Nurturing the developing choir is a multi-faceted endeavor involving musical technique training, vocal production development, social and emotional issues, and the encouragement of lifelong singing. All of these important lessons in the choral rehearsal room can (and should!) start with the score. In this session, Daniel Brinsmead, Susan LaBarr, and Blake Richter will discuss the elements in a choral score that nurture the young choir musically and emotionally. Attendees will see these elements in action by singing through complimentary scores for developing choirs, including selections for children’s choir through middle school-level singers. Leave with a full toolbox for searching for the best repertoire to nurture the developing choir.
Start with the Score: Nurturing Developing Choirs with Meaningful Repertoire
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Susan LaBarr
Susan LaBarr is a composer and choral editor living and working in Springfield, Missouri. Her compositions are published by Walton Music, Morningstar Music, and Santa Barbara Music Publishing. LaBarr has completed commissions for choirs worldwide, most notably Seraphic Fire, the National ACDA Women's Choir Consortium, and the TCDA Director's Chorus. She served as the Missouri composer laureate for 2012 and 2013. Central to her musical vocabulary is the knowledge she gained from studying with Alice Parker at her home in Hawley, Massachusetts. LaBarr attended Missouri State University in Springfield, where she received a BM and an MM in music theory. She works as editor of Walton Music.
Daniel Brinsmead
Daniel Brinsmead is an award-winning composer, conductor, and graduate of the School of Music at the Australian National University, where he received a BM with honours for performance studies in classical voice. In 2016 he completed an MM in choral conducting at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, Cardiff, UK. His choral compositions and arrangements have been performed worldwide. Brinsmead resides and works in Melbourne, Australia, and is currently the artistic director of several choirs, including The Australian Children's Choir and Choristry. He is also a singing and piano tutor, accompanist, composer, arranger, and orchestrator.
Blake Richter
Blake Richter is a distinguished clinician, composer, and choir director based in Nixa, Missouri. He earned his doctorate in educational leadership, curriculum, and instruction from Evangel University, holds a master's in educational administration, and a BME from Missouri State University. As the director of choirs at Nixa Junior High, Dr. Richter leads over 300 seventh- and eighth-grade singers across multiple ensembles. Choirs under his guidance have performed at the Missouri MEA conference on four occasions. He will serve as president of the Missouri Choral Directors Association beginning in July 2027. Outside teaching, he owns Blake Richter Productions, which focuses on music composition, audio engineering, and video production. He resides in Nixa with his wife, Kaitlyn, and daughter, Ivy.
