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Fall 2016/Winter 2017 Newsletter

President’s MessageBill Podolski

Hello from Virginia ACDA! I hope your academic year is going well and rich with many

wonderful choral moments. Much has happened amongst our chapter since August, and much is still yet to come! Our academic year started with another successful Voices United Conference, with a great turn out, wonderful sessions and beautiful choir performances. In September we signed on to the National “Sing Up” Membership campaign, during which we welcomed new members to our chapter, especially amongst our student chapters, and surpassed the National and Southern Division retention rates! We recognize that the strength of membership correlates to the

quality of the programming or content our chapter provides. In that way, the leadership of Virginia ACDA has convened twice to brainstorm and put into action ways that we can better support our membership.

Perhaps our greatest benefit as chapter members is the sharing of resources, support and ideas amongst one another, and this Newsletter hopes to support that cause. Herein you will find practical information, suggestions and overall wisdom from our ACDA leadership and fellow choral conductors. We are happy to once again offer it to you in print, so that it doesn’t get deleted with all the other items that hit your inbox! Soon you will see updates to our website, better use of social media, and email subscriptions so that we can use these digital platforms to bring the collective wisdom of our members together more

efficiently. We hope to forge an even greater connection between members and our Repertoire & Resource Chairs, who by the way have been hard at work this year too! Our Music & Worship Chair, CJ Redden-Liotta has been forging partnerships with other Music & Worship events so that we can benefit from the strengths of one another. Our HS Chair, Laura Lazarevich facilitated a state-wide reading session, held in different satellite locations so that no matter where you were, you could attend, and is planning

Virginia Harmony

This Issue:

President’s Message 1

Repertoire 2-4

Barbershop! 5

Voices United 6

From the Podium 7-9

Take Five 11-14

Leadership Directory 15

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on doing this great idea again. (For more information, look to the HS R&R Facebook page.) Our MS Chair, Charlotte McKee is hard at work coordinating the MS All-State Choir. Our Student Activities Chair, Bryce Hayes, coordinated an application process to provide scholarship funds for student members who wish to attend the National Conference. Others have been answering your inquiries via email, or writing articles, which you will get to read here.

Speaking of the National Conference, it was great to see so many of you in Minneapolis. Congratulations to the Liberty University Gospel Choir “Praise” for being selected to perform, Joe Cerutti for being selected to present on Male Choirs, singers from George Mason University for participating in the Collegiate Honor Choir. Thank you for representing Virginia!

Now we are hard at work preparing for our 2017 Voices United Conference - our collaboration with the Maryland/DC and Delaware Chapters, and our friends at The Musical Source. Mark your calendars for next year’s conference, a week earlier in hopes of being more convenient for the return of most schools, August 3-5 at George Mason University featuring Chris Aspaas (Texas Christian University), Sophie Papoulis (Foundation for Small Voices, NYC), and Thomas Colohan (Washington Master Chorale).

I strongly believe that ACDA has something for ALL choral directors. We, your chapter leaders, are working hard to produce programming and provide resources in the hopes of enriching the value of our chapter. Please be in touch with us! If you have an idea, need some advice, are looking to connect or have a general question, please reach out to any of our chapter leaders. If you know of someone who could benefit from a closer network of colleagues and the sharing of wisdom in the choral domain, please invite them to be a part of us. Thank you for reading, and I wish you the very best as you continue to make beautiful music this year!

Bill Podolski is the current President of VA-ACDA

Musica International – A Fantastic (and Free!) Resourceby Melodie Henderson

Hoping to hear a pronunciation guide to a piece you are conducting? Seeking a source for a score you want to purchase? Wanting to watch a performance of a song you’re considering? Musica International can give you all of that and much, much more.

As members of ACDA, we have access to Musica International, a huge online database of choral music. If you haven’t heard of this resource, I encourage you to head over to www.musicanet.org and take a few minutes to check it out. You’ll find a ton of useful information in one place – biographies on composers and lyricists, translations of foreign texts, video and sound recordings of choral performances, images of scores for perusal, lists of composers’ birth and death anniversaries, and even a link to the publisher of any listed song to make ordering music as simple as possible.

