DiscoverCORONA CHOIR...what choral folks NEED to know with Fish the Choir Guy
CORONA CHOIR...what choral folks NEED to know with Fish the Choir Guy
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CORONA CHOIR...what choral folks NEED to know with Fish the Choir Guy

Author: Steven Fisher a.k.a. Fish the Choir Guy

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Choirs warm up so they SING well. Choral Directors, Corona Choir is your daily warm up to LEAD well. Choristers, Parents of young Singers, Friends, Supporters and Audience Members of choral music, get ready to be informed and inspired. Join host Steve Fisher, or Fish the Choir Guy as his South African friends call him, at the juncture of Covid-19 and choir. Whether you're involved in a choir at a school or university, a community based program, a professional ensemble, or a place of worship, Corona Choir will help you survive, succeed and flourish as we endure together the ongoing pandemic. You'll hear from choral folks of all kinds, from all over the United States, and around the globe to tell us what we need to know. We'll learn from medical experts who can update and guide us so we can keep our choristers safe. Most importantly of all, we'll hear from Singers themselves, to know how they're feeling, so we can serve them better. If you join the Corona Choir email list, you will be automatically entered into a drawing to win an ALL EXPENSE PAID trip to the one place in the world that should be at the top of every person on the planet's bucket list - and especially choral folks...SOUTH AFRICA! To sign up, go to coronachoir.org.
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Not THAT much, so only give this a listen if you love mermaids or are obsessed with Ariel from The Little Mermaid, and want to explore the actual world of real life mermaiding.  Yes, it's really a THING. Of course, there are always - at most - six degrees of separation between any two people or topics.  In literature and music, mermaids have always been a popular subject.  In the Romantic period, composer Clara Shumman set German poet Heinrich Heine's  "Die Lorelei," to music as an art song.  It's been wonderfully arranged as an SSA piece by Brandon Williams, available at J.W. Pepper.  But really,  this inaugural episode of what will be a monthly series is offered as an escape to take us choral folks outside the choir world into another world that perhaps we didn't know existed, or maybe we've always wondered..."what's THAT About!?" Our special guest is Hailey Michaux, a real mermaid! Some mermaids do it for the pictures and modeling.  Some mermaids do it for the pageants and glamour.  Hailey, as a life long advocate for conservation, does it to bring joy to kids (including "Make a Wish" kids), and to raise their awareness about the importance of healthy oceans.  There is power in mermaiding! There is also DRAMA. As Hailey puts it, "it’s not all sunshine and tail flips." Here's the tea. It turns out there's a seedy, backstabbing, bitchy aspect to this world where  - for some - purity is paramount.  #finfolkvs.finfun And how about the black market of tails. Steve and Hailey cover it all - including mermaid bras.  Yes, it's a thing.  This hobby (or professional for some) can be expensive. But do not fear. Second hand mermaid bras can be acquired online. (Isn't that a Seinfeld episode?) And then there’s the question of what a mermaid looks like and who is allowed to be a mermaid. (Hailey says, "Anyone!") Times are a changin', but as in all worlds, change comes slow.  You won't believe what some in the mermaid community asserted when Halle Bailey, a performer of color, was announced as the lead in The Little Mermaid  movie. Does a mermaid have to be skinny?  Not in 2021! Does a mermaid have to be female? Ah, what you never heard of "mermen." There are even "mertenders." You can't make this stuff up! To get the skinny - or not - give a listen to this hour long, deep dive (sorry, couldn't resist) into this very intense, fascinating and strange world of mermaiding.  And don't forget to follow Hailey @mermaid.anemone on Instagram.
