In late August, I had the opportunity to visit St. John’s College, a historic university in Annapolis, MD, to offer the Friday Dean’s Lecture. I had a joyous time rehearsing with their Freshman Choir and was awed by the deep listening and questions students offered after the lecture.

You are welcome to view the lecture, titled Listen, Love, and Learn: The Formative Power of Singing without Paper. It explore practices of musicking rooted in the oral tradition and the ways they enrich and complexify how we interpret music from the page. I’m especially grateful for the mentorship and guidance of several people named in the lecture, including Dr. C. Michael Hawn, Alice Parker, and The Rev. Donald Schell.