Keep Calm and Choir On
Ryan LaBoy
Recent Episodes
In this Special Release Episode of Keep Calm and Choir On, join students from North Hennepin Community College Concert Choir as they highlight selections from the Justice Choir Songbook— a growing anthology of songs written to reflect contemporary issues of equity and justice and intended for both the concert stage and the streets. Additionally, students will share their insights about the importance of these songs in this moment in history, and freshman alto Jessica will share her perspectives on the collection as part of her Honors Seminar project.
Join conductor and host, Ryan LaBoy, and his Concert Choir students at North Hennepin Community College for a Special Release Episode of Keep Calm and Choir On, as they celebrate and critique Walt Disney Animation Studio’s The Princess and the Frog.
Set against a larger semester study of #BlackMusicMatters, students will share their perspective on the music that makes the movie, the significance of crowning Tiana “The First Black Disney Princess,” and the larger cultural implications of Disney’s continued challenge to depict race and representation on the silver screen. The episode concludes with a recording of Concert Choir singing the film’s Oscar-nominated track, “Almost There.”
8:46 is a musical meditation on current events following the unjust murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis, MN. As our country tailspins in the midst of global pandemic and national riots, join Keep Calm and Choir On's host, Ryan LaBoy, in exploring the vast constellation of human emotions, reclaiming the gift of breath and our call to action, and listening to the voices of the ages to gain wisdom and insight about the world we live in today.
This fist episode features Sweet Honey in the Rock's Denko.
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Thanks to the success of our first season, we’re back with another six-week installment starting in June to help you cool off and choir on this summer! Keep Calm and Choir On’s Summer Spritzer will feature a series of 30-minute conversations between me and my dear friend and colleague, Natalia Romero Arbeláez, where we share some of our favorite choral music, discuss real world scenarios for preparing and performing each selection, and, finally, pair each piece with a refreshing summer beverage that both directors and students can enjoy! Like and Follow us on Facebook at https://facebook.com/choironpodcast
“I am horrified everytime I hear people use the word ‘virtual’… we are very real people who are interacting on platforms that may be keeping us physically distanced, but we are still socially connected.”
This week, closing out Season 1 of Keep Calm and Carry On, Ryan interviews his classmate, friend, and colleague, G. Phillip Shoultz, III. Laugh along with them as they reminisce about their graduate days at the University of Minnesota and talk about creating the soundtracks of our lives, art’s invitation for us to enter a space heart first, and the power of music to lift people up. Phillip candidly shares his experiences as an African American male in classical music, his struggles with mental health, and the transformative experiences he creates as Associate Conductor of VocalEssence.
You’re also invited to a deliciously “well-balanced musical meal” in J.S. Bach’s “Singet dem Herrn ein neues Lied” BWV 225 as Ryan & Phillip pay homage to their conducting teacher Kathy Romey. Then, get ready for some “front porch singing” as we highlight Andrea Ramsey’s arrangement of the Low Lilly song “Hope Lingers On” (available through MusicSpoke Marketplace).
To learn more about what you heard, use the links below:
- VocalEssence: https://vocalessenec.org
- University of Minnesota School of Music: https://cla.umn.edu/music
- Netherlands Bach Society: https://www.bachvereniging.nl/en/allofbach
- Andrea Ramsey: http://www.andrearamsey.com
- Low Lily: https://www.lowlily.com
- Music Spoke: https://musicspoke.com
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