Robert Shaw and Choral Technique
October 28, 2025
It was my good fortune to sing under the baton of Robert Shaw for a span of nearly a quarter century. During that time, I experienced some of the most well planned and executed rehearsals of my entire musical life. Mr. Shaw was a master at knowing how the music should sound and what needed … Read more
By: Michael O’Neal
Moving from “I Hate It” to “I Love It”
October 14, 2025
My earliest example of moving from “hate it” to “love it” is Igor Stravinsky’s Symphony of Psalms. I first heard the piece at the age of 20, a time in which I was totally immersed in beautiful, flowing melodies, and rich, luxurious harmonies. My favorite composers were Brahms, Rachmaninoff, and Puccini. With my young and … Read more
By: Michael O’Neal
Please Don’t Make Me Memorize That!
September 30, 2025
A common fear for many singers is that of memorization. The singers are afraid, perhaps with some justification, that they will forget the lyrics of a song in the performance. While forgetting words is obviously a more serious problem for an individual vocalist who is up there alone, it is also an item of concern … Read more
By: Michael O’Neal
Robert Shaw and Count Singing
September 16, 2025
Count singing as a method of learning music is something I learned from famed conductor, Robert Shaw. It was my good fortune to sing under the direction of this amazing musician for many years, and one of the first things I noticed about him was how adept he was at running an enormously efficient and … Read more
By: Michael O’Neal
Energetic Singing is a Must!
September 2, 2025
Although the calendar year begins on January 1, the “choral year” usually begins in August of September. School choirs, church choirs, and community choirs across our country are all beginning a new season of music making right about now. With that in mind, I’d like to talk about a quality I think we should bring … Read more
By: Michael O’Neal
Are the Arts Really Necessary?
August 5, 2025
Those of us involved in the Arts (orchestras, choruses, opera companies, dance companies, theatres, art galleries, etc.) are feeling an increased need these days to ‘justify’ our existence. We live in a time when government and corporate funding for the Arts is becoming more difficult, or even impossible, to obtain. I don’t think we can … Read more
By: Michael O’Neal
Robert Shaw on Commitment
July 22, 2025
One of the great joys of my musical life is that I had the opportunity to sing for many years under the baton of Maestro Robert Shaw, both as a chorus member and a soloist. In my own conducting career, I have been influenced in many ways by this amazing individual. His level of personal … Read more
By: Michael O’Neal
The Five L’s: Listen, Labor, Learn, Laugh and Love
June 25, 2025
There is a goal I attempt to achieve at every rehearsal I conduct. I call it the Five L’s, which stand for Listen, Labor, Learn, Laugh and Love. At the conclusion of a rehearsal, it is my goal that all participants (including myself) will have experienced each of these five actions to some degree. We … Read more
By: Michael O’Neal
Is Your Voice Actually Ready to Sing?
June 23, 2025
As many choruses resume rehearsals following a summer hiatus, there are often singers who feel their voices have lost some “conditioning” during the break. It’s normal to feel this way, for singers are like athletes – we need to keep our voices (and bodies) in good singing shape. As the new performance season begins, there … Read more
By: Michael O’Neal
Why We Sing
June 20, 2025
I love to hear why people enjoy singing in a choral ensemble. Here are some of the comments that folks have shared with me. “I must. I look forward to Monday evenings with other like minds and souls…I know there have been many Monday nights that I showed up for rehearsal not in the right … Read more
By: Michael O’Neal
