Jonathan Palant, Professor and Director of Choral Activities, University of Texas at Dallas

My name is Jonathan Palant and I'm an Associate Professor and Director of Choral Activities at the University of Texas at Dallas. At the University, I direct two different choirs, an auditioned choir and a campus choir that's open to all students, and then I also teach an advanced level music appreciation class called Understanding Music, where we get a little bit more into the nitty gritty of music, as opposed to a survey. I also have a community choir that is unique because it all mission-driven. It's a not faith-based group, but it is a group that does social justice work. We go on a lot of adventures, travel, performing at places where you wouldn't usually find a choir. Vietnam, going to an orphanage for second generation children of those who died from Agent Orange, for example. We go in January to the border, the southern border, of Texas to sing both in Ciudad Juárez and in El Paso to try and unify through art. And then I also have a group called the Dallas Street Choir, which is a musical ensemble comprised of those experiencing homelessness. So my life is varied and I love it. Choir is a special beast, for sure, and at the center of that special beast is text that, unlike a instrumental ensemble, we sing words and we spend a lot of time trying to communicate the meaning of the words, be it the repertoire from the Renaissance and understanding what that text was about and how it was used in that period, or now, where we sing songs, rally cries, and music that was used in the Civil Rights. It's all about understanding what the intent was and how we can apply it to our daily living. So my job as a choral conductor, beyond making sure that things are in tune, finding a phrase, teaching proper vocal technique, what makes it so interesting is that we can really dive deep into the message of what we're singing. What's interesting is that it's very different, whether it's a community adult choir or a university choir and then the Dallas Street Choir or a church choir. Every one of those ensembles has a different mission and reason for being there, so that's really interesting for me.