The Choir Director Podcast

EP #14: Craig Lees: How To Make Pop And Rock Choirs Sound Real

Pop and rock choir can sound electrifying or it can sound like a classical choir wearing a pop costume. We sit down with Craig Lees, Principal Lecturer in Popular Voice at Leeds Conservatoire and a leading figure in contemporary pop choral work, to get specific about what actually makes popular music feel authentic when sung by a choir. We dig into the nuts and bolts that choir directors and vocal leaders wrestle with every week: how to avoid the “pretty by default” trap, how to teach rhythm so syncopation stays alive, and how to shape articulation and vowels so the sound sits closer to speech and style. Craig shares practical rehearsal approaches for mix and belt in a group setting, including the use of primal sounds like calls, sighs and yells, plus how to keep singers healthy while still getting that raw, emotional edge pop music demands. We also explore groove as a whole-body skill, why movement can instantly change ensemble feel, and how consonant placement can create punch and projection without pushing volume at the vocal folds. On the arranging and section-leading side, Craig talks about gospel-influenced voicings, mixed tenor sections (including female tenors), and what “twang” really means as a controllable change in the vocal tract that can boost clarity and carry. If you want a more modern choir sound, stronger performances, and rehearsals that translate directly to the stage, this one is packed with usable ideas. Subscribe so you never miss an episode, leave a rating and review, and share it with a fellow choir director who wants their pop set to finally land. *** More about Craig Lees: Website: www.livingvocally.com [https://www.livingvocally.com] Instagram: @craigantonylees [https://www.instagram.com/craigantonylees/] Facebook: @livingvocally [https://www.facebook.com/livingvocally] Contact the Studio [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2598004/fan_mail/new] Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2598004/support] *** Resources: The Choir Director Podcast — helping you build stronger choirs, run better rehearsals, and create outstanding musical experiences. * Website: thechoirdirectorpodcast.com [https://thechoirdirectorpodcast.com] * Mailing List: Join our Newsletter [https://russellscott.live/podcastnewsletter] Follow Russell Scott: * Website: russellscott.org [https://russellscott.org] * Instagram: @russellscottofficial [https://instagram.com/russellscottofficial] * Facebook: facebook.com/russellscottofficial [https://facebook.com/russellscottofficial] * X: @russellscottuk [https://x.com/russellscottuk] (c) Russell Scott 2026.  All rights reserved.

Ep #13: Johannes David Wolff: Make Them Laugh Twice - Rehearsals Young Singers Actually Want to Come Back To

A youth choir doesn’t thrive because you pick the perfect repertoire. It thrives because rehearsal feels like a place young singers choose to return to, week after week, even when life gets messy and confidence wobbles. I’m joined by Berlin-based choral director Johannes David Wolff, artistic director of Vokalhelden, the children’s and youth choir programme founded on the initiative of Sir Simon Rattle and Simon Halsey, to talk about what really builds that kind of rehearsal culture. We dig into the small rehearsal habits that create big musical results: starting with human connection before you start “fixing notes”, setting expectations that feel supportive rather than strict, and making the room accessible when backgrounds, experience and self-belief vary. Johannes shares what it took to establish a youth choir over years, how the pandemic and online rehearsals affected young singers differently, and why long term momentum depends on trust more than talent. We also explore how to inspire young people to listen to classical music without forcing it, using points of reference from their lives and helping them practise attention in a world that encourages quick judgment and constant swiping. If you’ve ever faced resistance to a piece, struggled to keep energy high for 90 minutes, or wondered how humour can sharpen focus rather than derail it, you’ll take away strategies you can use at your very next rehearsal. Subscribe so you never miss an episode, share it with a fellow choir director, and if it helps you, please leave a rating and review. What rehearsal habit has made the biggest difference in your choir? *** More about Johannes David Wolff: Volkahelden Website: www.vokalhelden.de [https://www.vokalhelden.de] Instagram: @johannesdavidwolff [https://www.instagram.com/johannesdavidwolff] Contact the Studio [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2598004/fan_mail/new] Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2598004/support] *** Resources: The Choir Director Podcast — helping you build stronger choirs, run better rehearsals, and create outstanding musical experiences. * Website: thechoirdirectorpodcast.com [https://thechoirdirectorpodcast.com] * Mailing List: Join our Newsletter [https://russellscott.live/podcastnewsletter] Follow Russell Scott: * Website: russellscott.org [https://russellscott.org] * Instagram: @russellscottofficial [https://instagram.com/russellscottofficial] * Facebook: facebook.com/russellscottofficial [https://facebook.com/russellscottofficial] * X: @russellscottuk [https://x.com/russellscottuk] (c) Russell Scott 2026.  All rights reserved.

Ep #12: Myles Finn: How Musical Theatre Transforms Choir Rehearsals (And Engagement Overnight)