This rather comprehensive database of choral music is constantly expanding, as users are invited to add information (which may be of special interest to the composers and musicologists among us!). If you use the “Expert Form” for your search, you can generate a list of pieces that fit an impressive variety of specifications, including the obvious (title, composer, publisher, language, voicing, liturgical use, etc.) to the niched (gender of composer, tonality/modality/aleatoric, region of origin of the piece, choir difficulty level, country of the author of the text, and more). Next time you’re looking for a piece to fit a special requirement, go ahead and ask your Facebook friends and colleagues for recommendations, but give this database a shot, too.

Melodie Henderson is the current Ethnic and Multicultural Perspectives R&R Chair

(Podolski con’t)

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Creating an Elementary Honor Choir to Recruit for the Middle School Choirby Charlotte McKee

In my previous article I stated that the best recruitment tool I had used was providing an honor choir for students who attended the elementary feeder schools. At my school, rising 6th graders were not required to take a

music class. They had one elective and had to choose between choir, band, art, technology education, and agriscience. That is an extremely difficult decision for any student to make and I quickly found that they viewed the other offerings as more glitzy and exciting than singing. With that in mind, I realized I needed to create a hands-on, positive, and exciting introduction to the choral experience for these young students. It also had to be a situation where the participants quickly made connections with middle school choir members.

My goal was to focus on the students who could make a strong core group for the choral program. I knew from my years teaching elementary music that between the end of third grade and the beginning of fifth there tended to be a shift in attitude toward singing especially among boys. I wanted to keep the interest in singing growing and encourage participation in choir but knew my rehearsal and performance spaces were both limited. I could not include students from third, fourth, and fifth grade as I would have liked. I asked each of the elementary music teachers to send me a list of fourth and fifth graders they could recommend for the honor choir. These students needed to consistently match pitch and sing with a healthy, beautiful tone. They also had to be able to stay focused and fully participate in an hour and fifteen minute rehearsal. Letters of invitation with a

registration form to participate in the Elementary Honor Choir were sent to all of the recommended students.

The Elementary Honor Choir was a four to five consecutive day event that occurred after school hours. Rehearsals were an hour and fifteen minutes long. A portion of the last rehearsal was with the middle school choirs. During the total five to six hours of rehearsal the singers were introduced to and learned four to five songs that they performed on the middle school spring concert the following evening. Focus was placed on proper singer posture, vowel shape, diction, and breathing in addition to the music elements in each song. Students learned how to follow their part in an octavo and how to follow the conductor’s gestures.

Students from the middle school choirs were volunteer assistants before, during, and after rehearsals. They helped set up and break down the rehearsal space, they greeted the participants, took attendance as the singers arrived, helped those who had never seen an octavo learn to follow their part, sang with each voice part in the first rehearsals to help the younger singers gain their confidence, and led the rows of singers out at the end of rehearsal. Each middle school helper was also responsible for introducing themselves to and getting to know elementary students prior to the rehearsal starting time and assisted in helping these students meet the honor choir participants from the other schools.

The Elementary Honor Choir always joined the combined Middle School Choirs to perform the opening and closing concert selections. This prevented parents from taking their children home early and provided all the singers with a richer choral experience. (Listed below are several selections that work for these combined ensembles.) The honor choir also sang two or three selections by themselves. At least one of the honor choir songs was always in unison and the other one or two contained simple harmonies such as descants, canons, or partner melodies.

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The week following the honor choir event and concert, a letter was prepared for the honor choir participants thanking them for participating. The fourth graders’ letter encouraged them to participate again the following year and the fifth graders’ letter encouraged them to take choir in sixth grade. The fifth graders also received a form that their parent could sign and mail to the middle school requesting their child’s schedule include choir. In addition, every participant’s letter had a hand written and signed note by a middle school choir member. A participation certificate was sent with the student’s letter.

