Message as important as music for new choir leader

ith McCutchen said he believes the art of unity should be a quality of a choral ensemble. To really perform a piece of music, each singer must listen to every other member of the choir, not just himself or herself.\nA press release announced Sept. 19 that the African American Arts Institute named McCutchen the new director of its choral ensemble, following the retirement of James Mumford last spring. McCutchen said he hopes to preserve the renowned choir's level of excellence while modifying it with the breadth of knowledge he has in all types of music -- from gospel to jazz to classical.\nSophomore Alli Becker is in her second semester with the ensemble.\n"He's working with us on listening to each other so we don't perform as a bunch of individuals," she said. \nBecker said that for many of the classes McCutchen has them sing in a circle rather than typical choir formation so that they can hear each other and learn to work as one.\n"It's very exciting just looking at the infinite possibilities of how this choir and my creative, intellectual self can grow and see new avenues of research and performance because of being in this environment," McCutchen said. \nThis is McCutchen's first semester with the choir, and he said he's still adapting.\n"My transition has been relatively without major obstacles at this point -- in spite of coming into a position that was held by a legend," McCutchen said of Mumford, his predecessor. \n"It's an honor to be at a place where some of the top researchers of African-American culture are rooted," he said.\nThe choral ensemble performs African-American cultural music such as spirituals, fold forms, contemporary and traditional gospel, and other works by African-American artists. Noting the link between the choral ensemble and jazz music, McCutchen said one of his goals is to create a bridge between the jazz department and his choral ensemble.\n"I think one of the things that excites me about the possibilities here is trying to maintain the tradition of performance excellence that has been exhibited so far," he said. "Beyond that, I'd like to create bridges to the most obvious interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary connections that the music begs to do so with, mainly with connections with the school of music." \nMcCutchen said he would also like to see larger connections being made, not just within IU. McCutchen wants an "affiliation with national and/or international organizations of choral music and African-American arts."\n"The second thing I desire is that, as a choral entity, our involvement with the institute and the choir will continue to bridge gaps and be known outside the walls of the University itself," McCutchen said. \nBefore coming to IU, McCutchen directed many other ensembles, including the Vocal Jazz Ensemble at Minnesota, the Black Music Ensemble at Berea College in Kentucky and the Gospel Choir at St. Olaf College, where he also taught jazz piano and music theory. McCutchen also led church and high school choirs like the Umoja Choir at South High School in Minneapolis, where he said he taught an eclectic repertoire of music from Latin America, South Africa, Europe and Asia.\nAs if directing and teaching were not enough, McCutchen also performs and composes music -- some that he publishes under his own publishing company, McCutchen Music Publishing, and some that gets picked up by other companies. He said he uses his publishing company to expose music that has been based on oral tradition and is sometimes difficult to find.\nChoral ensemble singers can see McCutchen's emphasis on the importance of storytelling.\nHe is "really adamant about the music as well as the message," Becker said.