#50. If you're a choral nerd, get ready to nerd OUT. You're about to hang out withThe Crossing's two-time Grammy Award winner Donald Nally.  One of the remarkable things about Donald is that his immense talent does not stop him from being vulnerable.  In fact, I'm sure his openness and humility, along with his singular goal of choral honesty, are the reasons why he enjoys such success.  So give a listen and discover what professional endeavor Donald avoids because he says he's a disaster at it. What it was like to meet Mick Jagger and perform with the Rolling Stones. WhyThe Crossing has performed with the LA Philharmonic and the NY Philharmonic but never The Philadelphia Orchestra. What Donald really thinks about Zoom. And what it really feels like to win not one, but TWO Grammys. And you'll hear Donald's answer to the question of what the "secret formula" is to winning a Grammy. Obviously,  he's figured it out.  Or has he? This is an engaging conversation, with the inimitable singing of The Crossing threaded throughout. If you don't already, you'll understand just why this ensemble has won two Grammys. But that's decidedly not why Donald does what he does.  You'll find out what drives him in this very special episode. Our two-part conversation begins with something I found rather curious in his bio on The Crossing website. It ends with an excerpt fromThe Crossing's recording of Jim Primosch's Carthage , which has earned Nally and the ensemble its 6th Grammy nomination and maybe its 3rd Grammy Award for Best Choral Performance. Break a vocal fold Donald! Every piece that is highlighted in this episode, along with a link to buy it so you can know this incredible artistry and support The Crossing  and the composers it champions, can be found on my website's blog. Or you can go directly to crossingchoir.org.  (Donald Nally's Photo Credit: Beck Oehlers)
CORONA CHOIR is baaaaaaaack with both "Greatest Choir Director" and "Let the Choir Kid Talk". If you want great ideas on how to maintain and grow choral relationships, for what this episode's main guest thinks of as "the long run" - with not just your choir members but with the other choirs in which they sing - then this really fun episode is for you.  Steve Fisher has an engaging conversation with Frank Van Atta, Choir Director of Upper Choir ensembles at Germantown Friends School, along with three of Frank's students who also are long time members of the community-based Commonwealth Youthchoirs. Choir Kids Graham, Zack and Amelia don't hold back with what they're thinking 11 months (!) into the pandemic.  Click here for the show notes.  And if you are interested in learning more about an engaging online experience for your choir that takes the pressure off you the choir director, visit singlikeasouthafrican.com.
#048.  If you still have questions around singing and the science of rehearsing and performing in person, this episode is for you! Don't miss this exclusive conversation with Dr. Jelena Srebric of the University of Maryland, one of two lead researchers on the main study that choral directors have relied upon since the pandemic began:  the International Coalition of Performing Arts Aerosol Study.  There's a lot of good news in this 3rd report, but vigilance and adhering to best practices is crucial - especially as corona has been on the rise again in many regions of the world. Click here for Report #3, presenting findings thru month five of the sixth month study.  Conversation topics includes: the summary of latest report from landmark study, Dr. Srebric's prediction for the next several months in regards to the second wave of the virus; how corona has affected musicians in Dr. Srebric's own family and how they have informed her work; what the last part of the study will focus on (due in January); silver linings of the pandemic; how impressed Dr. Srebric and her team has been  with the arts community's instinct for mobilization during this crisis; what the future holds for how we all approach life spaces, choir and life.  If you'd like to watch the video version of this episode click here.   If you're interested in a free virtual workshop "Sing Like A South African" on Sunday, 1/3/21, request an invite here. 
#047.  Welcome to this first CORONA CHOIR episode recorded LIVE! You can view the video episode here.  If you ever wonder whether choir directors have gone soft, compared to when WE were choristers, this episode is for you!  In some ways the pandemic is just another challenge for our choristers.  It's not as if we didn't have things working against us during pre corona times when trying to make the music.  There will be  old and new challenges post corona times. The reality is Choir Directors have always had to push their choirs to hang in, stay choral tough, raise the bar, and get the job done under impossible circumstances, inspiring them to never, never, never give up.  But is that possible with the today's general approach to raising young people?  Former Philadelphia Boys Choir and Chorale star soloist, and Girard Academic Music Program student and teacher alum, Manny Carrera chats with Fish about the "old days," with Philadelphia local choral legends and "tough as choral nails" Dr. Robert Hamilton and Dr. Jack Carr. Have we lost permission as choir directors to push our choristers hard?  You'll love the clip of Manny singing the solo in John Rutter's "Et Misrecordia" from Magnificat.  Fish and Manny also talk about the ongoing challenges of choir during the pandemic, including getting school district administrations - even ones who are listening - to understand what choir directors need to be successful during this challenging time.  In this episode you'll learn how to get an exclusive invite to Fish's upcoming free virtual workshop, "Sing Like A South African" being held on Sunday, January 3rd, 2021 at 1pm.  All attendees will receive a free arrangement of the Zulu song "Shumayela."  All attendees will also be  entered into a drawing to win and all expense paid trip to South Africa with Fish in late December 2021/early January 2022 to make music in the townships with his South African friends. 