Charlotte McKee is the current Jr. High and Middle School Choirs R&R Chair

Octavos for combining Elementary and Middle School Choirsby Charlotte McKee

Dona Nobis PacemGuilio Caccini, arr. by James MooreMultiple voicings: U; SSA; SSATTBB; U & TTBBAlliance AMP 0512

A Pentatonic AlleluiaWhitney RossSanta Barbara Music SBMP 137 - SSAA - Use this voicing for all girls and the unchanged boysSBMP 444 - SSAATBB - Use this voicing for changed boys voicesPlace middle & elementary singers on each part. This works well with small circles for each voice part. Space the circles throughout the entire performance space.

Appalachian Suite II Arr. Christine Jordanoff4 part trebleBoosey & HawkesAn easy visual: Have each singer hide a bandana in his/her pocket. One corner of the bandana must be tucked in the edge of the pocket so the singer can quickly pull it out. Holding the corner of the bandana singers, use an up/down arm movement each time their part sings the words “good bye”. (You can purchase bandanas from the Oriental Trading Company.)

Colonel Bogey’s Grand Old FlagCohan and Alford, arr. Greg Gilpin2 partAlfred Archive #SVM01021This is very easy and a real crowd pleaser. It takes kazoos. (You can purchase cheap kazoos from the Oriental Trading Company.)

My AmericaLaura FarnellTBHal Leonard HL08552229The SA version is the same with the alto (bass) part written on the treble clef

(Celebrate with Music! by Mary Lynn Lightfoot & Go Ye into All the World by Sally Albrecht were noted in an earlier article. Both are also excellent for these combined choirs.)

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Welcome to the Barbershop!by Vera Crouse

Hello to the wonderful choral directors of Virginia! My name is Vera Crouse and I am ecstatic about serving ACDA as the Contemporary/Commercial Repertoire and Resource Chair with a specific focus on barbershop music! I am currently teaching elementary school music in Prince William County and have been directing the Greater Richmond Chorus, a competitive women’s barbershop chorus, for three years now.

Because it’s commonly thought of as an “old-time” or “mostly male” form of a cappella music, the question is frequently asked about how I got started in barbershop harmony. When I was a senior in high school, my choir director selected two barbershop songs for our extracurricular female ensemble. A small men’s barbershop chorus in the area was hosting a youth camp, and three of my good friends and I decided to go as a quartet - that is when the barbershop bug bit me! Shortly after arriving at Longwood University, where I graduated with my Bachelor of Music Education, I found three other music students with whom I formed a quartet. Then two of us found a Sweet Adelines chorus nearby. Music was my passion, but barbershop became my obsession!

After singing with the barbershop chorus and serving in various leadership positions, I was offered the position of full-time frontline director of this 60+ member women’s chorus. I have learned so much not only from actually directing a large group of people, but through the many educational opportunities provided by the barbershop organizations such as Sweet Adelines International and the Barbershop Harmony Society. I have been able to travel across the country, performing, learning, and meeting people from all over the world who love singing in harmony!

I cannot imagine my life without barbershop music and truly value how it shaped me from the young singer I was to the musician I am now. The quality performance venues, the incredible performers I am able to meet and learn from, as well as the overall support and encouragement continue to influence my life. My goal as R&R Chair is to help people of all ages experience this magical art form, whether it be in person at a competition or symposium, or through watching and listening to amazing performances on international webcasts!

I would like to leave you with a few video links to some recent notable barbershop performances. The first two are the Sweet Adelines and Barbershop Harmony Society International Chorus Contest Champions, Rönnige Show Chorus from Sweden and Ambassadors of Harmony from Missouri. The last one is a men’s quartet called “Lunch Break,” a very successful hook for elementary students!

