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You have touched singers of all ages, audiences, tent) into the program to help educate the audience
and colleagues across the United States and in- and gradually broaden its taste and experience.
ternationally. You have also served as a tremen- Another aspect I’ve seen especially in the recent
dous role model. What message do you strive to years of global health crisis and societal upheavals is
impart in those interactions? that audiences seek solace in such gatherings. Some-
thing familiar makes them feel more comfortable. I
I never think of myself as a role model…I don’t found it helpful and effective to speak a few words to
feel I’m old enough yet! I just always try to do my best the audience—not to talk down or guilt them, but to
wherever I go, knowing that it will impact those I am gently encourage them to expand their hearts toward
working with during that time. There’s the parable in something that may not be their usual perspective.
the Bible of the servants with different numbers of tal- People walk in different ways and at different tempos.
ents. I’ve always felt I have but one talent and should For some, it may feel like too slow a change; for others,
use it diligently and wholeheartedly as a response of too fast. And yet as a leader (in the choral realm), it’s
gratitude to my Creator. Everywhere I go, I sense a an important part of our mission to bring together as
hunger for beauty, meaning, and connectedness that I many as possible in this journey of life through the art
feel incredibly honored to be a part of. that we share. Our work is not only teaching the ele-
It’s been said to me by participants on many occa- ments of music but also being a persistent guide, which
sions how important it is to see an Asian American con- requires great creativity and sensitivity, and sometimes,
ductor and—in conducting large works—a female con- great patience.
ductor on the podium. I see my work, especially in my
ACDA leadership role, as walking alongside choir di- Please provide a question for the next Choral
rectors, encouraging and finding ways to help support Conversations interviewee to answer.
their work. During the difficult years of the pandemic,
as hard and exhausting as it was being a collegiate con- Looking back at your career, what three things would
ductor, it didn’t in any way compare to that of school you tell your twenty-year-old self?
choir directors and music teachers. At my core, I see
myself as a working mom trying my best. I can appre-
ciate how hardworking choir directors must juggle and Mary Tuuk Kuras currently serves as CEO of MTK
empathize with the discouragement that sometimes Practical Leadership and as a board member of Cho-
comes with a lack of appreciation for their dedicated rus America. A lifelong singer, pianist, organist, and vi-
work. olinist, she has also served as an executive leader in the
C-Suite of Fifth Third Bancorp and Meijer Inc., and
If art is supposed to change us, why do you think as president and CEO of the Grand Rapids Sympho-
so many choral conductors program music that ny. mary@mtkpracticalleadership.com
simply affirms the morality of their singers
and audience? (This question was supplied by
the previous Choral Conversation interviewee.
See “A Conversation with Donald Nally,” Cho-
ral Journal October 2023.)

Based on my own experience when I had a commu-
nity chorus that relied on the concert intake to survive,
I had to program toward a certain level of familiarity
for that audience, a necessary and pragmatic matter. I
would often sneak in some new music (style and con-

CHORAL JOURNAL March/April 2025 Volume 65 Number 7 39