It hit me more seriously when I stopped to think about what people are going through Just last year there were the hurricanes on the east coast and in Florida Devastation Now there are the horrific fires in California with people losing everything Destruction This month has also seen frigid temperatures across the country with ice, sleet, snow, power outages, and horrible road conditions.Difficulties.
IusuallytrytowritesomethingforthePresident’sPenthatispositive,upliftingornews-worthy Thepreviousparagraphisanythingbut Iwantedtoremindeachofyou,asIremindmyselfalso,of the importance of our relationships I imagine that almost everyone who is reading this knows people affected by recent devastating events, or even other events or sicknesses that I didn’t mention.
WhileagoalofmineintheSouthwesternACDAregionistobringmoreconnectionbetweenthe states and with other choral directors, maybe I can suggest a resolution for all of us. If the word “resolution” is too strong or brings up negative feelings, let’s just replace it. Let’s all plan, aim, decide, promise, pledge, choose, decree, aim, or propose, that we are going to connect better this year Reachouttofriendsandfamily Ifthingsaregoinggreat;reachout Ifyou’repersonallygoing throughadifficulttime;reachout Ifyouhearofothersgoingthroughheavytimes;reachout The wordsyousaymaynotbeasimportantastheactionthatyoutake Connect Care
IwaswalkingdownthestreetatNationalACDAin2023inCincinnatiandamembercameupandshookmyhand andplacedtheirotherhandovermine Asmallgesture-butthatmomentwasprofoundlymoving Nomatterthe age, people want to know - do you see me, do you hear me, does my life make a difference? I'll never forget that moment
Itistheresponsibilityofthedirectortoputpressureonsingerstobringoutthebestinthem In termsofachievinggoodgroupvocaltechnique,musicliteracy,orovercomingperformanceanxiety, theonlytestedandtruemethodisthroughexposureindigestiblebits Ofcourse,thereisapoint wheresingersmightexperiencetoomuchpressureandfeeloverwhelmed.Itisthedirector’sjobto assesstheleveloftheensembleandguidesingersthroughtheprocesstowardssuccess.Toomuch comfort creates complacency and boredom. Too much discomfort creates angst, stress, and frustration.Directorsmustfindthebalancetopushtheensembleintochallengingterritory,while keepingitengagingandachievableovertime.
I tried not to stop on this first pass, allowing them to self-assess difficult passages and make markingsaswewent.Theysangwrongnotesandevendroppedoutasasectionforamomentas they tried to find their way back into the polyphony. At the end, they clattered and clamored, looking wide-eyed with wonder as they voiced skepticism of their ability to sing it. Then, we started“peelingtheonion”aswe“cried”alittlethroughthework.Weisolatedandallsangtogether the theme and counter-theme in each vocal line. We identified development, modulations and turnsofphrase.Wesectionalizedanddidsmallgroupwork.Afteratime,wecamebacktogether andrecontextualizedthefugueasafullensembleanditwentremarkablybetter.Insteadofdread, the singers’ faces were displaying a sense of accomplishment. While this is not an uncommon process, it highlights the fact that directors must not stop or change course at the first sign of ensemblediscomfort.Otherwise,weriskmissingwonderfulmusicalmomentslikemychoruswill soon experience in performing this great masterwork on stage. May I encourage you to lean in a little more on your ensembles and put some pressure on them to achieve really great things? “Nothingistoodifficult.Youjusthaven’tdoneitenough.”
R&R Resource
TatianaTaylor 2-YearCollege
FosteringChoralExcellenceandC
wo-YearColleges
Two-year colleges are unique and face their ow ts are with us for a short amountoftimeandcreatingadynamicchoralcu ntlyserveastheDirector ofChoirsandVocalMusicatajuniorcommunit cornerofOklahoma.The majorityofmystudentsarefirstgenerationcollegestudentsandwhentheyentermyrehearsalroom,most ofthemhaveneverbeentaughttoreadmusicandarenon-musicmajors Thisarticlewillexploreideasof howtobuildachoralcultureandutilizerepertoiretocreatecommunityoutreachinanenvironmentthat hasafastturn-overrate.
