Nathan Cort

Take My Life

Nathan — Mon, 17 Jun 2019 14:48:39 +0000

“Take My Life” is an original SAB choral anthem based on the text of the traditional hymn by Frances Ridley Havergal. Take a listen to the recording below and check out Easy Choir Music if you are interested in performing the piece.

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Beside Still Waters

Nathan — Sat, 15 Jun 2019 15:30:31 +0000

My original composition “Beside Still Waters” has been published! Lorenz Publishing has included it in “The Church Pianist’s Library, Volume 25,” which is a collection of 33 pieces from different composers and arrangers.

You can get a copy at SheetMusicPlus (affiliate link), Lorenz Publishing, J.W. Pepper, and other music retailers.

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Building Choral Excellence (A Review)

Nathan — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 00:14:32 +0000

Over my holiday break, I took the chance to read Building Choral Excellence: Teaching Sight-Singing in the Choral Rehearsal by Steven M. Demorest. Yes, you would guess correctly that it is about sight-singing, but not just that. Dr. Demorest provides a history of sight-singing in America, starting with the singing schools of New England and moving towards today. As a student of history I found this chapter to be very interesting.

We are then presented with recent research about sight-singing. I appreciated that Demorest presents the different methods of sight-singing (i.e. moveable do, fixed do, la based minor, etc.) along with the pros and cons of each system. The most useful chapters I found were “Sight-Singing Lesson Models” and “Integrating Sight-Singing into the Choral Rehearsal.” Which discussed some best practices to incorporate sight-singing throughout choir rehearsals.

The idea that the best sight-singing choirs are those that include individual assessment really stuck with me. Demorest does a good job of providing some ways that this can be done effectively with large ensembles. And I am looking forward to trying a few of these in my classroom in the coming weeks.

The book also includes a chapter devoted to published materials on sight-singing. Each material is reviewed on the basis of level and sequence, content, method, evaluation, and distinguishing features. This provided some insight into what is out there for the choral instructor.

Overall: Building Choral Excellence is a great resource on sight-singing, and I would encourage any choral instructor to give it a read. Published in 2001, the book will seem dated when it talks about computer programs and resources. It was an interesting read and re-confirmed some of my own beliefs on sight-singing, while also providing some great new information and ideas.

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The Value of Music Education – Richard Gill

Nathan — Sun, 28 Aug 2011 00:15:04 +0000

Richard Gill | Some rights reserved by TEDxSydney

Thanks to Chad Criswell over at “MusicEdMagic” for posting this video from TEDxSydney. In this video Professor Richard Gill, the Music Director of the Victorian Opera Company, presents an inspiring talk about the value of music education.

Some of the highlights that Prof. Gill offers include:

All of that improvisation, all of that creativity… is the right of every child no matter where and no matter what the circumstances.

Music does not describe. Music does not narrate. Music does not tell stories. Music evokes. Music suggests. Music implies. And music opens up the mind of a child in an extraordinary way.

The most important thing about music is to make your own music. Children must make their own music.

Music is worth teaching for its own sake. It is worth teaching because it is good. It is worth teaching because it is unique. It is worth teaching because it empowers children spectacularly.

Richard Gill presents some striking arguments for the sake of music advocacy, and I believe that the entire thirteen minute video is worth a view. My music education professor in college always talked of finding your bumper sticker philosophy, I may just ~~steal~~ borrow from Richard Gill, and paraphrase:

Music is worth teaching for its own sake because it is good, unique, and it empowers children spectacularly.

If you are interested in reading more thoughts from Richard Gill on music education in Australia, check out his blog at http://richardgill.blogspot.com/. I hope you enjoyed the video as much as I did, and remember:

When in doubt improvise.

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Technology + Vocal Music = Virtual Choir

Nathan — Sun, 07 Aug 2011 00:28:38 +0000

Eric Whitacre presenting at TED |Some rights reserved by Suzie Katz

I know you probably have already seen the two virtual choirs from over the last year and a half by Eric Whitacre, but I still wanted to share two of the coolest things on the internet.

The first video is of Eric Whitacre’s Virtual Choir performing “Lux Aurumque.” The performance includes 185 singers from 12 countries singing under the direction of a recording of Whitacre. This first video has had over 2.5 million views on YouTube since it debuted in March 2010, which is pretty epic for choral music.

The second video is of a larger virtual choir, including 2052 singers from 58 countries, performing Whitacre’s “Sleep.” This has been viewed over 500,000 since April 2011 on YouTube.

There are multiple great things about these videos.

