Ep. 10 - Cultivating Choral Music on an International Scale - Melanie Brink

"A retreat sets the tone, sets the table, but throughout the year, whether it's a little sprinkle of a community-building activity, an exercise that is reflective, or a revisit to something that they did at the retreat, that's even more important. The retreat is just the first step... then we maintain that culture in our ensembles."Melanie Brink grew up and began her career in South Dakota, U.S.A. prior to teaching abroad. Her undergraduate degree in vocal music is from Augustana University and she holds a Master's in Educational Leadership from Southwest Minnesota University.She moved to the Sultanate of Oman 20 years ago to begin a choral music program at The American International School of Muscat (TAISM). There she teaches about 200 choral students in grades 6-12.  She prioritizes developing heart within her ensembles through retreats and inclusion activities that help her students learn how to be adaptive collaborators and leaders. Melanie designs activities and themes that promote a sense of belonging; promoting community, healthy singing and a meaningful experience. The selection of repertoire and telling a story through connection and design in the performance is a process she deeply enjoys.Melanie applies her training of the Mindfulness in Education Institute, a practice of centering - paying attention to the present in her rehearsals. She has also completed the Thinking Collaborative (Adaptive Schools) Seminar which presents a productive, practical set of strategies for developing collaborative groups in becoming effective and better equipped to resolve complex issues around student learning. She has presented workshops for both AMIS and ACDA music educator conferences. Melanie has been a guest conductor for the AMIS Middle School Mixed Honor Choir, the ASIAC Choir Festival in Chennai, and the MESAC Senior Fine Arts Chorus in Abu Dhabi.Since March 2004, she has served as the founder and Artistic Director of TAISM’s annual Festival of Choirs. She oversees the coordination of the event and works closely with each year’s guest conductor from the United States. Over 2,500 students have participated in the TAISM festival. Melanie is also a member of American Choral Directors Association and serves the South Dakota chapter as the R&R Chair for Global Music.To get in touch with Melanie, you can email her at brinkm@taism.com or find her on Facebook (@MelanieReneeBrink) or Instagram (@melanie.brink28).Email choirfampodcast@gmail.com to get in contact with our hosts.Podcast music from Podcast.coPhoto in episode artwork by Trace Hudson from Pexels