Wednesday, October 2, 2013

National Coaches Week: Dr. Staheli Edition

The following is an article written by our own Seth Weiler, a tenor in our choir this year, as a tribute to Dr. Staheli as our fearless leader. The original article was posted on the McKay School of Education blog.

Happy National Coaches Week!
I’m very grateful for this opportunity to celebrate all those who have coached me at different times and in various ways throughout my life. For as long I can remember I have loved sports and music. I’ve had the privilege of participating in both at the collegiate level. My athletic career began my junior of high school when I tried out for my high school’s track and field team. I quickly fell in love with shot put and discus, and indeed, my tall and lean frame was ideally suited for the throws. I picked up the technique pretty quickly and qualified for the state track meet in both events my first year. The next year, my senior year, I broke my high school’s record in the shot put and was the #1 shot putter in the state! One thing led to another, and I found myself a member of BYU Track and Field. I couldn’t have accomplished anything that I have in sports without the help of dedicated and persistent coaches.
Interestingly enough, though, the most memorable and inspiring examples of coaching for me lie outside the world of sports. Music has played a large role in my life. My music career also began my junior year of high school when I joined the choir. I also auditioned for the school’s competition quartet and earned a spot as the Tenor 2. My senior year I qualified to perform in the All-State Chorus and had one of the most enriching experiences up to that point in my life. I was able to enjoy many wonderful opportunities in music and improve my singing talent with the help of very loving and motivating music teachers. But when sports became a time-consuming part of my life, music took a backseat.
After a few years of track and field at BYU and two hip surgeries, my music career continued unexpectedly. I’d always wanted to enjoy a choir experience at BYU, so when I learned that my track career would conclude early I found myself in Dr. Ronald Staheli’s office. Let me tell you a little bit about this wonderful man. Dr. Staheli is the director and founder of the Brigham Young University Singers, BYU’s most elite choir and one of the nation’s most acclaimed ensembles. For the past 30 years, Dr. Staheli and the Singers have enthralled audiences in countries throughout the world, including England, the Soviet Union, Israel, Jordan, Egypt, Australia, New Zealand, Ghana, Benin, Togo, and South Africa. I could go on and on and on about how amazing this man is and the choir he’s created, but let me abridge all of that by simply saying that in the choir world this guy is a BIG DEAL, like the LeBron James of choral directors!
You’d think that a man of his stature and renown would be unapproachable and intimidating. That couldn’t be further from the truth. He invited me into his office and with a big smile asked me to tell him about myself. He listened intently, his eyes glistening with caring interest and concern. After asking a few more questions he sighed pleasantly, turned towards his piano, and said, “Well, I’d love to hear you sing. Will you please sing for me?” I nearly fell over with surprise, completely unprepared for a personal concert. But I couldn’t resist that piercing, loving gaze. I sang a hymn for him, nothing special. He paused, his face contorted in pensive silence. After a moment, he offered me some of the most heart-felt and sincere compliments I’d ever received about my voice, as well as several pieces of advice. He gave me a few specific things to work on, recommended a voice teacher or two, and asked me to come back every few weeks or so throughout the summer to show him my progress. I’d never met this man before, and already he was demonstrating sincere interest in my growth as a musician and as an individual. I took his advice and started voice lessons, visiting him periodically to receive positive feedback and a thing or two to focus on during my lessons.
After many weeks of hard work and diligent practice I auditioned for the BYU Singers. Miraculously, I saw my name at the bottom of the list of tenors who’d qualified to sing in the choir. I can’t really describe the feeling of shock and disbelief that flooded my body when I saw my name on that list, but I can tell you that it is a miracle. Through God’s good grace and with the help of a loving, inspiring choir director I have been enjoying one of the most extraordinary experiences of my life singing in this remarkable choir. Not one rehearsal goes by that isn’t filled with Dr. Staheli’s expressions of love, confidence, encouragement, and praise. He weaves them throughout his musical instruction. He has taught me what truly effective coaching is.
Dr. Staheli has taught me that there is so much more to coaching than just helping people improve a given talent. I learned that he doesn’t always take the best, most talented voices into the Singers. He takes into account the character, the work ethic, the potential, the testimony, and the worthiness of each individual. Coaching is about nourishing the whole individual, coaching them in successful living and not just successful singing. He’s taught me that true coaching is seeing the best in people and loving it out of them. When many of my coaches in athletics yelled and screamed and disciplined to get the best effort out of their athletes, Dr. Staheli gushes love, offers encouragement, and praises every success. He certainly holds each singer accountable and constantly challenges us to rise to a higher standard of musical performance and expression but always with tenderness and love. We can’t help but want to give him our best! He reminds me of the greatest Coach the world has ever known. It was the Savior’s mission to exemplify charity and love in all that He did.
Who has been an inspiring coach in your life? What have you learned from their example about effective coaching?
How will you inspire others to do and be their best?

