The conduct(her) podcast is a resource created by sisters Kyra Stahr and McKenna Stenson to amplify women's voices on the podium. Our goal is to highlight the many successful women in the field of choral conducting and address the significant gender equity gap in choral music. By showcasing the talents, struggles, and successes of women in the choral community, we aim to create new opportunities that support gender diversity and inspire future women conductors.
Growing up with two professional musicians—our mother, a choral director, and our father, a trumpet player in the U.S. Army Band Pershing’s Own—gave us a unique perspective on the struggles and determination needed to succeed in the music industry. We are keenly aware of the additional obstacles that women face, such as gender-based discrimination, lack of representation, family leave policies, and the need for self-advocacy. Our podcast serves as a free resource for women and allies in the choral world by sharing their stories and sparking honest conversations about the challenges they have faced.
McKenna Stenson, the older sister, is currently an Assistant Professor in Choral Conducting and Music Education at Florida State University, while Kyra Stahr, the younger sister, is a DMA Candidate in Choral Conducting at the University of Miami Frost School of Music. Together, we have launched three seasons of episodes, available on Spotify and Apple Podcasts. In addition to the podcast, we are active presenters and clinicians, working to support women’s equity in choral conducting.
We believe that representation matters. Our podcast covers various topics in each episode, combining discussions about music as a career, questions about the guest, humor, and advice for others in the field. It is important for us to explore each guest's musical journey and discover how they ended up where they are today. We always ask about overcoming obstacles in choral music and conclude with the same “fast five” questions. Over three seasons, we have hosted more than 50 guests and are currently working on Season 4! Our target audience is anyone interested in choral music and the advocacy of equity in the field. Recently, we discovered that conduct(her) is being featured in both a leadership class and a choral literature class, affirming that our podcast truly is for everyone!
Partnering as sisters and bringing the stories of these incredible musicians to light has been a joy. If we had access to these stories when we were younger music educators, we would have had more confidence entering the field of choral conducting. We hope these episodes answer questions and inspire others to follow their passions. Women hold unique value in the choral community, yet the number of female-identifying choral directors at the collegiate level has dropped by 7.05% between 2006 and 2020. This statistic only captures the decline in higher education, but the issue of gender equity and retention is equally critical at all levels. More research gathered from our podcast will be shared in our upcoming article in the Choral Journal.
Listening to our guests share their struggles and joys has encouraged us to be more open in sharing our own authentic feelings with graduate students, colleagues, and ensemble members. Sometimes, we are tempted to put up walls between our emotions and teaching, but the podcast has taught us that sharing our stories is both empowering and important. We've also learned that if there's a will, there's a way; there is no single path to success in this industry.
Stay tuned for Season 4 of conduct(her)! This year, we are launching a choral series with MusicSpoke and will have an article published in the Choral Journal. Please check out conducther.com and the resources we offer at linktr.ee/conduct.her.
*Opinions expressed on The CCCC Blog are reflections of the individual author, and may not represent all members of The CCCC Community.
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