If you are interested in finding out more about barbershop, a chorus near you, or starting a barbershop quartet with your students, please let me know! Happy harmonies

Vera Crouse is the current Contemporary/Commercial R&R Chair

Rönnige Show Chorus: https://youtu.be/8pU9pVL9eig

Ambassadors of Harmony: https://youtu.be/0qZx5hwkGTY

Ambassadors of Harmony: https://youtu.be/xH0U4m1rJLk

Lunch Break Quartet: https://youtu.be/tqwkJGMOEbs

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Summer is Coming! Join us August 3-5 for Voices United

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Laura LazarevichSenior High School

As a high school choral director, I have watched my students participate in many different honors choir opportunities over the past seven years. My first few years of teaching I was always perplexed at their varying reactions to their experiences. However, a few years ago when I was preparing my 9th and 10th grade women for a particular District Chorus event, it hit me in rehearsal – the repertoire was selected so thoughtfully for the event. I knew before my students even went to the event that they

would be successful. Just as we know in the choral classroom, appropriate repertoire selection for an honors choir event is the key to success. After that one particular experience, I always find myself examining repertoire lists in great depth when they are released.

But what am I looking for? While I by no means claim to be an expert on the matter, I have found specific repertoire patterns that have led to a great deal of success at honors choir events. I believe the best programming for an honors choir event is diverse and offers the students various challenges. There is no one “magic formula,” but I do believe an appropriate, varied program should offer:• At least one piece written before 1900, but preferably two from different time periods.• One piece that offers rhythmic complexity.• At least one a cappella piece.• One piece that is singable and sight readable. You never know how prepared students will be when they

arrive and it’s nice to use this piece to balance the more challenging repertoire.• One piece with a text that students can really connect with.• One to two pieces in a language other than English. Bonus points for a piece in a language other than Latin. • A “closer” – something fun and upbeat that the students will love, that they could potentially perform

memorized, and that will leave them feeling successful.• Additional considerations include appropriate range and tessitura, text, and how to vary the program but still

achieve a sense of unity.

Many pieces of choral literature fall into more than one of the categories above, which is great! In addition to the considerations above, it is important to consider the overall difficulty level of your program. With the students’ success in mind, pick just one or two “challenge” pieces, and allow them to enjoy the music making process for the remainder of the pieces, even if they arrive under prepared. That being said, it is important to acknowledge that high school educators do have a responsibility to ensure that students arrive at these events familiar with the repertoire, whether that involves extra rehearsals with participating students before or after school, or ensuring students are using provided practice tracks. Even our best and brightest students will not be

From the podium ...

What would you program as a clinician for an honors choir? Here are some thoughts from the R&R chairs

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able to get as much out of the experience if they do not arrive at the first rehearsal with something to offer. This allows the guest clinician the opportunity to provide positive and fast paced rehearsals.

While I believe firmly that repertoire selection at these events is essential to students’ success in performance, in recent years I have started to notice that my students are taking more away from these events than just quality music making. Honors choir events offer guest clinicians the opportunity to share their philosophy of choral music making and often, of life, with these students for a weekend. I have found that the students who take the most away from these events are students who are challenged to think more deeply about the music they are making as well as their own lives outside of music.

Thank you to the many honors choir clinicians from the state of Virginia for sharing your gifts with our students!

Bryce HayesSenior High School

Rather that focus on specific repertoire I would program for my next festival/honor choir, I chose to discuss the process I go through and the repertoire I try to fulfill.

1. I try to make sure there is a balance between slow and fast songs. This is tricky as choral musicians. Far too often our repertoire can all be slow, sentimental songs. Our singers and our audiences require some diversity in this regard!

2. Language. Every honor choir program I do must have one piece not in English.

3. Choral Masterwork. We have the great honor of having one thousand years heritage of choral music. It is our responsibility to honor this great heritage. Every program I do must include at least one piece not written in the twentieth century. If possible, at least one thing written pre 1800.

