About Me

My name is Marguerite Samuel. Let me tell you a little about who I am, and what this blog is about…

Why You’re Here…

You’re conducting a choir, and you need help/don’t have any experience.

That’s why you’ve clicked on my site.

So, how can learning how to conduct help you?

Well, here’s what it did for me:

The Journey…

When I first started my music major, I had no conducting experience. Neither did I think much about being a conductor.

Then, I was a part of founding a singing group, and guess what?! I had to direct the group. My degree included conducting classes, and choirs which were very helpful.

The help and inspiration I received from my conducting professor was what I needed.  He is still my conducting/directing mentor today.

He passed along very valuable information that helped me to be a better singer, and conductor.

A Turning Point

There was a turning point in my directing experience that made all the difference in the world.

In 2006 I was directing the choirs at a boarding academy. In the beginning, I felt drained after almost every rehearsal.

There was one conversation I had with him in which I had a paradigm shift, and that was it for me. In a nutshell, he told me that I needed to find a way to make my choir WANT to be in choir.

I needed to find creative ways of keeping them motivated without coming across in a negative way. This was especially true for the students I was having difficulty with.

Sound simple right? If you’ve been frustrated by unmotivated students then you know how difficult it can be.

After that, my choirs started being a place my students wanted to be. And me too!

I loved it so much, I decided to do a masters in choral conducting while working full-time.

Learning how to command my physical gestures (conduct) was a big part of the battle. Also, learning how to inspire people and meet them where they are, did it for me.

That’s what I want to pass along to you. Becoming a great choir director is an art form in every regard. I want to help you be successful with your choirs.

I don’t claim to know it all, but I’m on a journey. The goal is to share that journey with you, so that we can both learn together.

Here’s the thing. This site is not a quick fix, but I will provide you with some useful information you can use at any time.

It’s intended to start your journey to discovering the great conductor inside you. Be intentional and consistent, and you’re gonna do it!

So let’s do this thang!

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