…and what actually has to change Third post in this summer’s Church Hiring Series Impressions, feedback and scuttlebutt This is the third post in a series on hiring and retaining singers for church music programs. If you’re catching up, the first post looked at why some singers are quietly opting out of church work, and … Read more
I’ll admit it — as of Monday morning (June 29th), only four people had RSVP’d for the schmooze, and I was mentally rehearsing my “well, intimate gatherings have their charms” speech. Then, somewhere between the freeway and the restaurant, my phone started buzzing. By the time we sat down at Pitfire Pizza in Pasadena — … Read more
This was originally posted in our private Facebook group, but I’ve been asked to add it to the blog for general information. The following is inspired by that original post: If you’re new to singing the Jewish High Holy Days, there’s one thing you need to understand before you say yes to a gig: once … Read more
Church Hiring series, Post 2 Since the first post in this series went up, the response in our community has been immediate and pointed. Directors, singers, and more than a few people who are both have weighed in with observations that deserve to be part of this conversation. What follows draws on those voices — … Read more
There are teachers and colleagues who will always tell fellow vocalists that a professional never works for free — and that position isn’t wrong, exactly, but it ignores semantics and situational details. “Never” doesn’t account for passion projects, learning opportunities, family culture (!), or judgment calls that don’t fit neatly into a rule. Every singer … Read more
Church Hiring series, Post 1 Over the past year, I’ve heard a version of the same sentence from multiple church music directors: “We’re having a much harder time filling paid section leader positions.” Not volunteer choir seats or children’s choir enrollment — those are perennial struggles for many congregations. They’re talking about searches for paid, … Read more
It’s February, which means the first High Holy Day inquiries have begun. Over the next few months, we’ll receive requests from congregations across Southern California looking for singers for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. We don’t contract these services or take a fee — we simply connect temples with singers who are likely to be … Read more
If it feels like everyone you know is rethinking something right now—career, schedule, genre focus, income mix, long-term plans—you’re not imagining it. The world is shifting fast, and the arts always feel it early. For singers, that often shows up as questions like: Do I double down? Pivot? Add something new? Let something go? Let’s … Read more
Here’s the truth most of us already know: a performing career does not reset on January 1. If you’re anything like the folks we’ve been talking to, the start of this year (in and out of our careers) has already flown by. I had big plans for 2026 — brilliant posts about business planning and … Read more
I’m writing you all a note. —> If you’re not sure who Epstein’s Mother is, look it up. There is another story behind this, starting with a mini-rant I posted recently in our Listerhood group on Facebook. (Have you joined us yet?) The idea has not only stayed with me, it has garnered some interesting … Read more