4. Forgotten gem. This is a personal passion of mine. We get so set on the latest, greatest octavos that everyone is doing, the most awesome pieces we heard at our last ACDA conference. These are clearly important and will naturally find their way into our programs. However, I like to include one piece of repertoire that might be neglected by current choirs, but was sung a lot in the past. I’m particularly passionate about mid-century repertoire and I love to program works by American composers such as Barber, Menotti, Copland, Bernstein, and the like.

5. World Music. I try to include world music on every program, something from a non-western tradition. And I find it equally important to try to find as authentic a source as possible, with an arranger as close to the culture as possible. This can often be tricky, but our students can very quickly learn to appreciate and respect authenticity, an important lesson!

(From the Podium, con’t)

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Shelbie Wohl-FoutsWomen’s Choir

Each festival or honor choir is a unique animal – the choice of repertoire depends on a great deal on the given situation (student numbers, level of student ability, rehearsal time, local all-city or all-county vs. VCDA All-District or All-State, goals of the festival, what has been programmed in past years, etc). But, with that in mind, I try to stick with these guidelines when choosing repertoire for festivals:

• Cover at least 4 different broad historical periods, if not more (Middle Ages, Renaissance, Baroque, Classical, Romantic, early/mid 20th Century, current composers)

• At least one language in addition to English (or more, depending on the level of the group)• Balance sacred vs. secular (and, within the sacred selections, aim for a variety of sacred traditions)• At east one unaccompanied selection• At least one selection from outside the traditional Western European canon• At least one selection using true poetry (not just ‘lyrics’ or a standard sacred text) that they can deconstruct

from a creative writing perspective• Represent a variety of tempi and styles – both for their musical/vocal edification and for the audience’s

interest• A variety of Literature Manual grade levels (some festivals will give specifics expectations)

This one is important for all types of ensembles, but especially for women’s choirs / treble choirs: Avoid texts that are too trite or child-like or without substance, as well as texts that embody inappropriate caricatures or stereotypes of women. Our texts can be role models for our students – for better or worse. I try to always be cognizant of the stories I’m telling and the ideas I’m sharing.

Melodie HendersonEthnic and Multicultural Perspectives

Zahučali chladné vjetry v doline (Cold Winds Blew in the Valley)arranged by Ivan HrušovskýAlliance Publications, Inc.SATB divisi, a cappella

Don’t back away from this because you have no idea how to pronounce the title! The octavo includes a pronunciation guide for its Slovak folk text. This strophic, mostly homophonic wedding song from Holič, Slovakia is full of chromatic passages and close, rich harmonies. The molto andante tempo marking allows singers and audiences to savor the piece’s interesting harmonic progressions.

(From the Podium, con’t)

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Da Hai A! Gu Xiang (The Ocean, My Homeland) composed by Wang Li-Ping, arranged by Yang Hong-Nian earthsongsSSA with piano

This is an excellent choice for a middle school or beginning high school women’s choir. With a somewhat limited vocal range, the piece is truly accessible to singers of all ages. The lilting and sentimental melody allows opportunities for singing expressive, long phrases. The piece also gives two opportunities to highlight soloists.

Umi Sono Ai (The Ocean’s Love) words by Tokiko Iwatani (English version by Andre DiMuzio and Randy Stenson)music by Kousaku Dan, arranged by Rachel Stenson Santa Barbara Music Publishing, Inc.TTBB with piano

With texts provided in both Japanese and English, this song tells of a man who goes to the ocean to reflect on his life, watching the waves to think about his failures and to find new hope for the future. In Japan, this song is thought of as a symbol of the country’s spirit and a fulfilling life. This homophonic setting of Iwatani’s hope-filled text is given a steady, rhythmic drive from the piano. A powerful a cappella verse is included toward the end. [Note: Page 8 of the score contains a text printing error - ‘dakareta’ in bar 41 should be ‘dakarete.’]

