ChorTeach Journal

Dr. Terry Barham, [email protected]

Welcome to ACDA’s new e-newsletter for choral director/music educators who are searching for answers and need fresh ideas or techniques to meet practical needs. The articles below have been gleaned from state ACDA newsletters around the United States. The topics presented each issue will vary, but over time, you can expect to see helpful teaching points in articles which address vocal pedagogy, choral techniques, vocalises for various age singers, boys’ voices, girls’ voices, choral literature, special needs singers, classroom management, technology resources, and much more.

ChorTeach, our name, is derived from the German word for chorus, chor. It is pronounced, as most of you know, like the word, core. I hope ChorTeach’s articles will be a breath of fresh air for you, provide you with a few ideas or techniques that give you a lift and help your singers reach the goals you and they have set. ChorTeach is designed for those of you who work with amateur singers at all levels.

Do you have a favorite article from a previous state newsletter you would like to share with col-leagues from around the world? Scan it. Email it to me (Word format only). I’ll look it over. Be sure to include the following information: state newsletter title, volume and issue number, year, title of the article, author of the article, your name and email address. Articles chosen for inclusion in ChorTeach can be reprinted only with permission of the parent state newsletter.

What’s in this issue?

1) Repertoire Search Strategies, 2) The Vocal Edge, 3) Where the Wild Things Are—Teaching Middle School Boys’ Choirs, and,4) The Collaborative Rehearsal

Let me know what you think.

ChorTeach Volume 1 • Issue 1 • Fall 2008 www.acda.org/publications

Repertoire Search Strategiesby

James D. Niblock

(Reprinted with permission from New York state’s Choral Cues, Winter 2008)

AA s another concert sea son begins, many cho-ral directors breathe a sigh of relief, having fi nally tracked down the music they will need to keep their choirs think ing, learning, and

singing for a few more months. It is the fi rst step in the cycle that many of us follow -- program, practice, perform. Among these three phases, program ming is uniquely soli-tary. It is undertaken in the ab sence of performers. There is no real-time feed back by which one might gauge success or choose to make adjustments. Selecting music can be tiresome and frustrating as lead time evaporates. The path to a perfect program order is paved with purchase or ders and littered with back orders.

Still, the nagging question resurfaces time and again: “Where will I fi nd repertoire that will lead to a wonderful experience for my singers and a polished performance for our audi ence?” Those of us who direct a men’s or women’s choir have become especially adept at bemoaning the lack of repertoire appropriate to the number, skill level, or intellectual capacity of our singers. The truth is, the music is out there, but we have to fi nd it. Here are a few clues to help you keep your sanity while you search.

1) Do not let yourself get locked into one mode of procuring music. You wouldn’t assume that your choir could thrive indefi nitely on the music of one composer, would you? Would you think that one publisher could fi ll all your present and future needs? No. So why count on one catalog, one conven tion, or one distributor to fi ll every void? Branch out!

There are many ways to obtain quality music. You may never explore all possible paths, but don’t get locked into

any one for all of your music needs. If you peruse a single catalog from a single distributor and call it a day, you and your singers will miss out on some great possibilities. Look at samples, go through catalogs, shop online, listen to re-cordings, trade with colleagues, and read repertoire lists.

2) Remember your favorite composer(s). It’s not good to as sume that they haven’t written anything your choir can sing. At this past year’s national ACDA convention in Miami, attendees were treated to a performance of A Sea Symphony by Ralph Vaughan Williams. While few directors will be putting that into the folders any time soon, some might be wondering “What did Vaughan Williams write for my choir?” Dig up a list of his works and you might fi nd the answer. It’s easier said than done.

If you have access to the New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians in print or on line, look through the listed works by your favorite composers. If you are not able to access this particu lar resource, use other online indices. For example, a Google search will reveal the online home of the Ralph Vaughan Williams Society, complete with lists of compositions, arrangements, and the voicing for each work.

3) Figure out who arranges well for your type of choir. Look past the trendiest names, set aside your style prefer-ences, and consider the craftsmanship involved in a few pieces that have worked well for you in the past. This might give you clues about what fosters interest, singability, and elegance.