Buildingachoralculture
Ifoundthatinordertobuildachoralculture,Ineededshort-termandlong-termgoalsandthatiswhere having a vision and mission statement aided me tremendously. These two components focused my repertoirechoicesaswellastheactivitiesformygroups ArmedwiththesetwostatementsIthencarved time into choral retreats and/or rehearsals to discuss how the vision and mission statements would be explored through our repertoire and activities. This allowed for all of us to connect and work toward a commongoal
Choralcultureisnotjustabouttherepertoireoraccoladesthatagrouporinstitutionsaccumulates.Itis alsoaboutthesingershavingaplace,ahomeoncampus.Especiallyinthepost-covidera,nowmorethan ever,studentsareunsureofhowtonavigatesocialinteractions Dependingonthesizeofthecampus,they mightfeellostandwanttohideinthesecurityoftheirdormrooms,laptops,andphones.Irealizethatour jobscanbeall-consumingattimes.However,Ihavefoundthatworkingwithmychoralofficerstocomeup with monthly activities has been helpful to bring our ensemble together These can be anything from havinglunchtogethertoparticipatinginaschoolserviceproject.
Wehavealsoworkedtogethertocreateaphysicalspacewhereanybodyinourensemblecancomeinand study or just hang out In this space there are bean bags, small cubicles with blankets, outlets for their computers,tables,etc.Oncethegroupbeginstofeelconnectedtoeachother,thentheycanworktogether totakethatcultureintothecommunity.
Oneoftheprojectsweareworkingonischoosingonepiecethatwecansendtoallourareaschoolsfrom elementary to high school, in which, students will be invited to participate in one of our upcoming concerts Depending on your community and the type of students you have in that particular cycle, the outreachprojectwilllookdifferent.
Conclusions
Whether students are with us for a semester or four years, the impact we have on their lives can be unequivocal.ThroughbuildingachoralcultureandcommunitytiesIhavefoundthatstudentshavenot onlygainedconnectivitywitheachotherbuttheyalsohavetoolsthattheycancarrywiththemwhenthey transfer to other schools and into their working lives Even though there are some baseline things that workeachsemester,Ialsohavetocontinuallyassesswhatworkedineachcycleandbewillingtochange accordingly. That is why I am so thankful for this community of fellow educators, conductors and visionaries who I am constantly watching, learning from, and reaching out to when I find myself out of ideas. Thank you for allowing me to serve and share just a few thoughts and I hope to see you at the nationalconference.
R&R Resource
CristiMiller Jr.High /MiddleSchool
BuildingConfidenceinYo
Singers
OneofthebiggestchallengesIfacewithmymiddleschoolsingersishelpingthem overcometheiranxiety about singing in front of others While solo singing isn’t required in my class, I want students to feel confident if they ever have the chance to perform solo. I often wonder why they have no problem bouncing a basketball in front of others or reading a poem aloud but feel so nervous at the thought of singingalone
I believe much of this anxiety comes from the fear of being judged by peers, teachers, or an audience. Middleschoolersareveryawareofhowtheyareperceived,andperformingcan makethemfeelexposed and vulnerable They may also feel pressure to meet high expectations, whether those come from themselves or others. Often, they compare themselves to classmates they see as more talented, which increasestheiranxiety.
Many of these students lack performance experience, which can make the idea of singing alone feel overwhelming.Somemaystrugglewithhandlingmistakesorhaveperfectionist tendencies.Ultimately,I thinkthemainreasonfortheirhesitationisthatsingingisdeeply personal,andsharingtheirvoicecan feellikerevealingapartoftheirinnerself
I have developed several strategies to help students overcome their anxiety about singing in front of others Manyofthesehaveproveneffective Hereareafewsuggestionsforyour classroom,thoughI’m sureyoumayalreadyusemanyofthem.
Ifocusoncreatingasafeandsupportiveenvironmentwherestudentsfeel comfortable.Buildinga senseofteamspiritwithinthechoirisessential Whenstudents feelpartofasupportivegroup,theyare lesslikelytofeelself-conscious.Iemphasize positivereinforcement,notonlyforachievingperfectionbut also for effort and growth. Additionally, I make sure to avoid putting students on the spot without warning.
Providingkaraokeopportunitieshasalsohelpedreducethefearofsingingalone.Studentsoftenfeel moreateasesingingfamiliarsongs,especiallywhenpairedwitha classmate.Usingamicrophonecanalso make the experience feel more exciting and less intimidating, helping students focus on the fun rather thantheirnerves.
