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Not all that is new is great, and much that is new is gressions; Sally Monsour at the U. of Michigan who
derivative. I long for programs that are centered on showed me personality in the choral classroom—and
great choral music of all historical periods, programs again at Colorado when she helped me learn chiron-
that are carefully thought out with a unifying thread omy and pointed out that a bright e vowel can be just
but that are totally diversified in musical style, textual as pretty as a dark, covered e. Maynard Klein, my cho-
content, rhythmic variety, visual enhancement, and a ral director at U of M, who made us write in the text
true communion with the audience. I worry somewhat translation in every piece before we rehearsed it and
at the current trend of turning concerts into political made me feel that he was always looking right at me in
and social events, music selected for its “agenda.” rehearsal. Lynn Whitten was my mentor for my doc-
torate: he cleaned up my conducting and encouraged
me to do deep research, along with Warner Imig who
What, if anything, would you change about your shared some vocal secrets.
professional life?

What do you miss most about your job(s) after
I always remember Charles Hirt saying he wouldn’t
change his career for any other and that he was happier retirement, and why?
in choral music than any of his friends in other profes-
sions. I feel the same way: lucky to have landed where I What I miss most in retirement is being around
did and immensely happy every time I am in front of a young people and being able to make beautiful music
choir or working with choral conductors. happen.

What do you want your legacy to be? Eph Ehly has conducted over eighty all-
state choirs and more than 600 festival
I want my life to have touched others in positive ensembles. As a conductor, author, lec-
ways. I hope that I have encouraged people to strive turer, and clinician he has appeared in
for excellence in all aspects of their lives and that the forty-eight states and around the world.
joy we have known together in making great music will Ehly retired from the Conservatory of
sustain and give direction to them. I continue to want Music, University of Missouri-Kansas City, after twen-
to help choral directors be more efficient, more effec- ty-seven years of service. He has additionally served at
tive, better conductors, and better communicators of the University of Oklahoma and University of New
the choral art. Mexico. Ehly is the recipient of numerous teaching
and performance excellence awards and grants.

Describe your most important musical mentors in
terms of how they contributed to your professional What do you think are the most striking changes
development. (positive or negative) in choral music today?

I was fortunate to have many fine musical mentors Positive: The quality of the performances has con-
starting with my piano teachers as a child and my high tinued to improve quite remarkably. Exploration of
school piano teacher, who taught me the great com- music from distant and different cultures has increased
posers and harmony lessons in the summer; Rosema- dramatically. There is evidence of outstanding teaching
rie Grentzer at Oberlin who taught me to memorize in the preparation of young music educators. Commu-
the Harvard Dictionary and respect for musical terms; nication of professional services, namely ACDA and
and my theory teachers who got excited at chord pro- State CDAs, has increased greatly and communication

CHORAL JOURNAL June/July 2025 Volume 65 Number 9 59