#046. Spoiler alert!  This is Part 2, the sequel to yesterday's cliff hanger episode (#045).  Find out Audim's decision when Steve told her that if she left the rehearsal for the upcoming world premier of The Little Dancer musical  in NYC to go to an undisclosed cheerleading practice, she would be cut from the show. (But first, be sure to listen to Part 1, episode #045.) And don't miss Audim express in her own words how important it is for young people to have music in their lives. Visit the SHOW NOTES for links related to this episode. You can also visit coronachoir.org for more resources. There you can join the email list and  be automatically entered into a drawing to tour South Africa with Steve and make music with his South African friends - all expenses paid. 
#045. If you want to be reminded of the POWER of CHOIR in a person's life, this episode is for you.  Steve lets Audim, this week's Choir Kid of the week, TALK!  Audim is a 10th grader who has been a member of Commonwealth Youthchoirs (CY) since 2nd grade.   She started out in the Find Your Instrument!(FYI!)  program, CY's partnership with schools who don't have formal music offerings for their students.  Audim graduated from FYI! to CY's Pennsylvania Girlchoir, and never looked back.  She has made great friends while making great music, has travelled the world, has been on Good Morning America, and has performed in the musical The Little Dancer...a family holiday musical at Theatre 71 right off Broadway in New York City.   But she almost didn't.  Listen and find out Steve and Audim's "moment." It's a cliff hanger! Visit the SHOW NOTES for links related to this episode. You can also visit coronachoir.org for more resources. There you can join the email list and  be automatically entered into a drawing to tour South Africa with Steve and make music with his South African friends - all expenses paid. 
#044. The pandemic WILL end and our choirs WILL tour again.  Steve's prediction is that, by this summer, it will be safe to tour - depending on your tolerance for calculated risk.  But you need to start planning now.  For those choirs who don't have a tradition of touring, maybe you should start one, as a carrot to get singers to return post pandemic. And here's a bold question. Why not plan your own concert tour?  That's right, no travel agents, no tour companies.   You CAN do it yourself and end up offering your choristers their best tour yet. Not only could it cost less per day than any previous tour, but planning your own tour allows your organization to benefit financially. Today Steve gives a sneak peak at a course he'll be offering at the end of the season on how to plan your own concert tour. He also provides a list of countries that are admitting tourists without a quarantine at this moment in time and shares a great idea colleagues had for being hosted by international choirs right now. Visit the SHOW NOTES for links related to this episode. You can also visit coronachoir.org for more resources. There you can join the email list and  be automatically entered into a drawing to tour South Africa with Steve and make music with his South African friends - all expenses paid. If you're a choir leader and you need help solving a choir problem of any kind, visit 1 on 1 with Fish the Choir Guy, where 30 years experience meets your choral challenges. Finally, stay tuned for Steve's online mine course series, "South African Songs in 7!," as well as a course on how choral organizations can plan their own concert tours.  That's right. Your ensemble can have far superior and much less expensive tour experiences, with the profit going to your organization's bottom line instead of a cookie cutter tour company. 
#043. It's  "Greatest Director" Tuesday with a final conversation with Jenny Hutton and a shout out to the supremely awesome Dr. Donald Dumpson.  Dr. Dumpson comes up in one of Steve's "Confessions of a Choir Director."  Even when we're making real, significant, noble efforts to rid ourselves and our choral communities of internal, societal and/or institutional racism, bias can be present. The future Dr. Hutton and Steve talk about how we all tend to put choir directors in a box - including ourselves. They wrap up talking about choral leaders having time for singers, truly partnering with them to build true relationships, and honoring what they already bring of value to the music making from their own musical and life experiences independent of us. It's a realm that is of particular interest to Jenny as a doctoral candidate, educator and human. Choral leaders need to do themselves what they tell their singers is the most important thing of all...listen.  Venerated choir director Eph Ehly likes to say that we choir directors and our choir are alone in a very tiny, little corner of this planet called Earth. Therefore each of us are the greatest choir director and our choir is the greatest choir in the world. Through that lens, we are actually very BIG.  Jenny Hutton you are indeed the greatest choir director. You too Donald Dumpson. Visit the SHOW NOTES for links related to this episode. You can also visit coronachoir.org for more resources. There you can join the email list and  be automatically entered into a drawing to tour South Africa with Steve and make music with his South African friends - all expenses paid. If you're a choir leader and you need help solving a choir problem of any kind, visit 1 on 1 with Fish the Choir Guy, where 30 years experience meets your choral challenges. Finally, stay tuned for Steve's online mine course series, "South African Songs in 7!," as well as a course on how choral organizations can plan their own concert tours.  That's right. Your ensemble can have far superior and much less expensive tour experiences, with the profit going to your organization's bottom line instead of a cookie cutter tour company. 
