The Choir Director Podcast

The Choir Director Podcast is the essential resource for choir directors, conductors and vocal leaders who want to build stronger choirs, run better rehearsals and create outstanding musical experiences.

Hosted by international conductor and festival producer Russell Scott, each episode shares practical strategies for rehearsal technique, vocal training, repertoire choices, choir recruitment, leadership, performance preparation and managing real-world community and amateur choirs.

Whether you lead a school choir, church choir, community choir or professional ensemble, this podcast gives you actionable ideas you can apply immediately — from improving blend and tuning to motivating singers and growing your choir.

Featuring expert interviews with leading conductors, vocal specialists, composers and choir educators, alongside solo coaching episodes packed with real solutions for real choir challenges.

If you’re a choir director who wants practical tools, musical insight and leadership strategies to help your singers thrive, this is the podcast for you.

Guest

Mark Hayes

Mark Hayes is a Kansas City–based composer, arranger, conductor and concert pianist whose music brings together gospel, jazz, pop, folk and classical traditions. A magna cum laude Baylor University piano graduate, he has written more than 2,000 published works for choirs, solo voice, piano, orchestra and chamber ensembles. His music is performed by churches, universities, children’s choruses and community ensembles worldwide. Hayes has conducted his major works at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, the National Cathedral and David Geffen Hall, including the 2024 world premiere of Kindness and the 2026 Carnegie Hall premiere of Psalmos. He has released more than 25 solo piano albums and regularly leads composer festivals, clinics, workshops and choral reading sessions.

https://markhayes.com

Guest appearance on:

Ep #31: Mark Hayes: How A World-Class Arranger Writes For Real Choirs