Your choir can sing the right notes and still leave the audience cold. The difference is often not talent, but story and culture and how deliberately we build both.

We sit down with Dr Francis Cathlina, Vietnamese American conductor and Director of Choral Activities at the University of Memphis, to unpack his story-first approach to choral music making. We talk about how a clear narrative can guide concert programming, unify repertoire across centuries, and help singers understand what they are communicating. Francis shares a concrete example of themed programming built around “The Five Love Languages”, plus simple ways to extend the concept into the audience experience without turning the concert into a gimmick.

From there, we get practical about performance. When does movement on stage become meaningful storytelling, and when does it become a distraction? Francis explains how he balances organic, singer-led gesture with choreographed moments, why the sound must always come first, and how tools like video playback and a “1 to 10” intensity scale can keep expression honest and ensemble-focused. We also dig into rehearsal process: clean musical accuracy, healthy tone production, then artistry, taught in an organic, improvisatory way that matches what the ensemble needs in the moment.

If you’re looking for actionable ideas on rehearsal culture, individual accountability, section leadership, and keeping momentum when progress stalls, you’ll leave with a notebook full of approaches to try. Subscribe for more conversations for choir directors, share this with a fellow conductor, and please leave a rating and review so more choral leaders can find the show.

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More about Francis Cathlina:

website: www.franciscathlina.com
instagram: @franciscathlina

Their new album: Between Love and Law

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