#042.  Veteran high school choir director and Temple University doctoral candidate Jenny Hutton and Steve take on cultural appropriation and the need to balance honoring the music without paralysis by analysis.  Jenny talks about her opportunity to work with the fabulous Rollo Dilworth and his approach to the subject.  Jenny cites a specific challenge she faced with an Aruban harvest piece and how she handled it.  What a music educator!  Visit the SHOW NOTES for links related to this episode. You can also visit coronachoir.org for more resources. There you can join the email list and  be automatically entered into a drawing to tour South Africa with Steve and make music with his South African friends - all expenses paid. You will also get exclusive access to the official "Links Hub," which includes all the links from all episodes, organized by category.  If you're a choir leader and you need help solving a choir problem of any kind, visit 1 on 1 with Fish the Choir Guy, where 30 years experience meets your choral challenges. Finally, stay tuned for Steve's debut on teachable.com, with his online mine course series, "South African Songs in 7!," as well as a course on how choral organizations can plan their own concert tours.  That's right. Your ensemble can have far superior and much less expensive tour experiences, with the profit going to your organization's bottom line instead of a cookie cutter tour company. 
#041.  Veteran high school choir director and Temple University doctoral candidate Jenny Hutton and Steve pick up where Micah and Steve left off in dialoging about challenges in choral communities around gender.  We tend to think of gender issues as being solely trans issues. But there is a spectrum.  CORONA CHOIR's recent guest, Adam Burdick, is gender fluid. He, in his own words, "may never fully transition." Recently, Steve encountered in his program, a very young boy who began presenting as gender fluid. When his group began performing a piece that referenced "boys,"  the singer informed Steve that he could not sing the song since he was not identifying as a boy "at that moment." What to do?  Steve and Jenny discuss, and it leads to a larger discussion about repertoire choices for boys, and the important opportunity boys singing together provides for male esteem and bonding. Visit the SHOW NOTES for links related to this episode. You can also visit coronachoir.org for more resources. There you can join the email list and  be automatically entered into a drawing to tour South Africa with Steve and make music with his South African friends - all expenses paid. You will also get exclusive access to the official "Links Hub," which includes all the links from all episodes, organized by category.  If you're a choir leader and you need help solving a choir problem of any kind, visit 1 on 1 with Fish the Choir Guy, where 30 years experience meets your choral challenges. Finally, stay tuned for Steve's debut on teachable.com, with his online mine course series, "South African Songs in 7!," as well as a course on how choral organizations can plan their own concert tours.  That's right. Your ensemble can have far superior and much less expensive tour experiences, with the profit going to your organization's bottom line instead of a cookie cutter tour company. 
#040. Part 6 wraps up Steve's conversation with Jerusalem Youth Chorus' founder Micah Hendler. With his Forbes free lance writer hat on, Micah talks about some of his favorite  interviews, like Eric Whitacre talking about virtual communities. Confession of a Choir Director: Steve has an ADD moment mid conversation, leaving Micah wondering where he went.  But Steve wasn't completely multitasking.  Steve then reveals the most challenging topic he thinks choirs are facing - besides corona of course. But not to worry. Micah and Raise Your Voice Labs can help. And just for fun,  Micah gives us a sense of what it's like to live in DC right now in the run up to the election.  Was that Air Force 1 landing outside his window?  Listen to find out.  Visit the SHOW NOTES for links related to this episode. You can also visit coronachoir.org for more resources. There you can join the email list and  be automatically entered into a drawing to tour South Africa with Steve and make music with his South African friends - all expenses paid. You will also get exclusive access to the official "Links Hub," which includes all the links from all episodes, organized by category.  Also, if you're a choir leader and you need help solving a choir problem of any kind, visit 1 on 1 with Fish the Choir Guy, where 30 years experience meets your choral challenges. Finally, stay tuned for Steve's debut on teachable.com, with his online mine course series, "South African Songs in 7!" and a course on how choral organizations can plan their own concert tours.  Your ensemble can have far superior and much less expensive tour experiences, with the profit going to your organization's bottom line instead of a cookie cutter tour company. 
