I was honored to be invited onto Chris Munce’s Choralosophy Podcast where we shared an 80 minute discussion, engaging in varied topics that are not usually publicly discussed. Some topics of interest:
-What’s it like when people take shots at you based on your public opinions
-What are the biggest criticisms we both have received from our public blog/podcast
-What happens when you challenge others to think differently
-How does the support from local colleagues of our blog/podcast compare to support from geographically distant colleagues
-What is one shared, glaring weakness of our two amazing national organizations (NAFME and ACDA)
Chris is a member of the Choral Clarity Facebook Community and also has his own Choralosophy Facebook Group, focused primarily on continuing the conversation that begins with his podcast.
As listed above, some of which dealt with handling criticism when putting ideas out in public. During our conversation, I spoke specifically about four highly successful Choral Clarity blog posts that elicited a polarizing response from the choral world. I’ve attached links to these 4 blogs.
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1. 14 Indicators That Your Choral Program is Outstanding
This was my very first blog post. It was first posted on www.adampaltrowitz.com and prior to the name, Choral Clarity. It reached nearly 5000 choral directors within hours and began my journey as a blogger.
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2. The Erosion of the Choral Middle-Class
This was my third blog post, and such an important read. While much of Choral Clarity is applicable to any choir, this fundamental blog explains the inherent problem that we’ve created for ourselves as a result of our top-down choral world. Do we want a culture of people who sing, or should singing be left for the elite?
3. How do you get to Carnegie Hall?
This blog post received the most polarizing responses as it asks choir directors to differentiate a RECOGNITION of EXCELLENCE from a GREAT OPPORTUNITY. Performing at Carnegie Hall, for example, is an opportunity, not an RECOGNITION of EXCELLENCE.
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4. 10 Reasons to Retire the Hallelujah Chorus….especially with alumni!
This blog post was really polarizing as well; while there was some tongue-and-cheek in my writing here, many high school choral directors were offended by the idea that I was insulting the Hallelujah Chorus. It is a great choral piece, part of an amazing choral work, but it should not be the conclusion of 99.9% of high school Winter Concerts around the country.
Here is Choralosophy Episode 15:
Making Your Thoughts Public with Adam Paltrowitz:
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