Friday, March 29, 2013

Reasons for Singing: He is Risen

Happy Good Friday to all of our friends.

Because of the events on that day over 2000 years ago, each person who has ever lived can find mercy through His grace and be cleansed from all sin.

It is for His glory and because of His grace that we sing our concert tonight.

We ended rehearsal today with these thoughts.

May we all keep the Savior in our hearts this Easter weekend,
and thank our loving Father in Heaven for the sacrifice of His Son that we might all gain Eternal Life through Him.


Monday, February 11, 2013

Real Men Sing!


We've decided that it's better if several of us take turns writing posts for this here blog so that you, our readers, get some different, more complete perspectives. Here's a post from one of our men about an awesome event the men in BYU Choirs put on earlier in the year to try to make a difference in some lives. They certainly changed the world!

On Jan. 14, young men from two local high school choirs learned an invaluable truth: real men sing! The high school men we worked with that evening are the future of the BYU choral program, and we wanted them to have a taste of what singing at BYU is like.


Together with the men from BYU Singers and Concert Choir, these young singers participated in a workshop directed by Sister Hall and Dr. Staheli. Sister Hall opened the workshop by teaching two staples for good choral singing: supported breath, and flexible head tone. It was awesome to hear the high school men experiment with the things Sister Hall was teaching. You could see their eyes light up as they noticed the improved sound they were producing! We had a short break for sectionals, where we got to test out our good technique with Handel’s Hallelujah, Amen! When we came back together, Sister Hall directed us all in singing it. We sounded pretty good considering we worked on it for all of half an hour!


After singing the Handel, Dr. Staheli took over to unfold the mysteries of shaping musical phrases. Using a simple version of Homeward Bound arranged by Jay Althouse, we learned about finding the top of the phrase and singing towards it, "strong-weaks", and singing the words, rather than just the music. We wish we could have been learning things like this in high school—as any Singer knows, shaping is one of the things we work the hardest on during our daily rehearsals.


After all our hard work, it was time for some entertainment. The men of the BYU Men’s Chorus flooded the room and performed several pieces they’ve been working on. It was a potent example for those young high school men to see how much fun real men have when they sing!

And as I had to reveal to some of the young men we met in England last year, real men actually do sing, and girls actually find it really attractive! Bonus!

Monday, January 28, 2013

Added Perspective: An Inside View of being an “Outsider” at BYU

        This year, we had the privilege of welcoming Patrick Tatman into our ranks. He's an extremely talented conducting student in the graduate degree program and just so happens to be a practicing Catholic. Some may find this to be a bit strange, considering the university is predominantly Latter-day Saint; however, we haven't found this to be any sort of obstacle. We embrace the similarities in our faiths, namely our love and worship of Jesus Christ as Savior and Redeemer. Patrick has been a phenomenal addition to Singers and wanted to share his answers to the questions he's most commonly asked. We love you, Patrick!

An Inside View of being an “Outsider” at BYU


As I progress through my second year as a student at Brigham Young University and my first year as a member of BYU Singers, I have come to discover that I share many things in common with my fellow Singers.  I proudly wear blue and white and cheer for the Cougars on football weekends; I am an avid supporter of the University’s Honor Code; I believe that Jesus Christ came to this earth to die for our eternal salvation; I consider my membership in the BYU Singers to be a lifelong dream fulfilled; and I also find that participating in the BYU Singers inspires me to be a better person. These similarities are only a few examples on a very long list. With all of these commonalities, how, then, would I qualify as being an “outsider” in the choir? I am an “outsider” because I am one of only a handful of practicing Catholics in a predominantly Mormon population.

The Mormon religion and lifestyle has come into the spotlight somewhat recently as a result of the recent Presidential election campaign, and I have noticed an increase in the number of friends, family, and even complete strangers who are interested to hear about my experiences at BYU. I would like to share some of the most frequent questions I receive along with my responses in the hopes of satisfying the curiosity of others who may be reading!

1. Since you are a Catholic, why did you want to go to a Mormon university?
As a passionate lover of choral music from a young age, I was always drawn to the sound of the choirs from BYU. I eventually pursued a career in choral music and taught choral music for four years in public schools. The more I studied choral music and all its intricate details, the more I came to realize that the BYU choirs present a product that is unmatched in quality and beauty by any other University choral group across the nation (in my own opinion, of course, but there are many others who would agree). When the time came to submit applications for graduate school, my first choice was obvious in my own mind, regardless of what cultural barriers might exist. I had an overwhelmingly positive experience when I traveled out for my audition, and my acceptance into the program was the start of an exciting and rewarding journey!

