SKU: GI.G-9759
ISBN 9781622772629.
Rehearsals should be structured in a way that trusts that human beings are truly the miracle workers and that if we work on being human, the magic of this thing called “moral acoustic†will resonate in a powerful, honest, and compelling way. For at the very end of the day, our goal in harnessing the energy contained in a moral acoustic is to create the most honest and direct communicative voice possible—a voice that can change lives and enrich our humanness just by hearing it, feeling it, and being touched by its ‘moral acoustic.’ —James Jordan, from Chapter 4 This volume is a continuation of the journey James Jordan began in his now iconic book The Musician’s Soul. In The Moral Acoustic of Sound, Jordan explores and defines those factors that create a “moral acousticâ€â€”those human resonances among and between musicians. This book delves into the nature of authenticity and honesty in choral sound and how conductors and teachers, through these new understandings, can draw forth that which is living within each ensemble of musicians no matter their age or experience. Using the power of metaphor, this book attempts to provide answers to unlock the magic and mysteries in music making and human expression. Specific to the journey of The Moral Acoustic of Sound: Understanding trust between and among musicians The relationship of intonation and color as a function of moral acoustic Humility and its role in music making Thatching within an ensemble Enfleshment as a vital part of music making Metaphors that guide conductors to deeper listening Fostering generosity in music making Grammy-nominated conductor and music psychologist James Jordan is Professor and Senior Conductor at Westminster Choir College in Princeton, NJ, where he conducts the acclaimed Westminster Williamson Voices and the Westminster Schola Cantorum. He is also Artistic Director and Conductor of The Same Stream (thesamestreamchoir.com). He heads two of the leading programs in the world for mentoring conductors, serving as Director of the renowned Westminster Conducting Institute and Co-Director of the Choral Institute at Oxford, held annually at St. Stephen’s House, Oxford, UK.
SKU: GI.G-10562
ISBN 9781622775989.
Continuing the journey started in The Musician’s Soul in 1999… In The Musician’s Empathy, James Jordan argues for both awareness and understanding of the essential role Empathy plays in honest musicianship. Jordan states that our awareness of what Empathy is (and is not) will build both new human depth and new connection within the rehearsal room and concert hall. This book is a collection of suggestions and metaphors for how musicians can harness their own human empathy to refocus rehearsals and performances. Jordan passionately argues that an acute and constant awareness and understanding of Empathy should be at the forefront of all music making, and must be the threshold to artistry and human connection in a post-pandemic world “re-set.†Joining with James Jordan, Jason Max Ferdinand shares how Empathy has shaped his own music making. The book also contains a wealth of QR codes for video presentations dealing with topics related to this book for both self-exploration and class use. Grammy-nominated James Jordan is Professor of Conducting at Westminster Choir College of Rider University, where he conducts the acclaimed Westminster Williamson Voices. He is Artistic Director and Conductor of The Same Stream (www.thesamestreamchoir.com). He is Co-Director of the Choral Institute at Oxford and Director of the Westminster Conducting Institute. Jason Max Ferdinand is Director of Choral Activities at Oakwood University, where he conducts the Aeolians of Oakwood University.
SKU: GI.G-9533
ISBN 9781622772407.
All our truth, or all but a few fragments, is won by metaphor. We don’t grasp the meaning of a word or concept until we have a clear image to connect it with. — C.S. Lewis  Understanding artistry and those “things†that contribute to honest and direct musical expression are concepts that are both difficult to teach and difficult for us to understand as conductors and teachers. Born out of his teaching at The Choral Institute at Oxford each summer, James Jordan has realized the power of metaphor for teaching the highest artistic concepts involving human connection and deeper listening. The home of The Choral Institute at Oxford is St. Stephen’s House, the very place that C. S. Lewis worshipped. In this book, Jordan adapts Lewis’s love of powerful and effective metaphors. Jordan uses metaphors as a guide to help conductors engage the most profound the concepts of artistry in music, concepts that are often elusive to teach or learn. These metaphors can be effective doorways to understand our role as artist teacher/conductors in new and vibrant ways. In this book, Jordan explores: The metaphor of conductor as a refractive prism connecting musicians to conductors within constant communicative connection The light-generating source for conductors The power of abiding Polishing one’s metaphorical prism for the most powerful refraction to others Rethinking the “sublime†in music making Understanding and avoiding musical “kitsch†The power of predictive audiation as ultimate trust The artist’s necessary journey into loneliness  GRAMMY-nominated conductor James Jordan is Professor and Senior Conductor at Westminster Choir College in Princeton, New Jersey. He is conductor of the internationally acclaimed Westminster Williamson Voices and the Westminster Schola Cantorum, and is Artistic Director and Conductor of The Same Stream (thesamestreamchoir.com). He is Director of The Westminster Conducting Institute and is Co-Director along with James Whitbourn of The Choral Institute at Oxford. James Jordan talks about his new work, Conductor As Prism:.