A choir warm-up on a whiteboard turns into a viral moment, then into a teaching philosophy. We sit down with Myles “It’s Mr Finn” Finn to talk about what actually makes singers lean in: not performative energy, but real craft, clear standards, and a teacher who shows up as themselves. If you lead a school choir, conduct a community ensemble, or juggle show choir and musical theatre, this conversation is packed with practical rehearsal thinking you can use straight away. We get into the nuts and bolts of running school musicals at scale, where 120 plus students might be involved and the “cast” includes everyone from singers to set builders. Myles shares how he prioritises the ensemble so they do not feel like background decoration, how he thinks about ensemble versus chorus, and how staging challenges like sight lines and levels become solvable musical problems. We also talk about quality control with young people: building from musicianship, keeping rhythm honest, and obsessing over intonation because audiences notice it instantly. Then the story shifts to a big life move: leaving the US for Zagreb, Croatia, and learning the realities of international school teaching where relationships can feel like a revolving door. Myles explains why family mattered in the decision, what changes in student culture surprised him, and why he is now building a new community choir in Zagreb to keep music-making open to more people. Subscribe for more choir director interviews, share this with a fellow music educator, and leave a review so more conductors and vocal leaders can find the show. *** More about Myles Finn: Website: www.itsmrfinn.com [https://www.itsmrfinn.com/] Facebook: www.facebook.com/itsmrmylesfinn/ [https://www.facebook.com/itsmrmylesfinn/] Instagram: www.instagram.com/itsmrmylesfinn/ [https://www.instagram.com/itsmrmylesfinn/] *** Contact the Studio [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2598004/fan_mail/new] Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2598004/support] *** Resources: The Choir Director Podcast — helping you build stronger choirs, run better rehearsals, and create outstanding musical experiences. * Website: thechoirdirectorpodcast.com [https://thechoirdirectorpodcast.com] * Mailing List: Join our Newsletter [https://russellscott.live/podcastnewsletter] Follow Russell Scott: * Website: russellscott.org [https://russellscott.org] * Instagram: @russellscottofficial [https://instagram.com/russellscottofficial] * Facebook: facebook.com/russellscottofficial [https://facebook.com/russellscottofficial] * X: @russellscottuk [https://x.com/russellscottuk] (c) Russell Scott 2026.  All rights reserved.

Ep #11: Daniel Raaflaub: What If Movement Is The Shortcut To Better Singing

The scariest moment for many choir directors is not the high note, it is the first time you ask the group to move and everyone suddenly forgets how to stand. We sit down with choir choreographer Daniel Raaflaub to get practical about choir choreography, staging, and how to build confident stage presence without turning your ensemble into a “dance troupe”. Daniel shares how his background in performing arts and musical theatre shapes a storytelling-first approach: movement that clarifies meaning, strengthens expression, and supports clean ensemble timing. We explore what “show choir” really means, why tiny unified gestures can be more powerful than big routines, and how trust is the hidden engine of every successful rehearsal. If you work with adult singers who feel self-conscious, or youth choirs who jump in too quickly, you will hear clear ways to warm up, introduce movement step by step, and use repetition so singers can stop thinking and start performing. We also get into real-world constraints choir leaders face: limited rehearsal time, the choice between planning and improvising, and how to scale choreography from a chamber choir to hundreds of singers using prep tools like demo videos. Daniel’s key message is freeing: perfection is optional, commitment is not, and audiences respond to believable emotion more than synchronised arms. Subscribe for more tools for choir directors, conductors, and vocal leaders, then share the episode with a colleague and leave a quick review so more choirs can find it. *** More about Daniel Raaflaub: Instagram: @danielraaflaub [https://instagram.com/danielraaflaub] Website: danielraaflaub.com [https://danielraaflaub.com] *** Contact the Studio [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2598004/fan_mail/new] Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2598004/support] *** Resources: The Choir Director Podcast — helping you build stronger choirs, run better rehearsals, and create outstanding musical experiences. * Website: thechoirdirectorpodcast.com [https://thechoirdirectorpodcast.com] * Mailing List: Join our Newsletter [https://russellscott.live/podcastnewsletter] Follow Russell Scott: * Website: russellscott.org [https://russellscott.org] * Instagram: @russellscottofficial [https://instagram.com/russellscottofficial] * Facebook: facebook.com/russellscottofficial [https://facebook.com/russellscottofficial] * X: @russellscottuk [https://x.com/russellscottuk] (c) Russell Scott 2026.  All rights reserved.

Ep #10: Why Do I Do This ? How Your Own Passions Influence Your Choir

Music can be the loudest thing in the room and still not be the point. On his birthday, Russell goes solo for a personal, practical reflection on what truly drives choirs, festivals, mentoring, concerts, and all the unseen choices behind great musical experiences. We talk about why choral conducting is really people work, and break down three forces that shape every strong ensemble: connection, transformation, and standards. Connection is what turns individuals into a unit over weeks and months. Transformation is what happens when someone who “isn’t a singer” finds confidence, steps on stage, and believes it. Standards are how we refuse to lower the bar and instead create the environment and expectation that lets singers rise higher than they thought possible. Russell also shares how travel, culture, and collaboration expand a choir’s world, and why the best bonding often happens away from the rehearsal room. Food, social time, and shared stories build trust, deepen commitment, and feed straight back into rehearsal energy and performance impact. Along the way, we get honest about the hard days too: overwhelm, responsibility, and the reality of asking people to trust a vision they cannot fully see yet. If you lead a choir, sing in one, or build musical communities, you’ll leave with fresh language for what you do and renewed motivation to do it at your best. Subscribe, share this with a fellow choir director, and please leave a review so more leaders can find the show. Contact the Studio [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2598004/fan_mail/new] Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2598004/support] *** Resources: The Choir Director Podcast — helping you build stronger choirs, run better rehearsals, and create outstanding musical experiences. * Website: thechoirdirectorpodcast.com [https://thechoirdirectorpodcast.com] * Mailing List: Join our Newsletter [https://russellscott.live/podcastnewsletter] Follow Russell Scott: * Website: russellscott.org [https://russellscott.org] * Instagram: @russellscottofficial [https://instagram.com/russellscottofficial] * Facebook: facebook.com/russellscottofficial [https://facebook.com/russellscottofficial] * X: @russellscottuk [https://x.com/russellscottuk] (c) Russell Scott 2026.  All rights reserved.