Your choir doesn’t need to be “naturally creative” to improvise, it needs a safe structure and a reason to listen. I’m joined by Australian composer, conductor, and educator Stephen Leek, whose choral music is sung worldwide and whose workshop approach helps ensembles find confidence fast. We talk about improvisation for choirs that think they can’t improvise, using simple cues, layers, and shared attention to build real ensemble listening that feeds straight back into better tuning, blend, and musical line in scored repertoire.

We also zoom out into the bigger question of musical identity: what makes an “Australian choral sound”? Stephen shares how language, dialect, and accent shape choral colour, and why Indigenous place names and local texts can unlock crisp consonants, vivid vowels, and a sense of landscape in the voice. Along the way we touch on the Australian Voices, commissioning culture, and how developing singers from school age can create a whole new repertoire ecosystem.

Then we tackle a challenge every choir director is feeling right now: a world where AI can generate music quickly, and where choral programming can slip into safe, same-sounding choices. Stephen makes the case for risk taking, for choosing music that actually says something, and for stretching singers beyond what they already know, because that’s how choirs stay artistically alive.

If you enjoy practical rehearsal ideas, thoughtful choral conducting talk, and big-picture questions about culture and composition, subscribe, share this with a fellow director, and leave a rating and review so more conductors can find the show.

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More about Steven Leek:

Website: www.stephenleek.com/

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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
• Mailing List: Join our Newsletter

Follow Russell Scott:

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

(c) Russell Scott 2026. All rights reserved.

A choir concert can be technically impressive and still feel forgettable. Russell Scott sits down with Canadian choral conductor and educator Thomas Burton-Bresba to get into what makes an audience lean forward: programmes that move like stories, transitions that keep the room focused, and performance choices that feel motivated rather than gimmicky. If you are a choir director looking for better concert programming, this is a masterclass in intention and pacing.

We talk about building a programme from a single “must sing” piece, then mapping emotional peaks and valleys like a three-act play or a hero’s journey. Thomas shares why he sometimes asks audiences to hold applause, how silence can create tension, and how running pieces together can transform their meaning. We also explore immersive choral experiences, from surrounding the audience to choosing alternative venues that fit the theme and help more people feel welcome.

On the rehearsal side, we dig into culture building: creating a non-judgemental space, taking small risks over time, and staying patient when progress is slower than you hoped. Thomas is refreshingly honest about ego, the value of bringing in guest experts for different styles, and what choirs should ultimately aim for: leaving listeners more connected to each other through text, storytelling, and shared human feeling.

Subscribe so you never miss an episode, and if this sparks ideas for your next concert, share it with a fellow choir director and leave a rating and review.

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More about Thomas Burton-Bresba:

Website: www.thomasburtonmusic.com
Instagram: @conductorburton

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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
• Mailing List: Join our Newsletter

Follow Russell Scott:

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

(c) Russell Scott 2026. All rights reserved.

A choir does not become brave by being corrected into bravery. It becomes brave when singing feels safe, playful, and genuinely rewarding and that is exactly what Dutch music educator Casper De Haas brings to the table.

We talk about the Kodály concept in the real world of primary schools: singing games, movement, and simple call-and-response routines that quietly teach pitch matching, inner hearing, and listening. Casper shares how he normalises solo singing early (yes, with a stuffed animal), why big praise at the right moment changes everything, and what to do when children sing the interval but in the “wrong” register. If you lead a children’s choir or teach classroom music, you’ll take away practical rehearsal ideas you can use immediately.

From there we zoom out to choir craft: turning a class into an ensemble, preparing for performances where timing and focus matter, and using playful exercises to improve phrasing, vowels, articulation, and energy without draining the room. We also explore “older beginners” trainee teachers, how inhibition blocks singing, and how Casper uses step-by-step progress plus social proof to unlock two-part singing and confidence. It all comes back to one inclusive principle: music is for everyone.

If this sparks ideas for your next rehearsal, subscribe for more conversations with choir leaders worldwide, leave a rating and review, and share the episode with a fellow director who needs a fresh approach.

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More about Casper de Haas:

Instagram: @meestercasper

YouTube: Meester Casper

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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
• Mailing List: Join our Newsletter

Follow Russell Scott:

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

(c) Russell Scott 2026. All rights reserved.