Many choral conductors work with a wide range of singers. The sounds and functions of voices change throughout a lifetime. This session will explore the natural and variable vocal, musical, and personal qualities for different age brackets and appropriate and age-optimal techniques to nurture singing. We will outline goals and drawbacks for a variety of […]
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Working with Developmental Choirs
This session will focus on how to work with inexperienced singers at the middle and high school levels. It will include topics such as developing tone, music literacy, choosing repertoire, and utilizing critical thinking skills in the rehearsal.
Takadimi Rhythm at Santa Monica High School
Takadimi rhythm syllables, developed by Hoffman, Pelto, and White of Ithaca College, present a viable alternative to more traditional methods of teaching rhythmic literacy. This session will include an introduction to the syllables, step-by-step methods for incorporating them into a choral rehearsal, and hands-on practice with the syllables.
Striking the Balance: Creating and Nurturing Positive Relationships between Voice Teacher and Choral Conductor
Vocal pedagogues and choral conductors share goals for their students: guide them in healthy vocal production; help them mature as intelligent, thoughtful, sensitive musicians; and prepare them for lives rich with music in various forms. Nevertheless, the private teacher/conductor relationship can be derailed and distract us from our students’ best interest. This session presents strategies […]
Space and Spirit: a Journey Through Polychoral Music
Venture into the past on this inspiring journey through the architecture and beauty of a unique style of music and see how we will shed light on the roots of polychoral music, follow its highlights through time, and gain a deeper understanding of its historical significance. We will rehearse well-known musical pieces such as The […]
Singing Therapy and Dalcroze in Russian Orphanages
In 2015 we traveled to St. Petersburg, Russia, to begin implementing an innovative new program of therapy based on music education for orphans with attachment disorders. The prevalence of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) among these orphans was eight times the worldwide aver-age. FAS links directly to attachment disorders, which surface at alarming rates among Russian […]