#039. In Part 5 of Steve's conversation with Jerusalem Youth Chorus' founder Micah Hendler, they continue their conversation about the groundbreaking "Raise Your Voice Labs" which Micah created with Sarah Brajtbord and Austin Willacy  (pictured) . Micah recalls that Steve's Commonwealth Youthchoirs is the only ensemble of the many that have hosted JYC who invited Micah to lead a JYC style dialogue about its own internal challenges around race.  I guess you could say it was a precursor "Raise Your Voice Labs." Somehow "Mr. Holland's Opus" and "The 3 Amigos" came up in today's conversation.  Listen to find out why. Visit the SHOW NOTES for links related to this episode. You can also visit coronachoir.org for more resources. There you can join the email list and  be automatically entered into a drawing to tour South Africa with me and make music with my South African friends - all expenses paid. You will also get exclusive access to the official "Links Hub," which includes all the links from all episodes, organized by category.  Also, if you're a choir leader and you need help solving a choir problem of any kind, visit 1 on 1 with Fish the Choir Guy, where 30 years experience meets your choral challenges. Finally, stay tuned for Steve's online mine course series, "South African Songs in 7!" 
#038. In Part 4 of Steve's conversation with Jerusalem Youth Chorus' founder Micah Hendler, they talk about the groundbreaking "Raise Your Voice Labs" which Micah created with Sarah Brajtbord (pictured) and Austin Willacy, to help organizations experiencing conflict to improve their community's culture by learning to listen better via song composition and dialogue. Visit the SHOW NOTES for links related to this episode. You can also visit coronachoir.org for more resources. There you can join the email list and  be automatically entered into a drawing to tour South Africa with me and make music with my South African friends - all expenses paid. You will also get exclusive access to the official "Links Hub," which includes all the links from all episodes, organized by category.  Also, if you're a choir leader and you need help solving a choir problem of any kind, visit 1 on 1 with Fish the Choir Guy, where 30 years experience meets your choral challenges. Finally, stay tuned for Steve's online mine course series, "South African Songs in 7!"
#037. Do you have questions or struggles around gender inclusivity and choir? If so, this episode is for you. In Part 3 of 6 of Steve's dialogue with Micah Hendler,  Founder and Artistic Director of the Jerusalem Youth Chorus, they talk about Steve's struggles regarding gender  and the particular nature of boychoirs and girlchoirs.  Micah talks about related challenges with his own organizations on the larger level of conflict and disagreement. Luckily, Micah has tools to help us work through them! Visit the SHOW NOTES for links related to this episode. You can also visit coronachoir.org for more resources. There you can join the email list and  be automatically entered into a drawing to tour South Africa with me and make music with my South African friends - all expenses paid. You will also get exclusive access to the official "Links Hub," which includes all the links from all episodes organized by category.  Also, if you're a choir leader and you need someone to partner with to solve a choir problem of any kind, visit 1 on 1 with Fish the Choir Guy, where 30 years experience meets your choral challenges.
#036.  At CORONA CHOIR, on Fridays, we traditionally let the choir kid talk. But today we let the founder talk. This is Part 2 of 6 of my dialogue with Micah Hendler,  Founder and Artistic Director of the Jerusalem Youth Chorus.  Micah and Steve now have something in common.  They are both transitioning away from being the center of all things in the organizations they founded. There is a bit of gossip in today's episode. Specifically, its distinct possibility of Steve being divorced by the end of the month, since this is the first time he and his husband Marc are actually living together full time. Consequently, Steve feels a lot like Micah these days bridging two worlds in conflict, because Marc is a good old fashioned New York progressive, and Marc's very sweet 90 year old father in law who they live with is a long time conservative, who doesn't "like Trump," BUT... You'll find out how Steve is brokering the peace in a not overly expansive Brooklyn apartment during this presidential election season. Part 2 starts out with Micah talking about who's directing the Jerusalem Youth Chorus presently, since Micah is serving as the Artistic Director long distance, from Washington DC. Who Micah chose is really significant since he, as the founder and first conductor, is Jewish. Let's just say that the Jerusalem Youth Chorus is practicing what it preaches with its musical leadership choices. Visit the SHOW NOTES for links related to this episode. You can also visit coronachoir.org for more resources. There you can join the email list and  be automatically entered into a drawing to tour South Africa with me and make music with my South African friends - all expenses paid. "LISTeners" on the CORONA CHOIR email list also get exclusive access to the official "Links Hub," which includes all the links from all episodes organized by category.  