Be pragmatic. Narrow the fi eld based on the ability level and voic ing of your ensemble. If the alto parts are too low


or the tenor parts are too high in the fi rst four selec tions you peruse from one composer, there is a good chance this person is not arranging with a choir like yours in mind. As a fi rst year high school teacher, I was asked by one of my male students “Why do we keep singing pieces that are arranged by Robert Shaw and Alice Parker?” My reply was simple “They’re the best at what they do, and I want you guys to have the best.” He thought I was being smug. The pieces had only one thing in common--great arranging for a TTBB chorus.

4) When you come upon a piece that works well for your choir, fi nd out if it has a cousin. Pieces are often pub-lished in series, but how often do you follow up to see whether or not another piece from that series is equally appropriate for another day? A series specifi c to one voicing can be especially helpful in nurturing a fl edgling ensemble.

Read the listed works on the backs of octavos you’ve enjoyed to look for other possibilities. Perhaps a favorite tune or poet will jump out at you. This can be espe-cially helpful if you program thematically. Titles may reveal enough to pique your curiosity. Order a copy and take a look.

5) Long before all else fails, look online. You may not fi nd the most comprehensive or scholarly sources available, but you’ll certainly fi nd something! Use web sites to dis-cover new titles. Once you know a piece exists, you’re a whole lot closer to getting your hands on it. Here are just a few starting points:

• google.com - look for concert programs, repertoire lists, library databases

• wikipedia.com - lists of works, external links

• cpdl.org - public domain scores, MIDI fi les

• choralnet.org - repertoire lists and forums, links to sheet music retailers

• sheetmusicplus.com - fi nd octavo numbers or see if a piece is still in print

• acdaonline.org - repertoire resources by area; an especially fi ne list for women's voices.

• Intercollegiate Men's Choruses - concert programs, reading session lists

• publisher's web sites - peruse catalogs, listen to samples, sort by voicing

• composer's web sites - sound clips, arrangements for alternate voicings

Edifying, beautiful, fulfi lling music is available for every ensemble. Spend time refreshing your memory as to where you might fi nd what fi ts your situation. The best chance for a great experience arises from the most ap-propriate repertoire for your group.

The Vocal Edgeby

Leanne Freeman-Miller

(Reprinted with permission from Kansas’ Choral Range, Spring 2002)

II n a September, 2001, column in the Iowa Sound-ing Board entitled “Knowledge is Power : A Choral Director’s Responsibility,” Dina Else and Leanne Free man-Miller raised pedagogical issues facing

choral directors as they train students in singing. The thoughts of Ms. Freeman-Miller, summarized here, might

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be con sidered third hand, since they are the com-ments of Richard Miller, the famous vocal pedagogue

from Oberlin Conservatory.

Having recently returned from attending a weeklong workshop in Chicago conducted by internationally re-nowned vocal peda gogue Richard Miller, I feel a renewed sense of obligation and pas sion to be certain that all of us dealing with voices are operat ing with correct informa-tion. Fortunately, we live in an age of expanding, amazing technology which enables voice scientists and pedagogues to study the voice in a new, scientifi cally-based manner. These new techniques are taking much of the guesswork out of voice instruction. What is and isn’t healthy, proper vocal technique is clearer than ever before.

The last century produced myriad vocal techniques, and each of them had proponents who were certain that they have their fi nger on the “right” way to sing. I can’t tell you how important these new technological advances are, nor stress enough just how important it is for us to educate ourselves on the new information pro-duced by the advances. Richard Miller, known throughout Europe and America for his master classes in systematic vocal technique and artistic interpretation, has taught or undertaken vocal research in 37 states and 13 European countries. He has written several textbooks which serve as standard studio pedagogical texts. The information he provides in lectures and demonstration videos is based on his research and concrete scientifi c evidence. Thus, one cannot argue with the ideas he presents. Miller makes no distinction between what choral directors and voice teachers should teach and know about the voice. [Miller points out that] many in the profes sion have been profes-sional singers and are not schooled in peda gogy. “The two professions (teaching vs. singing) are not identi cal.” Those of us in the teaching end have a responsibility to continu-ally educate ourselves and make certain we are teaching with correct information.

Below is a summary of Professor Miller’s pedagogical ideas presented in Chicago:

1) Singers should aim for simplicity in vocal pedagogy, con centrating on what the body does naturally instead of what we invent. Basic sounds should be natural, not distorted or manip ulated.

