This interactive session is designed to transform the musically mundane to the musically miraculous through the use of technology integration. It will demonstrate the use of free online resources designed to captivate students’ attention and rejuvenate the educational aspect of rehearsal. Many of these tools allow teachers to quickly and easily assess large classes and […]
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A Twenty-First-Century Approach to Recruiting Boys in Middle and High School
Recruiting males in the choral program may be especially challenging during the adolescent years. In previous generations, some choral directors may have emphasized stereotypical masculine behaviors as a recruitment tool. While focusing on stereotypical masculine attributes to attract males may appeal to some, it may also exclude others who do not identify with this image. […]
The Three R’s of Middle School: Recruit, Retain, Repeat
Middle school is a crossroads of music education for today’s students. It is at this stage of education that we can hook them into a musical path or lose them. The ability to recruit singers is the lifeline of any choral program. Learn from master teachers on how they have utilized classic and new recruitment […]
Thinking Like an Athlete: New Ways to Improve your Conducting Gesture
Conducting and singing are both highly athletic, a balancing act of tension and relaxation. Singers absorb incredible amounts of information from conductors, conscious and subconscious. Given that, what are we showing our singers through our use of our body? Is our gesture as fluid, organic, graceful, and clear as we would like? Are we able […]
Teaching Musicianship through Repertoire: A Panel Discussion
The world of the choral conductor/teacher is multifaceted, involving the need to know diverse repertoire, vocal skills, and rehearsal pedagogy; to have the ability to teach to a variety of needs and interests; and the will to collaborate with parents, audiences, and professional peers. This session presents practical approaches to dealing with these varied elements […]
Renaissance Reborn: Breathing New Life into Renaissance Music
This session is an exploration of performance practices that help to make the music of the Renaissance era more understandable and appealing, more accessible to performers and audiences, and more worthy of programming and appreciation. Topics to be covered include: pitch, performing forces, meter and tempo, phrasing, text underlay, and musica ficta.