#035.  Here's some binge-worthy listening. Steve's guest is Micah Hendler, the Founder and Artistic Director of the Jerusalem Youth Chorus. If you know this ensemble, you love and are inspired by it. If you don't know the Jerusalem Youth Chorus, you need to.  It's an ensemble of of Israeli and Palestinian young people singing TOGETHER. But it's more than that, as choirs are always are.  Micah describes it as a music and dialogue project.  It's been featured for its innovative musicianship and integrity of purpose and process everywhere from the Late Show with Stephen Colbert to the New York Times. Through the co-creation of music and the sharing of stories, the chorus empowers young singers from East and West Jerusalem to speak and sing their truths as they become leaders in their communities and inspire singers and listeners around the world to join them in their work for peace, justice, inclusion, and equality. Like Steve's recent conversation with Adam Burdick, this dialogue that begins today, continues tomorrow, and through next week, is an odyssey of vital and fascinating topics. Today we find out how the Jerusalem Youth Chorus is weathering the pandemic. Its unique approach is a reminder of what choir leaders already know - that amazing ideas often come not from choral leaders, but from the choristers themselves. Visit the SHOW NOTES for links related to this episode. You can also visit coronachoir.org for more resources. There you can join the email list and  be automatically entered into a drawing to tour South Africa with me and make music with my South African friends - all expenses paid. 
#034.    If you need ideas on how to make your Zoom Choir rehearsals more successful, Victoria Hopkins and Christine Mulgrew have some! They are the founders of "Total Choir Resources," a training and information platform that helps choir leaders all over the world to build and run successful community choirs.  They well know that many choirs, especially community choirs, are still unable to meet. With corona cases rising across the world, it may be months before we can resume in-person rehearsals. Over the months since March,  they've learned a lot about what works and what doesn’t on Zoom. Steve weighs in with a "One Page Expert" free download on coronachoir.org.  Oh and the three of them talk about dogs vs. cats and use fun Brit words like  "brilliant" and "jolly." Visit the SHOW NOTES for links related to this episode. You can also visit coronachoir.org for more resources. There you can join the email list and  be automatically entered into a drawing to tour South Africa with me and make music with my South African friends - all expenses paid. LISTeners on the CORONA CHOIR email list also get exclusive access to the official "Links Hub," which includes all the links from all episodes organized by category.   
#033. Are you still struggling to understand the science of making choral music safely in person? Is your choir transitioning from virtual to in person, or you'd like to but need to convince your community that it's safe?  Have you made the transition but are still anxious about things such as the air exchange rate in your room? Are you contemplating not having your Singers wear masks? Today, in Part 2 of my conversation with Dr. Joseph Ohrt, we talk about how he has partnered with his administration to understand the science around singing to achieve their number one priority of making sure his choristers are safe as they resume in person rehearsals at Central Bucks High School - West. Visit the SHOW NOTES for links related to this episode. You can also visit coronachoir.org for more resources. There you can join the email list and  be automatically entered into a drawing to tour South Africa with me and make music with my South African friends - all expenses paid. Listeners on the email list also get exclusive access to the official CORONA CHOIR "Links Hub," which includes all the links from all episodes organized by category.  
#032. Ubuntu  means "a person is a person through other people." Dr. Joseph Ohrt of Central Bucks High School-West instinctively knows what it means, evidenced by the remarkable choral program he's built. In fact, we didn't even mention the Zulu word in our conversation. Dr. Ohrt just gets it. There is no English translation for the word ubuntu. The term "community" is the closest we have, but it falls far short.  Regardless of the limits of language, we all know deep down that a person realizes their human potential not by achieving certain things or recognition, or titles, or money, or fame, but through their relationships with other people. "Because you are, I am," was one of the favorite phrases of Nelson Mandela, who Dr. Ohrt's choir sang for when Madiba visited Philadelphia.  Dr. Ohrt's ensembles have sung for many heads of states, and have performed at esteemed venues such as the White House, and Carnegie Hall many times over. But these kinds of honors are not ultimately what is central to what a choir is. What's central is ubuntu.  It's not a coincidence that both ubuntu and choir are central to South African township life.  Choir is the ultimate manifestation of ubuntu. Today Dr. Ohrt talks to us about what's happening with his choirs right now and how important it is for connection to remain at the center of how we are engaging our choirs as we endure the pandemic. Visit the SHOW NOTES for links related to this episode. You can also visit coronachoir.org for more resources and an opportunity to tour South Africa all expenses paid. .
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