During the Renaissance era, music and dance were partners on the stage and in the salon. Today, music as an art form is studied separately from dance. However, dance theory offers valuable principles for choral conducting technique. Martha Graham (1926-1991), modern dance choreographer, trained dancers with her innovative technique. This interest session will explore how […]
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Mozart’s K. 626: Requiem, But No Rest
This session will explore all the various completions of Mozart’s Requiem, K. 626, providing comparisons, editorial procedures and opportunities to hear/sing the various differences. In addition, options for orchestration will be examined. Finally, there will be detailed discussion of late-eighteenth-century performance practices as they pertain to Mozart’s sacred music, bringing some clarity to the myriad […]
The Journey to Pitch Perfect: Do-It-Yourself Grass Roots Vocal Strategies for the Singer and Conductor
This session will present practical exercises and techniques to facilitate individual and ensemble practice for the purpose of discovering each individual’s unique sound, which in turn creates an environment for more accurate intonation and pitch matching. Areas of presentation will include proprioception, audiation, use of body space, digital listening vs. acoustic, a skill set to […]
How to Put the “Jazz“ in Jazz Choir
Improvisation and creativity are essential elements of jazz. This clinic will work through techniques for fostering creativity and flexibility in your solo singers, address how to expand upon stock charts, and cover general vocal and instrumental improvisational concepts. Topics include: the goals of a vocal jazz ensemble experience; teaching connection to the vocal and instrumental […]
The Conductor’s Muse: Advocating for the Choral Art through Creative Programming
One of our most creative acts as choral leaders is crafting compelling programs that showcase the value of the choral experience, often to audiences that may not have a background in it. Join Joshua Habermann and Santa Fe Desert Chorale singers in an exploration of some of the ways we can incorporate storytelling, spoken word, […]
Help! My Guys Sound Terrible: Quick Solutions to Common Problems
This research was inspired by the clinician’s own personal struggles as a beginning choir director with teaching novice male singers. As a part of her masters thesis, Jaclyn Johnson created a survey to see if other directors (in particular, female high school directors) had experienced similar struggles. During this session, Johnson will briefly discuss the […]