Annabelle Luebke

Bill Podolski

Carrie Geiger

Cristin Cini

Dominick Izzo

Jane Morison

Jeff Chapman

Jennifer Willard

Jordan Markwood

Judy DuBose

Kate Tidaback

Katherine Pierce

Kathleen Haberman

Kathleen Jagielski

Kye-Won Kopko

Laurel Christensen

Lynn Atkins

Lynn Jost

Margaret Clark

Mary-Hannah Klontz

McKenna Klontz

Nigel Tangredi

Philip Keirstead

Rhonda Miller

Rita Gigliotti

Sarah Milhoan

Sherlee Glomb

Sherri Matthews

Stephanie Draeger

Susan Dommer

Theresa Severin

Tiffany Powell

Timothy Woolwine

Congratulations to these directors who had singers participate in the ACDA National Honor Choirs

(From the Podium, con’t)

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Take FiveQuick Tips from the R&R Chairs

Whether you are meeting your new ensemble for the first time, guest conducting, or just getting reacquainted after a break, it always important to capitalize on first impressions and set the tone for all the rehearsals to follow. Though we are all well into a new school year and choir season, the R&R chairs offered these always-relevant tips for getting started.

Jr. High and Middle School ChoirsCharlotte McKee

1. Prior to class put up pertinent information: what students need, special instructions, order of music and activities. Use any source available for this whether it is technology or a small white board for each class. I found that doing this for each class either in the morning before students entered my room or before I left in the afternoon made my entire day run smoother.

2. Greet students with a smile and a genuine interest in each of them as they enter class. Be sure to greet everyone including the student who is quiet.

3. Engage students in music activities right from the start. When it is time for class to begin, give an audible signal that students will recognize and know it’s time to get to work. Echoing rhythm patterns on a breath supported “ch” works well. The “ch” sound immediately cuts through most of the talking. Use hand motions for the students to echo back. Even the first day you will find that you don’t have to say a word. The talking will stop as students realize they are missing something fun, and those who are not in their seats will quickly get there, joining in on the echo patterns as they move.

4. The students are echoing you without any verbal instructions, so, take it instantly to the next step. Say, “Be my mirror,” and silently lead into an activity that includes stretching, breathing, and proper singers’ posture for sitting and standing. Use only facial expressions and eye contact to show when their posture is correct or not there yet.

5. When the students are demonstrating good standing posture, instantly transition into echo singing and hand signing solfege intervals and patterns. Without pausing or saying a word, give the C above Middle C pitch and sing and sign Sol. Motion for the class to join you both in singing and signing Sol. Continue adding pitches and hand signs using steps and skips.

(Third space C is in the girls’ and the unchanged boys’ head voice. By descending into their lower register, the students will more easily cross the passaggio. Consistently beginning with the C pitch also helps students develop relative pitch.)

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College and University ChoirsShane Lynch

When I begin a new school year, my goals shift a bit depending on which of my choirs I’m working with. I have three - an auditioned, touring choir of upper class undergraduates that is selected the previous spring; a relatively advanced women’s choir of primarily first and second year women with some upper class singers; and a “come one and all” men’s choir made up of students, faculty, and staff members.

1. The first rehearsal for my top choir is at midnight a week before the academic year begins, during Orientation for the first-year students. We meet at midnight in part as a play on the ‘midnight madness’ of collegiate athletics, and in part because so many of my singers are involved with Orientation that it is the only time that is open! This rehearsal is all about the energy of the year, and there is something very special to meeting in the middle of the night for the college students; you can feel their excitement, which is what I try to focus on during this first meeting. We open up the blinds on the windows and let the moonlight in and spend an hour singing in the dead of night—it is a wonderful way to start a year off.

2. For all three ensembles, I make a point of singing first—not rehearsal rules, schedules, expectations, or any other busy work. I let them sing, and work to get each group to tune up something, even if it’s only a brief chord. Making music is why they are all there, so I get to it first. This is especially important of my entry-level men’s ensemble, which runs the gamut from experienced singers to lots of people who have minimal choir experience at best. If I can get them to sing a chord in tune (heck, with the guys, sometimes it’s just 2 notes) and let it ring in our great rehearsal hall, I’ve got them singing forever.

