The family of Michael Edward Kemp, beloved conductor, author, teacher, composer, husband, father, brother, grandfather, and friend, announces with great sorrow that Michael died peacefully at home from complications of ALS on July 10th, 2021.
Read Michael’s obituary.
Michael conducting at the May 2018 Westminster Choir College Alumni Reunion (at 35’28”)
THE PLACE TO GO FOR PRACTICAL CHORAL GUIDANCE
I believe that music should be available to everyone, not just to those with more training and natural abilities. I have no auditions for my adult community chorus, and didn’t for my high school chorus which regularly toured internationally. I give private lessons to all my singers on a rotating basis, so that all may benefit from the advantages of some private training. Choir directors should pay attention to all singers, not just the superstars.
With a few explanations, some adjustments and lots of encouragement, every one can learn to sing well enough to be an asset to a choir. Sure, it takes hard work to teach complex music to musicians of varying experience, and the journey is worth it! Amateurs’ love of music is pervasive, and when they stand before an audience, there is a depth of emotion and the commitment to excellence and beauty is obvious and compelling.
Where has all the beauty gone? News broadcasts portray murders and mayhem, wars and shamed leaders. But in the midst of all that bad news, church, school and community choirs and orchestras of all ages stand as models of what a caring community should be. When one has been immersed in the warmth of such selfless music making, one becomes a better person and the human spirit is enriched.
I inherited these concepts from my parents, John and Helen Kemp, whose crusade for beauty and artistry and belief in lifting the human spirit have inspired countless directors and their choirs. Join the crusade!