This session will present techniques, strategies, tips, tools, and resources for creating and developing a comprehensive sight-singing curriculum in the choral classroom. Special attention will be given to teaching beginning singers with no background in sight-singing. Topics to be discussed include the role and methods of individual assessment, unison and harmonic sight-singing, incorporating reading skills […]
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Service Learning, Ubuntu, and Choral Music
Ubuntu is an African term that con-notes humanity’s inability to exist in isolation. As we know, one of the distinctive qualities of choral singing is that of human beings in community. Choral music becomes a transformative power when it functions as a vehicle for social inclusion and education in under served communities. This session will […]
Re-Voicing Public Domain Choral Music for SSA, TTBB, etc.: Tips, Tricks, and Time Savers
This session will focus on re-voicing public domain choral music from mixed voices (SATB) to alternate voicings, including SSA(A) and TTBB. Source material may include choral music from the Renaissance, baroque, classical, and/or romantic eras and folk music.
Resonance in the Choral Voice: All Things are Possible!
Singing in the resonance of the voice makes possible all things choral: intonation, blend, dynamics, and tonal color. The coordination of two vital components produces resonant singing reliably: the appoggio breath posture and acoustical vowels. This interactive session teaches specific exercises that enable directors to train singers organically in rehearsal and presents underlying principles that […]
Rehearsing through the Composer’s Eye
By understanding how a composer analyzes, explores, and sets a text, a conductor can gain insights that will enhance score study, illuminate a choir’s understanding of the music, and inspire choir members and student composers in their creativity. As a conductor and composer, Dwight Bigler will demonstrate this process using his own and others’ compositions. […]
Meet the New York Voices
Meet the Grammy Award-winning jazz vocal ensemble New York Voices! They will share their vocal jazz experience, including discussions about the history, conceptual development, and evolution of New York Voices; a musical demonstrations of many vocal jazz styles and techniques; a rundown of the musical and educational background of each member; vocal warm-ups, and rhythmic, […]