3. After the initial singing, I will spend time going over the syllabus, schedule, and various other sundry details that I need to cover for the term/year. More than anything, I make a point of explaining how I want them to rehearse as I’m very picky: how they should sit during times they are working, how I expect them to work both during and outside of the rehearsal hours, and where I expect them to go over the course of the term/year. I’ve found that by going over this, right away with everyone, I eliminate many issues that might show up down the road. And it makes that midnight rehearsal with my top choir even better, as virtually everyone has been with me in one of the other choirs. They know my expectations of how to rehearse and we can just jump right into the music right away at 12:01 a.m.

4. I set the daily rehearsal routine right away: always start on time (making college students be on time is a continual challenge that has to be addressed from day 1), focused warmup tied to the goals of the day, work on literature. I believe having effective routine is extremely important for any ensemble. Then later on in the year, I’ll purposely make small breaks away from that established routine as fun little surprises so we don’t let that routine turn into a rut.

5. I spend time letting everyone know who I am, what my nerdy interests are, and why I’m there in the first place, and then I spend a lot of time, both in that first rehearsal and outside of it, trying to find out something unique about each of the singers in every group. That’s a huge task, but I think it is vital to both humanize yourself to your students and to make sure you students know you care about them as people. I had far too many conductors in my past who were the distant ‘artists’ who could not be approached. I’ve never felt like you can make great music that way. If you don’t spend the time building trust with them, why on earth would they ever expose the most private and personal parts of their being necessary to create any art at a high level?

(Take Five, con’t)

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Ethnic and Multicultural PerspectivesMelodie Henderson

1. We sing here. I begin the first rehearsal the same way I intend to start every rehearsal – with warm-ups (not with talking).

2. We are careful to sing well every time we sing. During the warm-up on the first day, I intentionally work to help the singers create and identify a beautiful, healthy vocal tone.

3. We move forward on our music every time we meet. I engage the singers in rehearsing a musically fulfilling snippet of music from our repertoire to get them excited about the music and to show them there’s no time to waste in any rehearsal.

4. What we share is primarily a musical experience. I give out any information that MUST be delivered home on the first day (calendar of events, syllabus, etc.) without spending an undue amount of time talking about them.

5. Every member of our ensemble is valuable and has something to contribute. I include an activity where each singer is interpersonally involved with at least one other singer.

Senior High SchoolLaura Lazarevich

1. Ensemble Bonding: I spend time at the first rehearsal (and subsequent rehearsals) encouraging my students to get to know one another. I often utilize icebreakers at the senior high school level, but more mature ensembles could do this through a group or small group prompt/discussion. It is important to me that each member of the choir knows they are a valuable asset to our ensemble!

2. Behavioral Expectations: Setting a few clear expectations in the first rehearsal will pay off over the course of the year. No matter the age of your ensemble, members are eager to know what the expectations are so they can rise to the challenge or in the case of some younger students, challenge you to find out what you will or will not tolerate!

3. Music Making - warm-up: I like to include a standard physical and vocal warm-up in my first rehearsal and explain to the ensemble that they can expect that at the beginning of every rehearsal from me. This establishes a sense of routine that comforts many singers.

4. Music Making - music literacy: In the first rehearsal, I like to establish that music literacy will be a big component of our year together. Depending on the age and experience of the ensemble, this can include solfege, rhythm games or dictation, or sight-reading repertoire for the year.

5. Music making - performance: Teaching at least one easy piece in your first rehearsal allows students to leave feeling successful and excited for the year. This can be a song or canon taught by rote for your less experienced choirs, or a sight readable piece that students will be performing during the year for more advanced choirs.

(Take Five, con’t)

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For submissions or more information, please contact the Newsletter Editor:

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chad.steffey@gmail.com

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Male ChoirsPatrick Vaughn

We Are MenSo, in looking at the question above and how it relates to male choirs, I would like to suggest these five reminders that some of your choir might be thinking in regards to their hopes and apprehensions for this year.