The technological undertaking to sync all the videos is simply amazing. Yes, they should all be going the same tempo, but not everyone started the recording at the same time. And then presenting each person’s video in such a creative way, especially the “Sleep,” was an artistic and technological feat in itself.
Both of the songs written by Whitacre are of high quality and are great examples of his compositional style. Whitacre’s use of thick chords makes both pieces a satisfying aural journey for the listener.
It is simple amazing to see how both technology and music can connect people together. It is almost unimaginable to think that two thousand people would end up singing together, performing the same song, with complete strangers from around the globe while still in the comfort of their own home. Some vocalist are highly trained, whereas others are just starting their choral journey, but every voice adds to the musical ensemble, which just marvels me.

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Entertainment: An American Epidemic

Nathan — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 23:29:17 +0000

As an American who cherishes our history and culture, I am always fascinated at our current culture. And was captivated while reading The Impoverishment of American Culture, which discusses the ramifications of an entertainment based culture. As a young adult, I know I have an entertainment addiction, but after watching a movie or TV, I ask myself, “did this make me think,” “have I grown,” and the answer is usually a resounding “No.” In my opinion art and culture should challenge the viewer to question aspects of themselves or their understanding of the world, but when the world is mesmerized by people who think they can sing on American Idol, I think it is a pity. I am always fascinated when going to an opera that I am one of the few young people in the audience, unless a parent is dragging their children along for the ride. It is shameful that we as the American people do not embrace and explore the arts in our country, that many cannot name a living composer, conductor, artists, poet, writer, etc. I am guilty of being culturally “shallow” to an extent, but there are steps I want to take to acknowledge the arts in America, and I challenge others to take some of these steps.

Replace entertainment with arts and culture. You don’t have to get rid of all TV and trips to the movies, but I challenge you to throw in an opera or a play. This can be expensive, but there are many selections available on Netflix or at your library to get your feet wet.
Read books, especially literature. “You will be the same person in five years as you are today except for the people you meet and the books you read.” – attributed to Charles Jones. I think that books are important for the growth of a person. I challenge people to explore books that do not have vampires, zombies, or wizards in them. I am a fan of balancing literature and non-fiction.
Go to art galleries. Go to an art gallery and explore some of the best artists of the past and present, and even discover works of the up and coming generation of painters. If you live in an area which doesn’t have many art galleries, the internet has opened the door for many works of art to be viewed. They aren’t as grand as the real thing, but you can get a good idea of the work of art.
Explore different genres of music. Some people, including myself, have fallen into the trap of only listening to a few musical genres. (For me it is classical.) I argue that one should explore a variety of music, and listen for what they like and dislike about the music.
Have fun. Art and culture, in the view of the mainstream, has become highbrowed and disconnected from the people, but I believe that we have to open our eyes to the art and give it time. Art comments on society and the human nature, and can be fun and fascinating. It can challenge us to look at ourselves, which can be an experience that helps us grow.
Influence others. Teachers, parents, siblings, friends, etc. We all have people that we influence. As a music educator, I have the responsibility to introduce composers of our time. A English teacher may introduce students to a recent writer. Parents could take their children to musicals, plays, operas, recitals, art galleries, museums, etc. We need to become advocates for the arts.

We, as human beings, must explore the world around us, instead of numbing our minds with entertainment. We should allow ourselves to grow and become more cultured. Give it a try, if you think it is a waste of your time and money, that is your right, but I dare you to just give it a try.

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Notes and Neurons: The Brain on Music

Nathan — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 12:56:41 +0000

A video of Bobby McFerrin “hacking” the minds of a crowd has made its rounds on the internet. In reality it is a fascinating look at how the body and mind are linked in the production of music. So here it is:

This is only a portion of a fascinating forum on how the brain is hardwired for music, how music is a full neural activity, and how culture affects our expectations in music. These topics are discussed further here. I would highly urge you to take the time to watch all the clips, I found them very fascinating and interesting.

Thanks Bobby McFerrin

Picture of Bobby McFerrin by Jazz Fest Wien Team

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Supply and Demand of Music Educators

Nathan — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 19:52:10 +0000

Numbers from AAEE 2007 research show that supply and demand for music educators is generally well-balanced around the country, but certain regions have a somewhat shortage of music educators. The following regions have a somewhat shortage of music educators:

Instrumental: the Northeast, the Rocky Mountains, the Great Plains, and the West
Vocal: Alaska, the Northeast, the Great Plains, and the Rocky Mountains
General: Hawaii, Alaska, and the Great Plains

Whereas in my home region of the Great Lakes the supply and demand of music educators is balanced, but has some of the highest surpluses around the country.

Fields with the greatest amount of shortages include: 9 special education categories, math, physics, chemistry, and bilingual education

The only catagories to have some surplus were: elementary-primary, physical education, and social studies education.

These numbers are for 2007, so the demographics have probably even changed more considering the recent economic turmoil.

So my job outlook after I graduate will most likely focus on moving out west, or capitalizing on a school in desperate need of a teacher with a mathematics minor.

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