Rehearsal time is a precious commodity, and conductors must make difficult choices about what occupies space on a rehearsal agenda. The pressing demands of learning repertoire for performance often win out over the conductor’s need or desire to also be a music educator and a vocal pedagogue. This session explores ways to meet the musical […]
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Hands to Mouth: Manual Mimicry in Choral Singing and Conducting
This session bridges the fields of speech-language pathology and choral conducting to introduce participants to manual mimicry, a tool that links the spatio-temporal parameters of hand gestures to vocal articulations. Manual mimicry offers choral conductors a new approach to facilitating the production, unification, and expressivity of vocal sounds for singing. Join speech-language pathologist and educator […]
Handel’s Esther: A Woman, Genocide, and an Oratorio
Known as the first English oratorio, Esther is a compelling work not only for the beauty of the music but also the relevance of important issues in the narrative: a young woman, chosen for her beauty, becomes queen and accepts the task of averting genocide of her people. How does knowledge of the Jewish story […]
Get with the Program! New Approaches in Concert Programming
This session will explore ways to create effective concert programs that move beyond the period-based, style-based, or straightforward thematic approaches. Examples of the types of programming we will explore: ensemble selected, narratives, arch form, arbitrary restriction, progressive venue, outside text-based, and audience participation. There will be time for sharing of effective programming approaches and philosophies, […]
Getting “Heady” with High School Singers
Developing a freely produced, well-supported head voice is the greatest factor toward achieving good intonation and blend in the high school choral ensemble. This presentation demonstrates techniques for developing a buoyant and lyric head tone in both female and male singers during the choral rehearsal. Recordings of four high school choirs will present examples of […]
Finding the Mustard Seed: How to Introduce a New Choral Work to Your Choir
Where to begin? What is the essence of a piece? What will capture student interest in a new choral piece? Octavos will be studied in terms of score preparation, what should be introduced in a first rehearsal, and what should be reinforced in subsequent rehearsals in terms of music understanding and rehearsal efficiency. Thorough preparation […]