1. We are men, so we need permission to show our emotions. Music demands passion, and passion is not something that comes naturally for most men. When you give men permission to tap into their emotions while singing, the singers, director and audience don’t just hear the music, but see the music. It is an amazing phenomenon.

2. We are men, so we need to know that what is said in the choir room stays in the choir room. Obviously, you can say some things to a group of guys that you just cannot say in front of a group of ladies, and vice versa. The expectation from the guys is to be themselves, but if you don’t affirm that, they may not ever trust you. And we all know that trust is what transcends music from notes on the page to creating amazing art.

3. We are men, so be sure that you encourage us when we do it right and challenge us when don’t hit the mark. This requires honesty and consistency as their director. Young people have an uncanny ability to smell out a dishonest response. Just as in parenting, there must be a balance between discipline and affirmation. Most guys love competition, so use that to your advantage. Build the “team” and the result will be camaraderie and encouragement for all members.

4. We are men, so be sure we understand how our voices work and that all of us are in different stages of vocal maturity. It is important that all of the men understand their voices. They need a working knowledge of their chest voice, their falsetto and their mixed voice. They also need to know how the mechanism works in regards to breath, placement and posture. It seems fundamental, but every guy needs to be on the same page.

5. We are men, so please don’t assume that we will follow all of the directions. I could go so many different directions with this point, but for today let’s relate it to building habits. Over the first few weeks, you must establish norms and expectations. Some guys will get it right away, while others it may take repeated instruction. Don’t lose your cool and always point out ANYTHING they might be doing right. This will help you establish great rapport with the choir and you will be well on your way to gaining their trust and respect.

(Take Five, con’t)

15

Executive Board

PresidentBill PodolskiHB Woodlawn Secondary Program (Arlington)bill.podolski@gmail.com

President-Elect Pamela McDermott Longwood University (Farmville) mcdermottpd@longwood.edu

Treasurer Margie Woods Fairfax County Public Schools (Vienna) mmwoods@fcps.edu

Membership ChairJane MorisonMountain Empire Children's Choral Academy(Bristol)janemorison1@gmail.com

Webmaster David Carroll Glade Spring MS and Patrick Henry HS (Glade Spring) davecarroll@me.com

Newsletter EditorChad SteffeyGeorge Mason University (Fairfax)chad.steffey@gmail.com

Our Team

Repertoire and Resources Chairs

College and University Choirs ChairShane LynchWashington and Lee University (Lexington)lynchs@wlu.edu

Contemporary/Commercial ChairVera CrouseGreater Richmond Chorus (Woodbridge)CrouseVM@pwcs.edu

Ethnic and Multicultural Perspectives ChairMelodie HendersonSeminar and Choir for Future Chorus Teachers (Alexandria)melodie.henderson@gmail.com

Jr. High and Middle School Choirs ChairCharlotte McKeeBlacksburg Mckee.charlotte@gmail.com

Male Choirs ChairPatrick F. VaughnAnnandale United Methodist Church (Annandale)pfvaughn@gmail.com

Music & Worship ChairCJ Redden-LiottaVienna Baptist Church (Vienna)cjreddenliotta@gmail.com

Senior High School ChairLaura LazarevichFreedom High School (Chantilly)laura.lazarevich@gmail.com

Children's and Community Youth Choir ChairLinda ScottGroveton Elementary (Alexandria)lscottacda517@gmail.com

Community Choirs ChairCurtis NolleyBlue Ridge Community College (Weyers Cave)carnolley@hotmail.com

Women's Choir ChairShelbie Wahl-FoutsHollins University (Roanoke)foutssl@hollins.edu

Student Activities ChairBryce HayesJames Madison University (Harrisonburg)hayeswb@jmu.edu

Vocal Jazz ChairDebbie SettleStonebridge High School (Ashburn)debbie.settle@lcps.org

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Virginia ACDAH-B Woodlawn High School4100 Vacation LaneArlington, VA 22207

Virginia Harmony Fall 2016/Winter 2017 Newsletter