As a youth choir director, you know what it’s like to balance the responsibilities of being a teacher and a friend, a spiritual leader and confidant. You know the challenges and rewards of building community and creating a safe, supportive environment where all can be seen and heard and valued. B
middle school chorus
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Choral voicing is a technique with long-standing history used by choral directors to seat singers based on characteristics of the voice - color, tone, timbre, placement, and vibrato. Contrary to popular belief, this technique is not just for college and professional choirs. Try it at home with your
Looking for a fun, creative way to start the choir year? Consider hosting a kick-off party or retreat. This is a time to celebrate the start of a new season, welcome both returning and new members, and get a head start on all the music you have picked out for the months ahead (P.S. Christmas is only 19 weeks away!).Whether you’re hosting a full-day retreat, a Saturday morning workshop, or extending your first midweek rehearsal (perhaps with dinner beforehand), make sure to plan a few hours of dedicated rehearsal time (including warm-ups!) plus some time for fellowship.
October 8, 2013 The chorus did a wonderful job singing for the school play! "Treasure Island" was a huge success. We ...
Rounds are an amazing way to get students of all ages to start singing in tune, build part independence, and improve aural skills. Below you will find 10 rounds that can be used for warm-ups in choirs from elementary age to high school. In the elementary setting rounds can be used in the general music classrooms to help prepare students for two part music. Additionally rounds in middle school and high school can be used to focus on intonation or other key concepts. Plus students highly enjoy t
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Fruit Canon (Mango Mango Mango)
With Margot Robbie belting out one of their songs on screen and an inspiring new documentary, It’s Only Life After All, the folk rock duo are gaining new recruits to their fiercely devoted fanbase
This lesson plan template was given to me by a chorus teacher friend; it is used as a checklist to help the instructor (and administration) easily identify techniques and methods being used to impl…
Last week I kicked off the chamber ensemble unit that I do with all of my bands. Lucy Green's research on informal learning in music ensembles helped me to create this project. I began this project last year with my 8th graders, a highly motivated group that enjoyed a challenge. It was very successful and I tried it again with last year's 6th graders at the end of the year and it was a success. So this year I am having the 8th graders prepare this for an upcoming performance in March. I asked for volunteer groups in 7th grade and got six groups. I will complete this project with the 6th graders at the end of the year. This project can be risky-again, I am allowing the students to take complete control of their final product, but it has so many benefits: increased musicality in individual and group playing, increased leadership by students, increased individual responsibility of students to learn their music and increased confidence. I let the students know what the expectations will be of the project-they can pick their own groups, but choose wisely, as they will have limited time to practice. They will be practicing during band (in a practice room) at 10 minute intervals. They will be making the musical decisions such as who is playing what part, how to rehearse sections...etc. I do provide them with this to help them get through the first rehearsal: Some guidelines to help make this a positive experience! Play through all parts together, so you know how each part goes. Assign parts based on interest and how, as a group, you think the piece will sound best. You should be playing 60% of the time. When you are discussing the musical details, use musical language (articulations, dynamics…etc). Be helpful of each other! Have one person sit out and listen to the group to give constructive and positive feedback! For the 8th and 7th grade project students choose a piece out of the "Festival Ensembles" books that we work out of. I create a schedule and each group will practice about six times by themselves. This is key here-the groups are rehearsing without me because I am working with the rest of the band on our concert music! I take one rehearsal to listen to all of the groups and offer some advice-they get a few more rehearsals and then they have their performance. This is a required performance at our Fine Arts Night-so students must be responsible for their work. At the concert I explain to the parents the purpose of the project and that this is really the fruit of the students' labor. Parents can appreciate it. Will the groups be perfect? Maybe a few of them will, but there will be a lot of effort put into this performances. At the end of the experience I do have the students complete a self and group evaluation: This is such an incredible experience. Students grow through this on many levels. I am curious to see how this 8th grade group does as they have been a tricky group since 6th grade. They are really fun kids but extremely social and competitive. This is my third year with them and I didn't figure it out until this year that it is the boys that are the talkers. My girls are very respectful and basically just wait it out. This is a group that I have a tough time getting upset with because they make me laugh so much, but they drive me nuts too. Have you ever had a group like that? I have told them this too and they admit everything, which I can appreciate as well. We'll see how this turns out! What sort of chamber groups do you have as part of your curriculum? How have you integrated them into your classes?
Write for the NAfME Blog SEARCH & FILTER Search Category Subscribe to NAfME Notes Subscribe to NAfME Notes, our biweekly e-newsletter, to receive highlights from the blog and other NAfME news in your inbox. Subscribe Now Write for the NAfME Blog Interested in sharing your experience with the music education…
Rounds are an amazing way to get students of all ages to start singing in tune, build part independence, and improve aural skills. Below you will find 10 rounds that can be used for warm-ups in choirs from elementary age to high school. In the elementary setting rounds can be used in the general music classrooms to help prepare students for two part music. Additionally rounds in middle school and high school can be used to focus on intonation or other key concepts. Plus students highly enjoy t
The Yellow Brick Road Blog is a website dedicated to providing music teachers with fun education resources for serious music literacy.
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