2. Have you felt pressure from Mormons at BYU to change your faith or “convert?”
Not even once. I have received nothing but respect and support for my own religious beliefs since I have come to BYU. Mormons are always willing and happy to talk about their faith with me, but it is never forced upon me. The truth is, it hasn’t been the differences between Catholics and Mormons that occupy my attention. Rather, it is our countless similarities and common beliefs that have resonated most.

3. Did you have trouble adjusting to life with the Honor Code as a non-Mormon (abstaining from alcohol/tobacco/coffee/tea, using clean language, remaining chaste, observing Dress/Grooming Standards)?
When I read the Honor Code in detail during the application process, I realized that most of the guidelines were things I was already doing with my life. The one exception I suppose was caffeine. I decided to give up caffeine for Lent in 2011 in case I was accepted to BYU. I had a terrible headache for several days, but it was definitely worth it! In reality, the Honor Code at BYU has not felt like a list of “restrictions.” Instead, it has eliminated unnecessary distractions and facilitated an environment conducive to learning, friendships, respect, and spiritual growth.

4. Do you ever feel ostracized or outcast because of your different religious faith?
Most definitely not. I was welcomed with open arms on my first day and it has remained that way until now. The atmosphere at BYU is remarkably warm, supportive, caring, and positive.

5. Do Mormons really wear “magic underwear?”
You would be surprised how many times I get this question. I usually respond by saying that underwear has never really come up in conversation in my academic setting. I encourage people to go to www.lds.org if they want to learn more about what Mormons do.

6. Are there any other non-Mormons at BYU?
Although BYU is predominantly Mormon for obvious reasons, I have encountered a Methodist, a Presbyterian, and a small group of Catholics at BYU. I’m sure I have encountered more without realizing it—we don’t wear nametags displaying our religious affiliations.

7. How much podium time do you actually get in your graduate program?
Compared to most schools, the graduate students in the Choral Conducting program here get a TON of podium time. One of the reasons is probably because they do NOT offer a D.M.A. (Doctor of Musical Arts) degree program at BYU. As a result, the Master’s program students get first priority when it comes to assistantships and conducting opportunities.

8. Since you study Choral Conducting at BYU, do you get to conduct the Mormon Tabernacle Choir?
Not quite! The Tabernacle Choir operates independently from the University, although many Tabernacle Choir members are also affiliated with BYU.


It has been almost two years since I moved to Utah to attend BYU, and I do not exaggerate when I say that the past two years have been the best years of my life. BYU is a fantastic school, Utah is a fantastic place to live, and the people I have encountered are some of the most genuine, hard-working, and down-to-earth people I’ve ever known. If anyone who reads this is considering BYU as an option for school, I give it my highest recommendation.   

Tuesday, January 22, 2013

Singers 2013: On to bigger and better!

Dear readers,

We apologize for the lack of posts. The blog itself is still in the beginning stages as publicity tries new things, and due to some confusion and lack of communication about who and what will be posting, things got pushed back. Never fear! We're back this semester with a whole slew of adventures from the land of the BYU Singers.

First of all, we'd like to welcome our newest additions to the choir. We were lucky enough this semester to get our wonderful Rachael Anderton back after taking a semester off. She's back with our first altos, and we couldn't be happier. Also, after the sad departure of Alex Vincent (we miss you!), we welcomed two more gentlemen to our bass section: Scott Baker (rejoining from last year) and Todd Kitchen. Welcome everybody!

While we're catching up on news, over the Christmas break, two of our women were sealed for time and all eternity to their sweethearts. We are so excited for Marianne Bement-now-Meiners and Melanie Merrill-now-Apolonio to start this new part of their lives, and we welcome their husbands into the exclusive circle of Singers' spouses. Also, Shannyn Palmer announced that she and her husband are expecting their first child! Congratulations to all of you!

The new year has already started out strong for the Singers, and we are delving into and polishing a fantastic new set of repertoire, much of which focuses on the Passion Week as Easter approaches. A lot of it is quite heavy, but certainly within the grasp of each listener who is willing to open themselves up to the feelings that this music evokes. We hope that our audiences will be able to feel the Spirit through each piece and have their own personal experiences with the music.

To wrap up, let it be known that the Singers are fighting this crazy flu epidemic with everything we've got. Flu shots, vitamins, medication, quarantines, and lot and lots of water. We've suffered some casualties, but we hope that before long, everyone will be up and singing with full heart AND voice. We especially appreciate the efforts of our bass section today in preventing the spread of any germs.


Thanks, basses!

We are excited for this new semester and hope that we can continue change the world through music. Be sure to check out the concert calendar for our performances this semester!

Coming soon: One of our beloved baritones talks about his experiences and answers some questions about being a Catholic in choir/school full of those crazy Mormons. It's going to be great!