SingtheEmoji: Use emoji flashcards to represent emotions (e.g., happy, sad, silly). Students sing a songinthestyleofthechosenemotion,makingtheactivitylightheartedandfun.(Igivestudentsthe optionofbowingoutoftheirturnbutmanytimestheywillparticipatebecausethefocusisnoton themasmuchasitisontheemojitheyarerepresenting.)
SingtheAnswer:Dividetheclassintoteams.Instructthestudentstheymayonlyanswerquestions bysingingtheanswer Theymayrespondbyimprovisingtheanswerusinganymelodytheychoose (oryoucangivethemafamiliarmelodytheyalreadyknow,andtheyrespondwiththeanswerusing that melody.) Ask music questions or questions about a song they are performing. Give points for correct answers This seems to work because the focus is not on voice quality but on the creative responsesmanywillgive.
Encore:Thisgameiswidelyknownandeffectiveforencouragingstudentstosingsolo.Splittheclass intoteams.StartwithTeamAandgivethemaword.Theyhave30secondstosingalinefromasong that includes that word, either as a group or individually If they succeed, Team B gets a chance to Rindanothersongwiththatword.Thegamealternatesbetweenteamsuntiloneteamfailstocome upwithasongusingthegivenword.Themainruleisthatallanswersmustbesung.
Sound Charades: I found this game online that uses general clues like "truck driver" or "washing machine."Thepresentermustplacetheirhandsbehindtheirbackandmakesoundsthatrepresentthe clueonthecard.Youcanplaythegameasitisoradaptittotheclassroombycreatingasetofmusic signsandsymbols Thekeyruleisthattheycan’tusewords,onlysounds
Singing solo helps students overcome the fear of being heard on their own, which boosts overall selfassurance,bothinsingingandinotherareasoflife.Confidencegainedfromsolopracticetranslatesinto more dynamic and assertive ensemble participation This independence makes them more reliable contributorstogroupperformances. Jr.High/
R&R Resource
TannerOglesby SSAAChoirs
ChoosingLiteraturef
les
January has always been a complicated month for m nd January to be an exciting time,imaginingnewgoals,startingfresh,andcleaningtheslate.Asachoraldirector,IfindJanuarytobe the“lull”inthemiddle.StillexhaustedfromthebusymonthofDecember,wehavetofindtheenergyto chartaproductive,growth-orientedpathforwardforourensembleswhilenotcompletelystartingover.I’ve never subscribed to the “ new year, new me ” ideology; I believe that positive change is something that shouldneverwaitforanewyear.Let’sfaceit…we’reinthemiddleofthecurriculum,andit’sthesameold us!Ibelievethattruesuccessliesattheintersectionof“freshperspective”andthat“sameoldus”Sowhere dowebegin?
When I find myself uncertain for any reason, I turn to the anchor of everything we do: literature. The benefitsofthoughtful,ensemble-focusedliteratureselectioncannotbeoverstated.Specifically,fortreble groups,Ifindtheamountofliteraturetosortthroughexhaustive.Therefore,I’vewrittenthisarticletohelp guide directors novice and seasoned alike through the literature selection process. While this article is specificallyfordirectorschoosingliteraturefortreblechoirs,Ihopethattheproposedconsiderationswill behelpfultoalldirectorsgoingthroughtheprocessofselectingliteratureforthenewsemester.
EnsembleIdentity
UnlikeSATBortenor/basschoirs,treblechoirsrangefromelementarytouniversitylevel.Whilethismeans that there is a wealth of options available, finding the right literature for your group can be time consuming and sometimes overwhelming For this reason, understanding the identity of your treble ensembleisavitalfirststepintheprocess.Notevery2-partsongismeantforbeginninglevelsingers,and notevery4-partsongischallengingenoughforadvancedsingers.Youmightfindapiecethat’swonderful for teaching beginning concepts to a beginning-level high school treble group, but the text may be too juvenile You may also have a treble ensemble that is not solely female-identifying, which would be importanttoconsiderwhenconsideringtextforapieceofmusic.
