Sounds Good

About Sounds Good

In Sounds Good, you meet people who stand out in their field and live and breathe for choirs. Here they share their thoughts and experiences and talk about topics that are interesting for both conductors and singers.

Publisher

Sounds Good

Category

music

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

2 Feb 2023

Latest episode

16 Sept 2026

Latest episodes

20 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   16 Sept 2026

   It's Not What You Know, It's Who You Know: A 33-Year Recruiter's Honest Take on Getting Hired

   In this episode of Sounds Good by ChoirMate, Dr. Jaclyn Normandie talks with executive recruiter Deb Horowitz, co-founder of Career Quarterback, about what really happens to a resume after you hit submit. They cover why referrals beat cold applications, the STAR method for behavioral interviews, and simple tools for interview anxiety. Deb traces the same networking logic into music, from workshop auditions to ensemble habits recruiters actually notice. A practical, honest conversation for anyone navigating a job search, an audition season, or a career crossroads. About the Guest: Deborah "Deb" Katz Horowitz is Principal of DLH Squared and has spent 33 years in recruiting, spanning banking, HR staffing, and executive search. She spent 11 years as an internal executive recruiter inside some of the most recognizable names in business: Amazon, AWS, Audible, Wayfair, and Peloton, where she joined during its hyper-growth phase. She previously founded Continuiti, an executive search firm she built to over $9 million in revenue. In 2013, she co-founded Career Quarterback, coaching young professionals through their first job search, and today she works with private equity portfolio companies while volunteering her time coaching women returning to the workforce. Deb holds a BA in Political Science from the University of Michigan. Learn more: https://careerquarterback.com and https://dlhsquared.com Any thoughts? Contact us: podcast@soundsgood.as

2. 

   24 Aug 2026

   In the Circle, Not the Center: Rethinking the Leader at the Front

   In this episode of Sounds Good by ChoirMate, Dr. Jaclyn Normandie sits down with Dr. Donald Brinegar, a conductor, voice pedagogue, and author whose work has shaped generations of singers and conductors. Together they explore what it really means to lead from honesty rather than ego. Don makes the case that the human voice is an endlessly flexible instrument, that the most useful thing a leader can cultivate is self-awareness instead of self-consciousness, and that the angry leader is almost always a leader who simply does not have the information they need. From a gospel choir that transformed a Palestrina motet in ten minutes, to the fifth-grade moment that shaped his whole philosophy of teaching, to the mentor who taught him to hear a result before he ever saw it, this is a conversation about presence, play, and the quiet art of being a good mirror. Whether you lead from a podium, a classroom, a boardroom, or a kitchen table, you will walk away rethinking where a leader actually belongs. About Dr. Donald Brinegar: Dr. Donald Brinegar is a conductor, tenor soloist, voice instructor, educator, and master class clinician. Professor Emeritus of Music at Pasadena City College, he directed the Choral Studies program at PCC for 36 years. He also conducts the Donald Brinegar Singers, a community choral ensemble in Pasadena, California; serves as Director of Choruses for the Pasadena Symphony and POPS; and is an adjunct professor of voice at PCC. During the summers, he is an adjunct professor of conducting and voice in the Cal State Los Angeles master’s program in choral conducting. His books on choral music include Pitch Perfect: A Theory and Practice of Choral Intonation, Conducting Primer: Seven Principles of Choral Conducting, and Conducting Primer in Practice. Learn more about Dr. Donald Brinegar: https://donaldbrinegarsingers.com/about/ Any thoughts? Contact us: podcast@soundsgood.as

3. 

   16 Jun 2026

   What Is a Leader's Real Job? Building People, Not Just Performances

   In this episode of Sounds Good by ChoirMate, Dr. Jaclyn Normandie speaks with Dr. Deb Confredo, past president of the National Association for Music Education, professor at Temple University, and a 44-year veteran music educator. They explore a truth that lives at the heart of every ensemble: a leader's real job transcends the notes on the page. Together they discuss building culture and community, the shift from "mine" to "ours" that lets an ensemble survive a change in leadership, and why deep preparation is what frees a conductor to listen, create, and connect. From a hair-raising story of being asked to conduct a concert with three days' notice to the quiet power of sharing joy, this conversation offers guidance for anyone who leads people, whether on a podium, in a classroom, in a boardroom, or at home. About Dr. Deborah A. Confredo: Dr. Deborah A. Confredo is Professor of Music Education and Director of Online Graduate Studies at Temple University's Boyer College of Music and Dance, and a 44-year veteran music educator. She served as National President of the National Association for Music Education (NAfME) from 2024 to 2026. She is the founder of Temple's Night Owls Campus/Community Band, which launched the university's community music outreach program, and is a past conductor of the Philadelphia All-City High School Band. A past Chair of the NAfME Society for Research in Music Education and of the Music Teacher Profession Initiative, she co-authored A Blueprint for Strengthening the Music Teacher Profession. She is also lead author of the band method Measures of Success (FJH Music) and co-author of The Complete Woodwind Instructor. She has taught at the elementary and secondary levels and is in constant demand as a clinician, adjudicator, guest conductor, and lecturer across the nation. She resides in Louisiana, where she is active in the Louisiana Music Educators Association. Contact Dr. Deb Confredo: debconfredo@temple.edu Any thoughts? Contact us: podcast@soundsgood.as

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Spotify

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2 ratings

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