Most Americans probably know more stereotypes about Native Amer-can music than actual American Indian music. Brent Michael Davids is a highly successful composer of film and concert music and one of today’s leading choral composers, with multiple commissions by Chanticleer, the Dale Warland Singers,and many other ensembles. An enrolled citizen of the Mohican Nation, Davids […]
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Vocal Jazz 101: An Instructor’s Kit with 10 Easy Steps for Starting Your Vocal Jazz Ensemble
Participants will be led by discussion and hands-on involvement through the following topics: audition process, music selection, programming suggestions, rehearsals, festivals, and the rhythm section, with specific tools helpful when developing the individual rhythm section instrumentalists. Every participant will receive a bound booklet that includes specific information on the following areas: 1. Auditions – Selecting […]
Tone Deafness and Other Myths
Singing is one of the earliest developing and most fundamental musical skills, but we don’t know as much as we should about how accurate singing develops and why it never develops for some children. Recently, a number of researchers from music education, psychology, and neuroscience have begun to explore systematically the prevalence of accurate singing […]
Taking the Mystery Out of Commissioning New Choral Works
This session will answer common questions about how to commission new choral works, including, “How do I approach a composer to initiate a commission?” and “How do we justify spending money on a commission?” Topics will include engaging and collaborating with composers, commissioning costs, funding models and sources, contracts, non-commission collaboration options, and composer residencies. […]
Stretching a Point Here and There: Preparing Your Body for a Lifetime of Physical Activity
Since Harriet Simon’s survey in the Choral Journal revealed that over 75 percent of the conductors surveyed experienced a wide assortment of debilitation or physical limitations, it has been well known that a career in conducting can induce a wide variety of short-and long-term impingements, especially in the back, neck, and shoulders of the conductor. […]
Singing in the Groove: Connecting with Our Rhythmic Roots
Gospel, spirituals, music of Africa and Latin America: choirs and audiences cannot seem to get enough of music with rhythmic roots. How can we best help our choirs connect to their natural sense of rhythm? This session gives participants an experience of the many facets of rhythm, including movement, clapping, and singing a variety of […]