DifficultyLevel
Havingjudgedvariouschoralassessments,Icanconfidentlysaythatchoosingliteraturewithappropriate voicingand/ordifficultylevelistheaspectmostoftenoverlookedwhenselectingrepertoireforagroup. Whenconsideringapieceofmusic,Itrytovisualizetheend,middle,andbeginningoftheprocessinthat order.First,whatdoIwantthestudentstoachieveasthefinalproductofthepiece?IfIwantthemtosing thenotesandrhythmsaccurately,there’snotmuchtheycouldn’taccomplish.However,ifmygoalisfor them to sing with unified vowels, energized consonants, dynamic contrast, articulation, and breathsupported tone within a specific timeframe for learning the piece, my options naturally become more limited.Asthedirector,itisourresponsibilitytostartwiththedesiredfinalproduct hopefullyamusically elevatedone andworkbackwardtodeveloptherehearsalplan.Thisisn’ttosaythatchoirsshouldn’tbe givenmusicthatchallengesthem;itentirelydependsontheoutcomeyou’reaimingfor,andrememberthat thedesiredoutcomedoesn’talwayshavetobeaperformance!
Asweworkbackward,let’sconsiderthe“middle”(thebulkoftherehearsalprocess) Whereareweinour literacysequence,andhowcanwechooseliteraturethatwillbenefitthelearningprocess?ThisiswhereI can truly discern whether the difficulty level of the piece is appropriate. For instance, if I’m reviewing relativemajorandminorkeys,itwouldbehelpfultoprogramapiecethatbeginsineithermajororminor andmodulatestotherelativeminorormajorkey.Thisapproachcouldalsobegreatforteachingmusical form.Whenconsideringliteratureasavesselforliteracy,itmakesthetaskofteachingliteracymuchless daunting.
Voicing
Considering the beginning of the process, I focus on more fundamental aspects of the piece, such as voicing.WARNING:Donottakethingsatfacevaluewhenitcomestovoicing!Asongcouldbelistedas SSA,yetthesoprano2partmightdoublethealtopartformostofthesong.Conversely,itcouldbelistedas SSAandsplitintofiveormorepartsatcadencepoints.Thiswillinevitablyaffecthowyoudividestudents amongeachpartand,therefore,thedifficultylevelofthepiece.
Fordevelopingtreblechoirs,Irecommendsearchingformusicwithaccessiblerangesforeachvoicepart Asweknow,analtopartinanSSAsettingisverydifferentfromanaltopartinanSATBsetting.Frommy personal experience, it can be challenging for altos and tenors to transition from treble and tenor/bass settingstoSATBsettingswhentheyhavelimitedexperiencesinginginnervoiceparts Whilethisisnot alwaysthecase,it’ssomethingIwishIhadbeenmoreawareofearlierinmycareer.
Programming
Thoughourliveswouldbemucheasierifwecouldsimplyfindindividualpiecesofmusicthatcheckall the boxes we ’ re looking for, we must consider how well the pieces pair together. Does the performance we ’ re preparing for have a theme, and does the piece I’m reviewing fit within that theme? Beyond a potential theme, does the piece I’m considering share many of the same features as the other chosen pieces? Am I actively seeking music of varying styles written by composers from diverse backgrounds? Thesearejustacoupleofquestionsworthaskingbeforegivingmusicthegreenlightforourensemble.
In my opinion, language is singularly the most impactful part of choral music; therefore, it cannot be ignoredwhenselectingliterature!Iwasabandkidgrowingupandwasfortunateenoughtohaveaband director who was also a vocalist, encouraging us to sing our parts. One day, the trombone quartet I was playingindecidedtosingourmusiconaneutralsyllabletosaveourchopsfromanotherrun-through The choirdirectorwalkedintothehallwaywherewewereplayingandaskedifanyofuswantedtojoinchoir. Long story short, I joined choir my senior year of high school and immediately fell in love. I had loved musicbefore,buttherewassomethingrawandemotionalaboutcreatingmusicwithtext (Thanks,Mrs White!)Thehumanvoiceisaninstrumentthatispersonallikenoother.Anyinstrumentalistwilltellyou thattheinstrumentyouplaymatters,butthevoicecannotbereplaced.WhileIlovedmytromboneinhigh school,IwouldhaveupgradedtoabetteronewithoutmuchthoughtifIhadthemoney Thetrombonewas aninstrumentIselectedfromseveraloptions,makingitapersonalchoiceratherthanacoreaspectofmy identity.Myvoice,however,wasandalwayswillbeanintegralpartofwhoIam.
