Ep. 46 - Building a Support System in the Choral Community - Matthew Gardner & Taylor Stricklin

"I first spend time building trust between me and then ensemble and then having them build trust within the ensemble. If they don't trust me, we won't be able to do a particular level or type of music. We spend so much time learning to work together." - Matthew Gardner"I entered my teaching career with all these ideals about teaching choral music, but what if they don't receive those ideals? There's a certain truth of listening to where your students are in the moment that you're there and then gaining the trust to be able to implement more of your ideals." - Taylor StricklinMatthew Gardner is the choral director at Austin High School in Decatur, AL, where he teaches AP Music Theory and conducts the Chamber Choir, Treble Choir, Tenor-Bass Choir, and Show Choir. He is co-founder of the Huntsville Summer Music program, which provides music education students practical teaching and conducting experience before they begin their careers. Matthew served as coordinator and conductor of the program’s chorus and wind band. Matthew is an active performer in professional choral ensembles such as Coro Vocati in Atlanta, GA, Valley Consort in Huntsville, AL, and the Cahaba Chamber Chorale in Birmingham, AL. In addition to his full-time teaching, Matthew is an adjunct instructor at the University of Alabama in Huntsville. He has served as conductor of the UAH Concert Choir as well as the substitute conductor of the UAH Chamber Choir. Matthew also serves as Director of Music Ministries at Valley United Methodist Church in Huntsville, AL. Matthew holds a Bachelor of Arts in Music from the University of Alabama in Huntsville as well as a Master of Music in Choral Conducting from Louisiana State University.Taylor Stricklin is the Choral Director at Vestavia Hills High School. Mr. Stricklin is a native of Birmingham, AL and earned his Bachelor of Choral Music Education degree from Samford University. In the Spring of 2020, he graduated with a Master of Music in Choral Conducting from Louisiana State University, where he served as conductor of Chamber Singers and assistant conductor of the Tiger Glee Club. Prior to graduate study, Taylor taught choral music at Dauphin (daw-fin) Junior High School and Enterprise High School in Enterprise, AL . He currently sings in several professional ensembles, Red Shift, based in Baton Rouge, LA and the Cahaba Chamber Chorale, based in Birmingham. Since the summer of 2018, Taylor has also served as the Assistant Conductor of Iron City Singers, a community choir based in Birmingham. You can find Matthew on Facebook (@matthew.gardner.54) or Instagram (@mcgardner93). You can also find Taylor on Facebook (@tstricklin2) or Instagram (@tstrick17 and @vestaviahillschoir).Choir Fam wants to hear from you! Check out the Minisode Intro episode from September 16, 2022, to hear how to share your story with us. Email choirfampodcast@gmail.com to contact our hosts.Podcast music from Podcast.coPhoto in episode artwork by Trace Hudson from Pexels