Sept. 3, 2021

How listening to world music shapes a worldview with Alex Gartner, Artistic and Executive Director of the Pensacola Children‘s Chorus: Pensacola FL

How listening to world music shapes a worldview with Alex Gartner, Artistic and Executive Director of the Pensacola Children‘s Chorus: Pensacola FL

Join Christian Jones and Regan Bell with their guest Alex Gartner as they chat about the perspective changing genre of World Music and its ability to deepen one’s understanding of non-western cultures. Alex passionately describes his different encounters...

Join Christian Jones and Regan Bell with their guest Alex Gartner as they chat about the perspective changing genre of World Music and its ability to deepen one’s understanding of non-western cultures. Alex passionately describes his different encounters with varying cultures and how they engage with music. His love of World Music has even impacted the way he teaches music in his career. There is a lot to unpack so stay tuned and enjoy the episode!

About Alex Gartner:

Alex is the Artistic & Executive Director of the Pensacola Children’s Chorus (PCC). Under his leadership since 2016, PCC’s programs have expanded to include 10 resident ensembles in addition to numerous initiatives which spread music throughout the community through innovative means of performance, creativity, and collaboration alongside service-based nonprofit organizations. A native of Cincinnati, Ohio, Alex previously served as the Assistant Director of the Cincinnati Youth Choir, ensemble-in-residence at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music (CCM). He is an active composer, clinician, and conductor, and his choirs have performed in esteemed concert halls across the United States and internationally in China, Italy, and Ireland. A passionate educator, Gartner is a proponent of teaching people through music, a philosophy which he advocates as a presenter for many local, regional, and national conferences and professional development workshops across the country. He earned a Master of Music in Music Education from the University of Florida and a Bachelor of Music (summa cum laude) in Music Education from CCM. He was the 2012 recipient of CCM’s John Leman Award for Outstanding Choral Leadership, and in 2017 was named a Rising Star by Pensacola’s Inweekly and a Champion for the Arts by the Escambia County School District.  

Outline of the Episode:

  • [02:44] Alex’s life growing up in Cincinnati and the difference between Pensacola
  • [06:37] His music career summarized
  • [08:46] Transitioning from Cincinnati to the Artistic & Executive Director of the PCC
  • [11:50] Alex introduces his love for World Music
  • [12:40] The disconnect between worldview and the impact on children
  • [22:03] Why musical nuance in teaching is the wrong approach
  • [32:36] Alex recalls his first trip to Ireland and being immersed in Irish music
  • [37:38] Critiques for education of World Music and what to look forward to
  • [47:32] How to find out more about the Pensacola Children’s Chorus

 

Resources

Website: https://www.pensacolasings.org/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PensacolaChildrensChorus

 

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Alex GartnerProfile Photo

Alex Gartner

Artistic and Executive Director

Alex is the Artistic & Executive Director of the Pensacola Children’s Chorus (PCC). Under his leadership since 2016, PCC’s programs have expanded to include 10 resident ensembles in addition to numerous initiatives which spread music throughout the community through innovative means of performance, creativity, and collaboration alongside service-based nonprofit organizations. A native of Cincinnati, Ohio, Alex previously served as the Assistant Director of the Cincinnati Youth Choir, ensemble-in-residence at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music (CCM). He is an active composer, clinician, and conductor, and his choirs have performed in esteemed concert halls across the United States and internationally in China, Italy, and Ireland. A passionate educator, Gartner is a proponent of teaching people through music, a philosophy which he advocates as a presenter for many local, regional, and national conferences and professional development workshops across the country. He earned a Master of Music in Music Education from the University of Florida and a Bachelor of Music (summa cum laude) in Music Education from CCM. He was the 2012 recipient of CCM’s John Leman Award for Outstanding Choral Leadership, and in 2017 was named a Rising Star by Pensacola’s Inweekly and a Champion for the Arts by the Escambia County School District.