2) Singing is an extension of the speaking voice. “Singing is to speaking as running is to walking.” The pedagogy should be based on the Italian bel canto technique of singing: pure, bright vowels, the appoggio breathing system (expanded, quiet chest with abdominal action), fl exible mouth posture, supra -glottal resonance (in the head), the importance of vibrato to an even color and “ring” in the voice throughout the range.

3) Miller is opposed to the glottal onset and utilizes fricative conso nants (h, sh, th, f…) in vocal warm-ups. He stresses that one must remain in the inspiratory position during singing, neither pushing out nor pulling in the abdominals. The ideal mouth position is fl exible, with the vowel, range and loudness of tone determining the shape of the mouth. The larynx should be sta ble and slightly descended. In singing, one should constantly raise the “zygomatic arch” (upper cheekbones) to assist with resonance, vibrancy and pitch. The position of the tongue should be in contact with the lower front teeth. Vowels should never lose integrity. Over-modifying them should be avoid ed. The [i] vowel provides the most space in the pharynx, while the [u] provides the least.

4) Vibrato is actually a freedom- and relaxing-producing principle; straight tone singing should be done at a mini-mum. One should strive for a balance of upper and lower partials; the dark/light tone is balanced.

The following is a list of information from Richard Miller which I feel is important to share with singers and choral directors.

• Too much drop in the jaw is detrimental. It reduces the space in the pharynx, increases jaw and throat ten-sion and interferes with proper tongue placement.

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A dropped jaw has no rela tionship to loudness and actually interferes with vowel integrity and “ring” in the voice.

• The singing voice is an extension of the speaking voice. In speech range, singing is similar to that of the speak-ing voice with unmodifi ed pure vowel shapes.

• The breathing process is a refl ex. The diaphragm does not con trol the process but rather responds to it.

• When the sternum is high, the ribs are expanded and the diaphragm is low. When the sternum descends, the rib cage collapses and the singer is out of breath.

• The more one overcrowds the lungs with air (tanks up), the more exhalation is induced.

• Breathing through an [a] position is not necessary to open the throat and inhale the largest amount of air. Rather, breathing through a narrower mouth space and/or the vowel you are preparing to sing reduces tension and the likelihood of taking in too much air.

• Relax on inhalation; do not hold the breath; immedi ately exhale. Inhalation/exhalation is circular.

• Upper teeth should show in singing. Covering the teeth low ers the velum (soft palate) and the upper par-tials are lost.

• The [i] vowel provides the most formants and ring in the tone.

• One should not sing all vowels through an [a] mouth shape, but rather shape the mouth to keep the integrity of each vow el.

In summary, it is our responsibility to the profession to educate ourselves and teach the proper information to

our students, be they choristers or vocal soloists. I predict that scientists and pedagogues will continue to provide us with even more accurate information.

Books by Richard Miller

• National Schools of Singing Revisited. Scarecrow Press.

• The Structure of Singing, Schirmer Books

• Training Tenor Voices, Schirmer Books

• Training Soprano Voices, Schirmer Books

• On the Art of Singing, Oxford University Press.

Where the Wild Things Are – Teaching Middle School Boys’ Choirs

byMary Jane Phillips

(Reprinted with permission from Texas Sings, Winter 2007)

AA h, the joys of being female and teaching middle school boys! The challenges are enormous, and, sometimes, the rewards are diffi cult to recognize. I’ve been teach-

ing middle school boys for 18 years now, and there are days when I want to pull my hair out. I’m in a new school this year, and the seventh and eighth grade boys’ choir I inherited is, to say the least, challenging; however, some of the greatest joys in my teaching career have come from

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those wiggly, loud, squirmy male creatures. When you manage to get middle school boys singing

well and on your side, they are the most loyal people on earth. Several times in the past few years I have been stopped at the mall or in a grocery store by a tall, hand-some young man who said, “Ms. Phillips (or Ms. Self - my maiden name), do you remember me?” Lo and behold, that handsome young man was once a hyperactive sev-enth-grade tenor on the fi rst row.

Those young men take great pleasure in telling me about their adult lives and the things they have accom-plished. It’s wonderful to see them grow into responsible adults, espe cially those for whom responsible adulthood seemed like a remote possibility when they were attend-ing middle school! It was such a thrill to see many of my former students give an amazing concert at last year’s Birdville HS Chorale performance at the Texas Music Educators Association conference. If you had told me a few of those boys would have ever performed at TMEA, I would have fallen out of my seat laughing. One of them even came up to me just before the concert and apolo-gized for all of his bad behavior in middle school!

