Ep #22: Isaac Cates: Earn It Before You Teach It; Live It Before You Lead It

Ep #22: Isaac Cates: Earn It Before You Teach It; Live It Before You Lead It

A gospel choir can sound thrilling and still miss the point if the style is borrowed without the roots. I’m joined by Kansas City composer, conductor, pianist, and choral clinician Isaac Cates, an artist whose music is sung in over 17 countries, whose ensemble Ordained has earned over a million social views, and who made his Carnegie Hall debut in 2023. Together we talk about what it really takes to cross musical borders with integrity, whether you’re programming classical masterworks, spirituals, or contemporary gospel.  Isaac shares how his musical life started in a “high” Baptist church environment where anthems and gospel sit side by side, alongside classical piano training from the age of four and voice study as a teenager. We explore why the basics of music theory travel across styles, how film and Disney scores model world-building through motif and storytelling, and how those classical sensibilities quietly shape Isaac’s own writing, including large-scale choral work like Canon for Racial Reconciliation.  We also get practical and specific about “black style singing”: what the term means, the historical and cultural lineage behind it, and why rhythm, movement, call and response, tone production, and rehearsal practice matter as much as the notes. If you’re a non-black choir director building a gospel choir, Isaac offers clear guidance on immersion, study, using scholarly resources, visiting rehearsals, asking respectful questions, and learning the “code” of a tradition without turning people into a shortcut.  If you care about better rehearsals, healthier vocal leadership, and programming that honours where the music comes from, press play. Subscribe, share with a fellow choir director, and leave a rating and review so more conductors can find the conversation. *** More about Isaac Cates: Website: isaaccatesmusic.com [https://isaaccatesmusic.com/] Instagram: @isaac_cates [https://www.instagram.com/isaac_cates] Facebook: @isaaccatesmusic [https://www.facebook.com/isaaccatesmusic] 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 #21: Gary Seighman: You're Not the Engine — You're the Track. Neuroscience and the Self-Driving Ensemble

Your choir can sing the right notes and still feel disconnected. The missing piece is often not “more rehearsal”, but better ensemble connection: eyes up, bodies engaged, breath shared, and responsibility spread across the group. I’m joined by Dr Gary Safeman, Professor of Music and Director of Choral Activities at Trinity University, to explore the practical science behind what happens when singers perform together and how that can transform your rehearsals. We dig into the neuroscience of singing, emotional contagion, and why mimicry and visual connection can tighten rhythm and unify vowels faster than another verbal correction. Gary shares how thinking in terms of movement, weight, inertia, and muscle memory makes ensemble skills trainable rather than mysterious. If you’ve ever felt a disconnect between your gesture and the sound coming back at you, you’ll hear concrete ways to rebuild that mind-muscle link. We also talk conductor dependency and how to build a self-driving choir without losing artistry. One of the simplest rehearsal exercises is also the most uncomfortable: letting singers start and maintain a passage without you conducting, so they learn to breathe together, listen laterally, and own the pulse. Along the way we touch on creativity, the default mode network, and how interdisciplinary ideas from sport and beyond can spark better choral rehearsal technique while reducing burnout. If you want more expressive singing, stronger synchronisation, and a choir that connects with each other and the audience, press play. Subscribe for more conversations for choir directors and conductors, share this with a colleague, and leave a rating and review so more choral leaders can find the show. *** More about Gary Seighman: Website: https://trinity.edu/directory/gseighma [https://trinity.edu/directory/gseighma] Instagram: @gary_seighman [https://www.instagram.com/gary_seighman/] 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 #20: Why Your Choir Needs to Leave the Rehearsal Room

