SEATING CHARTS IN YOUR MIDDLE SCHOOL CHORAL CLASSROOM

BY DALE DUNCAN

REPRINTED FROM "MUSIC IN THE MIDDLE WITH MR. D" BLOG, APRIL 2016

Here are some of the tricks I use when creating my seating charts

1) 6th graders are new to me each year I have about 70 per class in two classes To help learn their names a little more quickly, and for purposes of grading the children, I use alphabetical seating charts for the first nine weeks When behavior problems reveal themselves, I move the children as needed, but I often feel like Harrison Ford in the photo above because I don't know the children yet :-)

2) Also with 6th graders, during the 2nd nine weeks, I begin working toward dividing into 2 parts During 1st nine weeks, we sing lots of rounds, and I've managed to assess their abilities to hold their parts I place the children who are strongest at holding their part into the alto section

3) I always place several of my strongest and most reliable sight singers in the back row in all three grades I sprinkle some of the strongest singers into the first three rows as well to help the weaker singers feel more confident

4) In 7th grade, I split my two classes by gender I get a few new students, but not a lot, so I base my seating charts on the information I learned about them in 6th grade When we do two part warm up exercises or when we sing in two parts in our songs, I listen intently I am able to identify the "sharp" singers with ease I never place them in the back Sharp singing is infectious at this age I also listen for the altos who end up singing soprano, and then I place them into the soprano section For me, at this age, it isn't about "range" It's about pitch and tonal awareness The folks whose ears aren't awake enough yet to hold a harmony should not, in my view, be forced to sing alto It's an exercise in frustration for you, the child and for every singer who sits around them

5) By 8th grade, everything is pretty clear except that some of the boys voices have dropped a lot, and they aren't sure what to do with it In 8th grade, my students sing SAB/3-part I still have some boys who can sing alto or soprano, and I place them there if they are comfortable singing with the girls Sometimes, for social reasons, they are not comfortable with that, and I try to be sensitive to it

6) I almost always place my students in this arrangement as I face my students.

6th grade and 7th grade treble: Altos on my left; sopranos on my right.

7th boys:

Baritones on my left; Tenor/Cambiata on my right.

8th Grade: Alto on my left; Changed voices in the middle; Sopranos on the right.

With 8th grade, depending on the year and the competency level of the girls, I've also tried this: Alto on my left; Sopranos in the middle; Changed voices on the right.

7) Behavior: I keep the "at risk" students in the front two rows when possible. This includes students with ADD/ADHD and other students who appear to have focus or behavior issues based on my experience with them in my classroom. I place a high-achiever who is unflappable between the children who are "at risk".

I hope that gives you some ideas!

Reproduced with permission from the copyright owner.

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Dale Duncan taught public school for a total of 30 years in North Carolina, New Jersey and Georgia. During his career as a public school educator, his students consistently received Superior Ratings at the state Large Group Performance events in both performance and in sight reading, and created and performed “live” song and dance musical revue events each spring in addition to many other choral performances over the years. Dale is also known by the choral music educator community worldwide as the creator of the S-Cubed Sight Singing Program for Beginners. During his career, Dale was honored as “Life Changer of the Year” by the National Life Group for his work and was also honored as a “Grammy Music Educator Semi-Finalist”. Dale’s work is featured on numerous music-educator focused podcasts, ChorTeach magazine, Choral Director Magazine and on ACDA’s ChoralNet. One of Dale’s most important life’s missions is to help middle school chorus teachers. Known by his peers as “Mr. D”, Dale has his own blog, YouTube Channel and a large social media presence on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram that is aimed at helping middle school chorus teachers to be successful working with this unique age group! Now that Dale has retired from public education, he is conducting Honors Chorus/Allstate events, teaching teachers at conventions and adjudicating choral performance events whenever he is invited! Dale is a former US National Aerobic Gymnastics Gold Medalist featured on ESPN many moons ago. He loves all animals, taking care of outdoor plants, working out, and playing tennis and pickleball!

BY DENNIS HOUSER, ARTISTIC DIRECTOR PRESCOTT CHORALE

What impact does choral music have on your community?

We live and sing in a very special community One that comprises many diverse age ranges Our audiences can range from young children to those who are "experienced concert goers!" The common thread among all of them is that they want to hear choral music that both inspires and engages We sing primarily classical music most often with orchestra, both full and chamber. We strive to perform works that have not been presented here previously. We bring vitality and excellence in our performances. We preface all of our performances with a 30 minutes preview that explains what they will hear in the performance.

How do your singers connect music to their identities?

Good question. My response would be that the music that we program touches the parts of their souls that are not reached by daily life. The quiet places that both text and music reach. The likes of these composers: Brahms, Bach, Beethoven, Puccini (Messe di Gloria) and reaching into the current, Whitacre, Forrest, Kirchner, Rutter, Paulus, Wilberg and many others too numerous to mention here The music must, to the singers, be: inspiring, challenging, attainable and enjoyable

BY JENNIFER TIBBEN, ARTISTIC DIRECTOR

What impact does choral music have on your community?

