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High Notes Blog

Chorus America's High Notes blog is curated by the Chorus America staff. Here, find articles on what our members are up to, and links to the latest news and commentary on the issues that matter to the choral field. High Notes also includes information about policy issues and advocacy alerts.

Additional Advocacy Information

Chorus America is a member of the Performing Arts Alliance (PAA), a national coalition of nonprofit arts service organizations advocating for federal policies that impact the nonprofit performing arts sector. Membership in Chorus America includes membership in PAA and you can learn more about PAA's policy agenda in the PAA Advocacy Center.

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  • Why Sad Songs Make Us Happy
    by Liza Beth

    Sad music doesn't necessarily give us the blues - in fact, studies have shown that people find listening to music in a minor key more enjoyable. This Japanese study tries to get to the bottom of why that's the case. In related news, a new book written by choral singer Stacy Horn take a look at why performing sad music actually brings her intense joy.

  • Some Recent Numbers, and What They Mean
    by Liza Beth

    Survey results are an important way to keep in touch with the big picture of what's going on in the arts, but it's sometimes difficult to know what the numbers mean and how they apply to your organization. Read more about two relevant reports - a recent Pew Survey and a report on local arts agency salaries - as analyzed by Barry Hessenius of Barry's Blog.

  • Attention Arts Marketers: Here's What You Can Stop Doing
    by Liza Beth

    Focus more on audience development? Check. Ramp up your social media presence? Check. If you're involved in the marketing efforts for your chorus, chances are it's been a while since anyone told you about something that you could STOP doing.

  • 5 Ways to Get Donors to Say "Yes"
    by Liza Beth

    New technology has made it possible to communicate with donors in different ways, but the underlying psychology that makes people say "yes" hasn't changed. Claire Axelrad's post covers five psychological triggers you can draw on to make people more likely to support your organization. One example: when folks believe their peers approve of you, they'll be more likely to show their approval as well - including with their dollars.

  • Lifting Our Voices for Healthy Aging
    by Liza Beth

    Singers instinctively know that participating in a chorus is good for them, but more reasearch is needed to prove the health benefits scientifically. Julene Johnson, a cognitive neuroscientist and professor at UCSF featured in our recent Singing & Wellness issue of the Voice, is embarking on a multi-year study funded by the NIH that she hopes will prove that singing in a choir makes seniors healthier.

  • Let's Brainstorm About How to Improve Brainstorming
    by Liza Beth

    Brainstorming is generally accepted as a way to quickly generate lots of ideas, but new studies show that it doesn't actually work all that well.

  • Business Support for the Arts Is Up
    by Liza Beth

    Business support for the arts was up between 2009 and 2012, with cash plus non-cash giving increasing 18 percent, says the BCA National Survey of Business Support for the Arts recently released by Americans for the Arts. The survey examined the giving habits of 600 small, midsize, and large U.S. companies. One stand-out statistic: 66% of respondents said that they hadn't been asked to contribute to the arts.

  • What Does "Beauty" Mean When It Comes to Music?
    by Liza Beth

    As society changes, definitions of beauty change. But has the world of classical music changed the way that it defines beauty? Greg Sandow shares his thoughts on this question in an ArtsJournal blog post inspired by recent photos of Julianne Moore in T, the New York Times fashion magazine.

  • Poetry and Choral Music
    by Liza Beth

    April is National Poetry Month—a special reason to focus on an art form that the choral community celebrates year-round. For many choral composers, the text comes first, and the poetry they use for inspiration can be found in unexpected places.

  • Planning a Cultural Event? Keep These 8 Things In Mind
    by Liza Beth

    Sponsored by the Knight Foundation, the O, Miami Festival brought poetry to the streets and people of Miami. Co-founder Scott Cunningham's blog post about what he learned from the experience has take-aways for anyone planning a community event. One especially interesting point: think of your advertising as part of the event itself, not just marketing for it.

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