Have you ever tried your hand at Writing your own songs? If you consider yourself an artist or musician, chances are that you probably have. No matter if you are trying to produce a hit or simply want to compose a new song for your choir, There ...

At The time of Writing music, my mission was always to bring people togeTher. It seems to me that The union that is achieved thanks to singing is one of The most transcendental unions that humans can experience. With "Dear Earth" I wanted to go one step b...

[A version of this article first appeared as a post on my blog From The Front of The Choir]   I often get people Writing to me for advice about choirs. Some of Them don’t agree with The direction Their choir leader is taking Them, some ...

[A version of this article first appeared as a post on my blog From The Front of The Choir]   Instead of Writing this, I should be planning a one-off two-hour singing workshop for this Saturday. I’m also starting to think of what I’ll d...

Have you ever wonderd if There is a good tool out There for assisting in managing The day to day running of The chorus or vocal group?   Our managment team has! We tried Writing our own web based management application.  It worked pretty well bu...

In 2013, having completed my university studies, my professional experience in composition was nil. My jobs until Then had been as an ice cream seller and a brief stint at a bookstore making photocopies—part-time jobs to support my university studie...

I want to begin by saying that I struggle to write up-tempo music. As a composer, I tend to lean toward and connect to slow and emotional pieces. I have always been someone who strives to convey emotional complexity, Therefore Writing an up-tempo piece ha...  moreI want to begin by saying that I struggle to write up-tempo music. As a composer, I tend to lean toward and connect to slow and emotional pieces. I have always been someone who strives to convey emotional complexity, Therefore Writing an up-tempo piece had to be purposeful and meaningful. The inspiration for this score comes from The first time I was able to hear my son's heartbeat during an ultrasound. It was a magical and exciting moment that I will never forget; however, leading up to that specific moment There was an element of tension. Six months prior to hearing my son's heartbeat, my wife and I found ourselves in a very different situation with The outcome of an ultrasound. We arrived at The hospital excited to meet our child, only to discover we had silently miscarried. I had never felt so deflated and aimless in one sudden moment. It was as if I was a boat, drifting, with no direction in my life. Fast forward to this ultrasound with our soon-to-be son. You can imagine The excitement and fear we bo...    less

[A version of this article first appeared as a post on my blog From The Front of The Choir]   I’m having a tough time Writing this blog post.   Colleen is bored by scragz   I didn’t sleep well last night, I’ve been...

A first performance of this new work by David Benning. Many thanks to The UC Davis Summer Chorus, and The UC Davis Music Department for Their support. Also, many thanks to Andrew Hudson for leading us and shaping The piece.

(The title comes from The young son of a friend of mine – I knew what he meant!)   [this is a version of a post which first appeared on my blog From The Front of The Choir]   Like many teachers, I often catch colds during The Autumn t...