Reno has not historically been a community with a rich choral heritage. There are a few community groups, but we joke that Bella Voce is the biggest kept musical secret in Reno, which isn’t necessarily a good thing. We do have a loyal following that attends our December and May concerts. For the regular attendees and the performers, choral music adds a richness of communication and connection that is very highly valued.

How do your singers connect music to their identities?

The singers in Bella Voce come from a myriad of walks of life – and singing is a crucial ingredient in their daily lives I think that they all would say that singing is a thread in the fabric of their lives that makes every day better. Coming to rehearsal on Monday night, no matter how bad the day has been, makes them happier.

BELLA VOCE (Italian for beautiful voice) is northern Nevada’s premier women’s chorus. We have been singing for over 30 years and are known for excellent vocal technique, beautiful sound, and high quality performances of both classical and contemporary music. Based in Reno, Bella Voce consists of 25-30 auditioned singers, ages 22 to 70+, who come from a variety of professions, musical training, and backgrounds. We perform two major programs every year in December and May in Reno and Carson City. Members of Bella Voce share a love of singing and enjoy the challenges of performing music that is innovative and diverse, familiar and new. Our mission is to foster the appreciation, preservation, and performance of women’s choral music. Bella Voce hosted its fourth Treble Voice Turnout event in November at North Valleys High School. Five treble voice choirs from five Washoe County High Schools gathered for the choral festival and there were almost 250 singers. We sang for and with each other, appreciating the joy and strength that can come from singing together throughout life.

BY RICK VELOTTA, PRESIDENT

How do your singers connect music to their identities?

Our singers have a broad mix of experience and a wide range of ages. Most of the chorus’s membership consists of music educators who teach in public and parochial schools throughout the Las Vegas Valley. For them, the experience is part of their career path. Others, like me, sing because of the wonderful music experience we had in high school and college. I feel music is a part of who I am.

Las Vegas, NV

What impact does choral music have on your community?

While I always hesitate to use the word “unique,” I think the Las Vegas Master Singers holds a unique place within the “entertainment capital of the world.” There are dozens of entertainment options offered in casino showrooms every night and we must differentiate ourselves from them on a regular basis. We do that by offering something the showrooms don’t offer – a rich delivery of well produced choral literature. We’ll collaborate with organizations like us or we’ll go with our own programming, always mindful of what the competition offers. We take advantage of our long-standing relationship with the University of Nevada-Las Vegas School of Music for artistic leadership and the use of its facilities, but we also perform out in the community to develop our audience. We seem to have a dedicated following of people who enjoy and appreciate choral music performance

Albert J. McNeil

Albert J. McNeil, UC Davis professor emeritus of the Department of Music and an original faculty member and chair of the Department of African American and African Studies, died on Nov. 29. He was 102.

In remembering McNeil’s significant contributions, the faculty of the Department of African American and African Studies jointly “recognize how it is built on the labor of past faculty, including McNeil, who kept it going through hard times, building the foundations for the next 50 years.”

During his tenure at UC Davis from 1969-1990, McNeil transformed the University Chorus into a full public performance group and created the Chamber Singers. While teaching at Davis, McNeil also directed the Sacramento Masterworks Chorale and the Sacramento Symphony Chorus.

Raised in Los Angeles, McNeil’s parents were entertainers who occasionally hosted Duke Ellington, Louis Armstrong, Lionel Hampton, and others in their living room. McNeil began his professional career as an apprentice to the composer, actor, and arranger Jester Hairston. McNeil had a lifelong friendship with Hairston and many other famous artists of his day. Building on his work with Hairston, McNeil went on to prepare singers for 1950s films, including Porgy and Bess, Carmen Jones and The Land of the Pharaohs, subsequently forming an ensemble for film work, the Albert McNeil Jubilee Singers, which he founded and directed for more than 50 years. Throughout his career as an educator and performer, McNeil had a profound impact on the performance, preservation and presentation of African American spirituals.

McNeil believed in bringing the music he championed throughout the world. He took the Jubilee Singers on several tours throughout the U.S. and to 77 countries, taking part in the U.S. Department of State’s Cultural Exchange Program three times. He also brought the University Chorus on tour with the UC Davis Symphony Orchestra to Australia, Tahiti and French Polynesia, and with the University Chorus on its own to the former USSR, China, Spain, and a European tour with stops in San Moritz, Paris, Geneva, Munich, Salzburg, and Vaduz.

After his retirement from UC Davis, he directed the choir of the Congregational Church of Christian Fellowship in L.A., and worked as an adjudicator, guest conductor, and choral clinician. His many awards include a Michael Korn Founders Award for Development of the Professional Choral Art (1999), the ACDA Lifetime Achievement Award (2004), and the CCDA Howard Swan Award (2014). He was on the board of directors for the L.A. Master Chorale, Chorus America and the Neighborhood Music School. He served two terms as member of the Choral Panel, the National Endowment for the Arts and was an ACDA Life Member.

The University Chorus, Alumni Chorus, and the UC Davis Symphony Orchestra will perform Gustav Mahler’s Symphony No. 2 in memory of McNeil on March 12, 2023, at the Robert and Margrit Mondavi Center for the Performing Arts.