The text for every song doesn’t have to be profound or transformative, but it should be selected with intention.First,considerpatternsinyourpreviousselections.Doyoutendtogravitatetowardaspecific languagewhenpickingforeignlanguagepieces?Hasthegroupyou ’ reworkingwithnotperformedmany foreign language pieces recently? Is there a current event to which a song could provide a reassuring or comfortingresponse?Theanswerstothesequestionswillbehelpfulasyouconsiderthemessageofeach piece and whether or not you would like to program it. For me, music is performed best when students haveboughtintoit Thoughit’snottheonlyfactortoconsider,textisagreatplacetostartwhenitcomes tosellingapieceofliterature.
DiverseLiterature
TherearethreespecificconceptsthatcometomindwhenIthinkofdiverseliterature:1)DiverseinStyle, 2) Diverse in Perspective, and 3) Diverse in Pedagogical Approach. The first concept is easy to grasp. Of course,wewantourensemblestoperformavarietyofliteraturewell.Inordertoachievethis,wemustdo thenecessarywork,whichiswherediverseperspectivesandpedagogicalapproachescomeintoplay
Choosing literature from diverse perspectives means being intentional about selecting music (and text) writtenbycomposerswithavarietyoflivedexperiences.Thisparagraphalonecouldencompassanentire article,butI’lldomybesttobeconcise First,thepowerofrepresentationiscrucial Everystudentshould havetheopportunitytolearnliteraturewrittenbyacomposerwhosharessomeoftheirlivedexperiences. Imentionedthisatapresentationacoupleofyearsago,andsomeoneasked,“WhatdoIdoifmychoiris not diverse?” My answer was simple: “You choose literature from diverse perspectives” Diverse perspectivesarethecatalystforempathy,andthereisnotapersonintheworldwhocouldn’tbenefitfrom empathy.
If we choose music from a variety of styles, we should also consider a diverse approach to teaching the music Ifyouhavealmostexclusivelylearnedmusicthroughthelensofsight-readingwithsolfege,there’s no need to worry! Solfege is an incredible tool, and I use it most often in my class, but I also find it appropriatetoteachmusicbyrotedependingonthestyleofmusicI’mteaching.I’veusedroteteachingfor musicwritteninagospelstyleandtoemphasizeform.Bothapproachesarevalidandhelpfultoolsinour toolbox Inadditiontosight-reading,learningbyrote,singingonaneutralsyllable,chantingtext,etc,Ido notalwaysutilizethesamepedagogicalapproachforanentirepieceofmusic,andIdon’talwayssequence myapproachinthesameway.Adiversepedagogicalapproachimprovesengagement,buildsmusicianship, andisoftenmoreauthentictoagivenstyleofmusic
Literature selection is a complex and vital aspect of the work we do. I find the process to be timeconsumingbecauseIwanttogetitright.However,ithelpstoknowthatthetimespentisaworthwhile investment in the success of our ensembles More time spent on the front end will save so much time downtheroad.Staythecourse,andbestwishesforaproductivesemesterahead!Asalways,pleasereach outtomeifyouhaveanyquestionsorneedaresource.
WearecurrentlyacceptingapplicationsforourElementaryHonorandMiddleSchool/JuniorHighAll-State Choirs. ThesefortunateensemblememberswillbeundertheskillfuldirectionofFredMeads(LosAngeles Children’s Chorus) and B E Boykin (Georgia Tech) Our concerts will feature three Texas ensembles, Un/Heard under the direction of Carlos Cordero, Voices of Houston under the direction of Christopher Carter, and Alegría, under the direction of Jo Scurlock-Dillard. We are also excited to welcome Amanda Quistbacktothestateforthreeinformativeheadlinersessions,including“WomeninMusicalLeadership”, “VoicingandSeatingtheChoir”,and“BuildingtheChoir,SoundandSpirit”. Submissionsarealsocurrently being accepted for the Emily Crocker Emerging Composer Competition. Our new and easier to navigate website, www.tcda.org, features information about all these opportunities. We are excited to celebrate ourhistorywhilewealsolaythegroundworkforabrightfutureforchoraldirectorsacrossourstate. With somuchtooffer,wehopeSWACDAfriendswilljoinusJuly24-26inSanAntonio
OurorganizationwillloseatreasurewhenourExecutiveDirector,SharonLott,retiresearlyin2025 We arecurrentlyintheinterviewprocessandhopetobeabletoannouncethenameofournewleadershipin thenextfewweeks.
