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 […]
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Exhaling with Sound: Yoga for the Choral Ensemble
For many voice users, an overactive stress response in performance situations, or even general anxiety and/or depression, leads to unwanted muscle tension, which can significantly contribute to vocal difficulty. In order to maximize vocal potential, choral directors and singers must become more aware of how the whole body, including the autonomic nervous system, impacts vocal […]
Disability Aesthetics and Praxis in Choral Music
This session will explore innovative choral music practices that enable and empower singers experiencing disabilities. Singers from the Notes from the Heart Music Program in Pittsburgh will collaborate with conductor Andrew Clark in a lecture-panel-demonstration that explores inclusive and accessible approaches in their creative process and values drawn from their collective work that can inform […]
Crossing South of the Border: Expanding our Choral Repertoire
This session is for choral conductors who want to cross borders and expand their repertoire. Participants will learn about the interconnectedness between music from a Latin American point of view. To avoid stereotyping, conductors need to acquire a deeper understanding of the music beyond the musical notation. In addition to learning about the history of […]
Conference Conducting Master Classes: Reflections and Applications
While conducting master classes are invaluable experiences for participating conductors, what are the “take-aways” for the observers? What enables young conductors to move from thinking about gesture and purely technical matters to actually becoming the music and meshing the ensemble’s performance with the conductor’s inner dream? These and other questions will be considered as they […]
Conducting with Purpose, Process, and Passion
Janet Galván will share ideas about the building blocks that lead to inspiring performances in a way that engages and enlightens the singers in the process. She will provide ways of giving ownership to the singers so that the process is collaborative and singers develop musical independence. She will also demonstrate how to develop the […]