A choir can rehearse for years and still feel like a group of strangers who happen to sing in the same room. The moment you take singers on the road, something changes: conversations deepen, trust builds faster, and the music starts to sound like a shared commitment rather than a weekly task. We talk through how choir travel and choir tours can be genuinely transformational without being extravagant. I share why local choir trips often punch above their weight, plus a simple progression that helps you build confidence and leadership capacity step by step. We also dig into the musical side: how different acoustics expose tuning and balance, why outdoor performances demand focus, and how a same-country tour can raise standards while keeping logistics manageable. Then we widen the lens to international choir touring. I unpack the difference between musical tourism and musical exchange, and why the best trips are built around connection with other musicians, not just performances. If you’re considering something bigger, we cover the hard realities too: budgeting, fundraising, payment plans, inclusion, accessibility, anxiety, and safeguarding policies that protect everyone. Finally, we land on practical principles that keep trips meaningful, well-paced and restorative, so the experience echoes back into rehearsal long after the coach gets home. If you’re wondering whether your choir should travel more, start where you are and choose the next meaningful step. Subscribe, leave a rating and review, and share this with a fellow choir director who could use a clearer plan for making trips work. 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 #19: Tori Longdon: Are You Climbing The Right Wall As A Conductor ?

Most conducting careers do not begin with a neat roadmap. They begin with a choir, a spark of curiosity, and a moment where you realise you would rather shape the sound than blend into it. We’re joined by Tori Longdon, Principal Conductor of the Covent Garden Chorus and Associate Chorus Director of the London Philharmonic Choir, to talk about what it really takes to build a respected, sustainable life as a choir director and choral conductor. We go back to the foundations: youth choirs, early musical opportunities, and the social and emotional skills that group singing teaches long before anyone talks about “career development”. From there, we dig into repertoire and musical taste, including Tori’s brilliant reminder that all music becomes classical if you wait long enough. If you care about inclusive programming, singer engagement, and keeping rehearsals musically rich without getting stuck in genre battles, you’ll find plenty to take into your next season plan. The conversation turns personal and practical with vocal health. Tori shares how vocal strain and limited guidance pushed her towards conducting, and how that experience shaped a more efficient rehearsal style. We also explore mentoring as a two-way street, why learning never stops after conservatoire, and how programmes and networks can replace the support structure many musicians lose after study. Finally, we name the quieter realities of leadership: loneliness, fear of failure, fear of success, and the adrenaline crash after big projects. If you’ve ever wondered whether you are “doing it right”, this is an honest, hopeful listen. Subscribe for more conversations like this, share the episode with a fellow choir leader, and leave a rating and review so more conductors can find the show. *** More about Tori Longdon: Website: https://torilongdon.com [https://www.torilongdon.com/] Facebook: @torilongdonmusic [https://www.facebook.com/ToriLongdonMusic/] Instagram: @torilongdon [https://www.instagram.com/torilongdon/] *** 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 #18: Peter Futcher: A Rehearsal Comes Alive When We Add Value

Most choirs don’t need more rehearsal time. They need rehearsals that feel alive. Russell Scott is joined by choral conductor, composer and educator Peter Futcher of Choir Matters to explore what actually lifts a choir from competent to compelling, even when you’re working with busy adults who arrive tired, stressed and short on headspace. We talk about playfulness as a serious tool for better singing: taking musical risks, creating a rehearsal room where people belong, and staying focused on the journey rather than obsessing over a single performance date. Peter shares why some of the most memorable concerts happen with almost nobody in the audience, and how that freedom can unlock sound, confidence and connection. You’ll also hear practical ideas on choir positioning beyond the standard SATB block, including mixing parts and changing sightlines to improve listening, tuning and attention. The heart of the conversation is conducting gesture and sound. Peter keeps returning to one blunt, helpful test: are we adding value, or are we just beating time? We dig into clarity, simplicity, watching, and why the “magic” is rarely in fancy patterns. Along the way we touch on repertoire choices, audience emotion, bold musical opinions, and the difference between reading vertically on the page and singing horizontally in a true line. Subscribe for more rehearsal craft, share this with a fellow choir director, and leave a rating and review so more conductors can find the show. *** More about Peter Futcher: website: https://www.choirmatters.org/ [https://www.choirmatters.org/] 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.