You can hear it the moment a choir stops “trying hard” and starts making sound with intent. That shift is what I chase with guest Chris Maunu, a conductor, educator, and composer based in Portland, Oregon, with nearly two decades of experience building choirs from the inside out. We talk about the real-world craft of improving choral sound in ways you can repeat tomorrow: better breath support, cleaner vowels, less tension, and more singer ownership.

Chris shares how an artistry-first mindset earns trust quickly, especially with youth choirs. Instead of opening rehearsal with the hardest passage or a wall of technical notes, he looks for an early moment where singers can make music straight away. From there, we get practical about rehearsal pacing, repertoire sequencing, and how to keep young people engaged without lowering standards. If you lead a community choir, school choir, or auditioned ensemble, the same principles apply.

We also dig into vocal technique in plain language: how to help singers feel rib expansion, how to connect airflow to phrasing, and how to address jaw and tongue habits that choke resonance and tuning. We discuss changing voices too, including developing boys’ falsetto to find mix voice, and guiding girls towards head voice without fear of the upper range. If you want clearer intonation, freer tone, and more confident singers, this one is packed with usable cues.

Subscribe and follow so you do not miss future conversations, then share this with a fellow choir director and leave a rating and review to help more conductors find the show.

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Follow Chris Maunu:

website: www.chrismaunu.com
YouTube channel: @chrismaunu1195
Instagram: @chrismaunu

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Resources:

The Choir Director Podcast — helping you build stronger choirs, run better rehearsals, and create outstanding musical experiences.

• Website: thechoirdirectorpodcast.com
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Follow Russell Scott:

• Website: russellscott.org
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(c) Russell Scott 2026. All rights reserved.

If you have ever watched a school choir rehearsal lose five minutes to late arrivals, missing copies, and low energy, you already know the real challenge is not musical talent. It is leadership, structure, and buy-in. I sit down with James Manwaring MBE, Director of Music at Windsor Boys’ School and a major voice in UK music education, to talk about what actually works when you are leading teenagers and the clock is against you.

We unpack practical rehearsal techniques for school choirs: how to start quickly, how to make the first moments feel meaningful, and when teaching by ear or using a screen can remove barriers. James shares a refreshingly grounded approach to voice change, confidence, and inclusion, plus why mixing beginners and experienced singers can raise standards while keeping the room welcoming. We also compare school choirs and community choirs, and why humour helps but authenticity and consistency matter more than trying to be cool.

Then we zoom out to the bigger mission: “A Choir in Every School”. James explains why singing in schools is in decline, what support teachers need, and why responsibility cannot sit only with the head of music. Choir is not just performance. It is belonging, mental health, social connection, and a powerful way to reach students who might not find their place anywhere else.

If you care about school choir rehearsals, choral conducting, teen engagement, and the future of singing in UK schools, hit subscribe, share this with a fellow teacher, and leave us a review so more choir directors can find the show.

More on James Manwaring MBE:

Instagram @jamesmanwaring
Instagram @musicteachersassociation

Contact the Studio

Support the show

Resources:

The Choir Director Podcast — helping you build stronger choirs, run better rehearsals, and create outstanding musical experiences.

• Website: thechoirdirectorpodcast.com

Follow Russell Scott:

• Website: russellscott.org
• Instagram: @russellscottofficial
• Facebook: facebook.com/russellscottofficial
• X: @russellscottuk

(c) Russell Scott 2026. All rights reserved.

Four singers above a pub can turn into 18 choirs and 750 members, but only if you build something people want to come back to every week. We sit down with Abi Gilchrist, founder and director of UK Soul Choirs, to get practical about what actually makes an inclusive, non-audition community choir work without letting standards slide.

We talk choir leadership that goes beyond waving your hands: how to create a rehearsal room that feels fun, safe, and motivating, and why that atmosphere is often the difference between a choir that survives and one that grows. Abi shares how she helps singers find the right voice part (especially when nerves push people to “sing low”), how stylistic versatility supports pop, soul, and even classical work, and why vocal health should always be part of the plan.

Then we get into the nuts and bolts: teaching harmony quickly to non-music readers, learning by ear, and the case for ditching sheet music so singers can connect with the audience and each other. Abby breaks down a repeatable warm-up and breathing routine, approaches to quality control across multiple branches, and how to think about choir pricing and value for money with modern member resources.

If you’re a choir director, conductor, or vocal leader looking for rehearsal techniques, inclusive choir ideas, and a real-world growth story, this conversation will give you tools you can use straight away. Subscribe, share with a fellow choir leader, and leave us a review to help more directors find the show.

Follow Abi Gilchrist:

• Website: www.soulchoirs.com
• Instagram: @soulchoirs
• Instagram: @abipjp

Contact the Studio

Support the show

Resources:

The Choir Director Podcast — helping you build stronger choirs, run better rehearsals, and create outstanding musical experiences.

• Website: thechoirdirectorpodcast.com

Follow Russell Scott:

• Website: russellscott.org
• Instagram: @russellscottofficial
• Facebook: facebook.com/russellscottofficial
• X: @russellscottuk

(c) Russell Scott 2026. All rights reserved.