melodic intervals. In other words, harmonic considerations completely aside for a moment, there’s … Continue reading →

Posted in Rehearsal, Warmups | Leave a comment

spot on teaching

Posted on March 23, 2013 by mllama4

R – Yesterday I had correspondences with two colleagues of mine, both of whom coincidentally are former students as well. One of them forwarded me a wonderful blog post on the value of music education to 21st century learners (please … Continue reading →

Posted in Music is work, Rehearsal | 7 Comments

standards, assessment, blah blah blah… part 1

Posted on October 26, 2012 by mllama4

R – I’ve spent a lot of mental time recently thinking about where music assessment stands in the great state of Maine right now. And my concerns lie around lingering misunderstandings of 1) what a “standard” is, 2) what it … Continue reading →

Posted in Assessment, Rehearsal, Standards | 2 Comments

letters to PCC: not-so-psycho analysis

Posted on October 13, 2012 by mllama4

R – I don’t sing so much any more (conducting really is my first love) but when I was teaching in Vermont in the early 1990’s I decided for a term to commute to Worcester, Massachusetts to perform with the Worcester Chorale under the … Continue reading →

Posted in Music is work, Rehearsal | 2 Comments

sacred music police

Posted on August 31, 2012 by mllama4

R – preface: I have spent 11 of my 25 years in this profession as a president or president-elect of a state ACDA or NAfME organization. All that means is that I have been in a position to hear what’s … Continue reading →

Posted in Advocacy, Etcetera, Programming, Rehearsal | Tagged | 8 Comments