Ep #19: Tori Longdon: Are You Climbing The Right Wall As A Conductor ?

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.

Ep #17: Susan Cox: The Art of Nurturing Mature Voices

The fastest way to improve a choir is not a new warm-up or a clever baton trick. It is building trust so singers feel safe enough to actually sing. Russell Scott sits down with Susan Cox, director of the Grand Union Community Choir, to explore what community choir leadership looks like when you take confidence, wellbeing, and real life seriously, especially in mixed ability groups. Susan shares what she has learned from decades in music education and choral directing, including how different ages can experience rehearsal in different ways. We talk about why some older singers need more repetition, clearer visual cues, and a little more time, and how anxiety and self-belief can matter as much as raw musical capability. If you lead singers who bring past criticism, learning differences, or performance nerves into the room, you will find practical, compassionate approaches you can use straight away. We also tackle one of the most sensitive topics for choir directors: singing off book. Yes, performing without sheet music can boost audience engagement and presence, but the push to memorise can create stress that stops people singing. Susan explains how to introduce off-book singing gradually, how to use a “safety net” without losing connection, and why there is no one-size-fits-all model across community choirs, SATB ensembles, and more traditional reading groups. Along the way we dig into self-awareness, imposter syndrome, rehearsal planning, and why filming yourself can reveal habits your choir sees instantly. If you want better rehearsals, a healthier choir culture, and a more confident ensemble sound, subscribe, share with a fellow choir leader, and leave us a rating and review. 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 #16: Maria A. Ellis: What If Classical Music Is A Pop Secret?

You can feel when a choir rehearsal has real trust, and you can also feel when singers are holding back. Maria A. Ellis, St Louis-based choral conductor, educator, and founder of Girl Conductor, joins us to get practical about how we create rehearsal rooms where singers take risks, learn faster, and actually enjoy the work. We talk through high-impact rehearsal strategies that start with comfort and connection, then build towards excellence. Maria shares her “favourite auntie” leadership mindset, why children often lean into new ideas more easily than adults, and how we can normalise mistakes without lowering standards. One line lands especially hard: make the mistake loud, because we cannot fix what we cannot hear. If you lead a youth choir, school choir, community choir, or chamber ensemble, these ideas translate straight into better pacing, clearer feedback, and stronger sound. From there, we move into inclusive repertoire and genre crossover with integrity: gospel, classical, pop, and musical theatre. Maria’s Bach And Beyoncé approach shows how to make classical music relevant by revealing its fingerprints in modern music, film scores, and sampling culture. We also dig into teaching music theory and intervals using references students already know, treating style as the character of the music rather than a box labelled “genre”, and helping singers connect to lyrics even when the text sits outside their belief system. If you’re ready to sharpen your choral conducting, expand your repertoire choices, and help young singers find confidence and style, press play. Subscribe, share with a fellow choir director, and leave us a rating and review so more conductors can find the show. *** More about Maria A. Ellis: website: www.girlconductor.com [https://www.girlconductor.com] Facebook: @girlconductor [https://facebook.com/girlconductor] Instagram: @girlconductor [https://instagram.com/girlconductor] 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 #15: Oliver Rudin: What Does It Take to Build a Choir That Genuinely Surprises People?

A choir can sing accurately and still leave an audience cold, so what actually creates a performance that feels alive? We sit down with Oliver Rudin, a Basel-based artistic director who works deeply with youth ensembles and the Basel Boys Choir, to get practical about the decisions that make a choir sound confident, expressive, and genuinely surprising. We talk choral programming across styles, including how to introduce contemporary choral music to singers and listeners who prefer familiar repertoire. Oliver’s answer is not “pick safer pieces” or “market harder”. It is clarity: build a strong artistic idea, create bridges between styles, and choose music you love enough to lead with conviction. That authenticity, he argues, is the quickest way to get singers to commit emotionally, not just intellectually. From there, we go into rehearsal craft. Oliver shares fast ways to unite a large group, including simple listening-based warm-ups like finding a shared pianissimo hum, then expanding towards harmony. We also unpack intonation as a focus and body issue as much as an ear issue, plus why stepping back can help singers listen, breathe together, and self-correct. Finally, we explore choir competitions and the World Choir Games: what adjudicators listen for, how repertoire choice can highlight a choir’s strengths, and why you “cannot fail” if the real aim is growth. Subscribe for more practical choral conducting conversations, share this with a fellow choir director, and if it helps you, please leave a rating and review so more singers and conductors can find the show. *** More about Oliver Rudin: Website: www.oliverrudin.com [https://www.oliverrudin.com] Instagram: @oliver.rudin [https://www.instagram.com/oliver.rudin/] 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.