Many things must be considered when teaching middle school boys, especially if you are female. The fi rst is getting the boys on board with singing in the choir. We’ve all had to fi ght the “choir is girly” stereotype. One way to coun-teract it is by being sure you never embarrass the boys onstage. Boys 11-14 years of age are incredibly observant music critics. They can sniff out trite music quickly. They’ll call it “stupid,” but trite is what they mean.

Don’t choose a 2006 song arranged in a 1950’s style. Instead, pick songs from that era--Rock Around the Clock or All Shook Up. Middle school boys also, as a rule, hate novelty songs. Instead, fi nd funny folk songs, e.g., I Wish I Was Single Again or That’s Where My Money Goes from the UIL Prescribed Music List. In all of my concerts, I make sure the boys have one showcase number that’s funny or exciting. Doing so makes choir “cool.” The boys respond positively and take pride in their membership in the choir.

Next, you have to manage/control them. That’s much easier said than done. Ask anyone who has taught middle

school choir for a while, and they can tell you hilarious stories about the day discipline fell apart in the non-varsity boys’ class. It happens to all of us, whether we’ve been teaching for two years or 20. It helps you cope if you ac-cept the fact that boys simply learn louder than girls. The other thing you must accept is how much boys need to physically move during a rehearsal.

Take their nervous energy and put it to good use by hav-ing different standing formations. In my classes, we warm up in one or two places, and then move to another to sight read. When we rehearse literature, we have one location for two-part music and another for three-part singing. Moving to a different place four to fi ve times during each class period will make a big difference.

Teacher demeanor is truly important. Anyone who has taught middle school choir for very long has probably wanted to scream at certain times, but it’s not produc-tive. Adolescent boys love to try to goad you into yelling because it means they have “won.” Getting silent often works well. When my boys get rowdy or won’t listen, I say “I’ll just wait for ...” in a stern tone of voice and then say nothing until they calm down. It works for me.

Next, talk less and sing more. I believe all students, especially adolescent boys, learn more by doing than by listening.

Another ingredient in managing middle school boys is your consistency and fi rmness. The rules and conse-quences cannot vary from day to day. Find a plan and stick with it. While being fi rm, you must be compas sionate and fair. If your best boy has an uncharacteristic outburst one day, fi nd out what caused it before you react. Remember, fairness is not about everyone getting the same treatment. It’s when each guy gets what he needs.

I have a theory that in every young tenor-bass choir, there is one boy who is a catalyst. Almost everything hap-pening in the room revolves around this child. This can be a good thing. If the catalyst is president of National Junior Honor Society, fi rst chair all-region bass and an altar boy at church, everything rolls along quite nicely. Unfortunately, some of the time—well, okay, most of the time--the cata-lyst is not a joy to teach.

The class clown is often a catalyst who is looked up to

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by his peers. The other boys can’t wait to see what this kid will do next! Step one is to identify him. If it seems like the entire class is a nightmare, look more carefully. Find the boy who is in the middle of everything that goes right or wrong. There’s your catalyst. First, try to get him on your side. Praise anything he does that is right. Give him extra responsibilities like checking roll or taking something to the offi ce. If positive reinforcement does not work, then quickly change tactics. Be sure to discipline him, and only him, the moment trouble starts. Blanket discipline of an entire section or class creates anger and even rebellion.

The catalyst must under stand you mean business. I have a current student who fi ts this mold perfectly. He is the ultimate class clown and the best bass in the eighth grade. A combination of positive and negative reinforcement has signifi cantly changed his behavior for the better. Because he is such a good singer, I often use him as a model for the other boys and encourage him to try out for solos—posi-tive reinforcement. He also knows he gets no warnings or conferences with me when he messes up because of his past behavior. It’s one strike and he’s out to do a written assignment in isolation—negative reinforcement. The combination has changed his classroom behavior to a manageable level most of the time.

Finding appropriate literature is another important as-pect of teaching boys. Before you can choose literature, you need to hear each boy individually so you can deter-mine his range and voice part. I classify boys using John Cooksey’s voice classifi cation system. When adolescent boys are placed on the incorrect voice part, both vocal and discipline problems can arise out of their frustration. It’s not enough to listen to boys individually once a year. Voices change all of the time. I listen to my boys one-on-one after each concert and then re- voice the choir before we start new music.

