#14 Jonathan Albertini
The founder/director of Cornerstone Chorus
Jonathan Albertini is the founder and director of Cornerstone Chorus, and the director of The Blenders chorus.
Jono has been one of the driving forces behind barbershop harmony and a cappella on the Gold Coast of Australia for many years. I talked with him about how he got started, how he founded a competitive chorus for young men, and which choir leaders he admires.
Expect to learn:
How Cornerstone Chorus develops engaging visual performance plans
Jono's method for making sure all singers learn the correct notes
Why a choir leader should improve their conducting gesture before asking the choir to change
Why it's crucial for choir leaders to identify the special skills in their singers
Where is the best place to go to upskill as a choir leader
Who are the Two Jonos and how they work together
And much more...
Listen on Spotify
Listen on SoundCloud
Watch on YouTube
I’ve met Jono many times through the barbershop harmony scene of Australia. In addition to being a force to be reckoned with (conducting, singing, performing) he’s also a down-to-earth, friendly bloke who’ll happily share a beer with you.
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Update on my other projects
The Canberra Chordsmen are about to head to the Gold Coast for the Barbershop Harmony Australia Festival - our national competition! Above you can see us in full force at our regional competition (in May 2024).
Strange Weather Choir has returned from Auckland, New Zealand where we competed in the World Choir Games! We also sang on the bus, and in a giant aviation museum surrounded by actual planes, and in several public locations around Auckland. We had a ball and also a bit of a holiday too (while in New Zealand I went to Hobbiton which exceeded my expectations).
Mixtape Chorus is in the middle of Term 3, and we started strong with a classic amp-you-up, take-that-leap kinda song in the form of Geronimo by Sheppard. We then chased this with When The Rain Comes Down by Alex Lahey (I have a greater-than-average fondness for this Australia songwriter, and the Mixtape committee had to ban me from doing Alex Lahey songs for 6 months… but the drought has finally broken!). Completing the trio of Australian songs, we’ve just started learning Paint This Land by the Queensland duo Busby Marou. All great songs, sung in good company with a side of cake every Thursday night. Chef’s kiss.
Original Music - in June I released my second-ever album! It’s an album of instrumental music, of varying moods from ambient to up-tempo. If you watch the video, you will also see that each track is paired with a piece of art (this is my recommended way to consume the music). If you want to support me, you can purchase the album on Bandcamp.
See you next time, SubStackers.