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The Voice

Chorus America's award-winning quarterly magazine, The Voice, highlights chorus news, artistic initiatives in the choral world, and advice and commentary on the business of running a successful chorus. The Voice is distributed to nearly 2,000 choral leaders throughout North America. It is published in Spring, Summer, and Fall/Winter; ISSN 1074-0805. Browse articles and past issues in the tabs below. Editor, Liza W. Beth

Beyond Outreach: Four Community Engagement Stories

Choral music has a unique power to touch hearts and souls – but how can choruses leverage that power to impact their communities? These four stories provide some answers. 

Audiences Everywhere!

The people who would love to come to your next concert are out there. But it will require more than just more advertising or deeper discounts to find them and bring them into the fold. Arts consultant Matt Lehrman explains. 

Illuminating Early Music

When done right, these choral directors say, early music transcends its intimidating reputation and connects with audiences.

The Essential Board Plan

By Jay W. Vogt and Judy A. Ozbun

These four simple steps will get your board working well on the right work.

El Sistema For Choruses

New choral programs are embracing Venezuela's El Sistema model to reach children in America's underserved neighborhoods.

Singing and the Brain

Humans have a special ability to learn songs and change them over time—a skill that is useful in treating neurological problems and may help support overall brain health. Researcher Aniruddh D. Patel explains.

Funding in the Future

Crowdfunding is the way of the future, so start making it part of your development efforts now.

I am not an expert at fundraising in the traditional sense. As a recovering choral conductor who became a recording engineer, I’ve never held a fundraising position for any arts nonprofit organization. I did, however, spend 10 years working for two symphonic choruses with budgets of over $1 million and administrative staffs of less than five people. Like many of us, I’ve gotten an on-the-job crash course in fundraising and patron cultivation.

10 Questions: An Interview with Joe Miller

As the director of choral activities at Westminster Choir College, Joe Miller helps shape the next generation of choral conductors and leaders. Here he reflects on his own training as a conductor and on the future of the choral field. Click on the questions below to view his answers.

An Interview with Jane Chu

This summer marks one year since Jane Chu began her tenure as chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts. In advance of her keynote conversation at Chorus America’s Boston Conference, she spoke with president and CEO Catherine Dehoney about her career and the important role the arts play in our lives and communities.

The One-Person Everything Shop

Being the only person managing the day-to-day operations of a chorus is not for the faint of heart, but the pay-off can be sweet. Here’s how a number of solo administrators pull it off.

The Balancing Act

Choral conductors share their professional responsibilities and work-life balance.

In her memoirs, Alma Mahler narrates the meticulous schedule by which her husband Gustav balanced his daily priorities in order to preserve his energy and maximize the value of every minute. In the summertime, when he composed at their lake house, he took a mandatory afternoon swim, followed by a three-hour walk, rain or shine. In the wintertime, when he conducted in Vienna, the opera house called ahead at lunchtime to ensure that his apartment door was open so he would not have to wait. His soup, hot, was expected to be already placed on the table.

Technology Tools for Today’s Chorus

Your chorus needs effective digital tools to support everyday management, but how do you know what the right tools are? Consider these questions and tips for choosing the most effective technology for your needs. 

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