Once you have your guys singing the correct voice part, you must be sure you have quality literature £or them. Start with the Prescribed Music List, and then branch out. Go to music retailers’ websites and browse through the TB, TTB, TBB, and TTBB selections. Ask long-time middle school teachers for their favorites. Listen to every publish-

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er’s CD that comes to your mailbox. You can fi nd a gem. Teaching proper vocal technique to boys with changing

voices is critical. It begins with singing in falsetto everyday. Yes, they’ll giggle at fi rst when they hear their high voices, but all good male vocal technique is linked to the proper use of falsetto, I believe. They’ll eventually get used to it. They can’t create a “good” tone, a healthy tone, if they don’t know what it sounds like, so let them hear record-ings of boys’ and men’s choirs.

To keep an ever changing supply of good examples of male singing available, I buy two or three new record-ings at every convention I attend. Play the recordings as the boys enter and exit your room every day. If you are female, bring in a male colleague to model proper vocal technique. The greatest female choir director in the world cannot model, exactly, the sound she wants the boys to make, so have a male colleagues demonstrate and sing with your boys. Of course, return the favor by singing with his female students.

Finally, you must be vitally interested in boys’ lives outside of choir. Pay attention to things they love. If you don’t al-ready own a copy of the movie, Napoleon Dynamite, rent it. You’ll understand twice as many of your boys’ jokes once you’ve seen that movie.

Celebrate boys’ goofi ness. There is nothing funnier in the world than a middle school boy. Even if you can hardly stand it, listen to some of the music boys like. Tune in to one of their favorite radio stations or MTV for 10 minutes a week. Being able to throw out a popular rapper’s name in class will score big points with your boys. Go to their athletic events. They may never thank you, but they will al-ways remember the day their busy choir director showed up to see them do what they love – sports!

Try the ideas above. They work for me. I’ll bet they will work for you too.


The Collaborative Rehearsalby

Jason Heald

(Reprinted with permission from Oregon’s Choral Focus, March 2008)

LL eslie Guelker-Cone presented several sessions at the 2007 Oregon ACDA Summer Work-shop on the collaborative rehearsal, a concept in which directors encourage choristers to

provide input during rehearsals. That is the opposite of the traditional authoritarian conductor’s approach when working with his submissive singers. Although the response of those in attendance was a mix of enthusiasm and skepti-cism, most agreed that some chorister feedback during a rehearsal is desirable.

As educators, it is our responsibility to train new gen-erations of musicians. That training should include the de-velopment of conducting skills. Every chorister should be encouraged to think like a conductor, develop a critical ear, musical taste, and communication skills which will assist the other musicians in achieving the ensemble’s musical goals. By de-mystifying the role of the conductor, choristers can gain a broader understanding of the rehearsal process.

Here are three simple concepts for choral conductors, concepts which may be useful in preparing choir members for the collaborative rehearsal and for helping singers be-come effective conductors and skilled musicians.

1) Think out loud. Avoid simply barking out instruc-tions. Explain what you, the conductor, are hearing, what you would like to change, and the objective you hope to achieve. Move beyond the “what” and explain the “why.”

2) Use “A-B” demonstration. Have the choir execute the same passage using two (or more) different techniques or interpretations. Let the choir be the judge as to which is better or more appropriate. If the choir is invested in

musical decisions, it will be more diligent about executing the various choices. Truly, a picture--a sound--is worth a thousand words.

3) Be transparent. Let your choir know what you are thinking. We are often quick to point out musical sections where improvement is warranted, but it is equally impor-tant to show approval when the choir performs a passage in a musically satisfying manner. Conductor mystique is over-rated. A conductor’s every gesture should have a clear purpose, one which members of the choir under-stand and can incorporate into their own bag of tricks.

Singers are great mimics and, consciously or uncon-sciously, refl ect our behavior as directors. Watching choris-ters apply our rehearsal strategies and techniques can be rewarding and, occasionally, supremely embarrassing. Not only should we pursue excellence in choral performance, but we must also be mindful of our infl uence as role models. The collaborative rehearsal provides an excellent opportunity for choristers to exercise their musicianship skills and for conductors to witness their infl uence on the choristers.

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