Place the rhythm on a screen or board in the front of the ensemble. Then, talk and count it through using your preferred counting method. Clap the rhythm with an amplified a metronome beat. 

Divide and Conquer

Divide the ensemble in half, and have one half clap a steady beat while the other half claps the rhythm. Switch groups, then try alternating back and forth without stopping. Then, divide the class into thirds, and assign another simple rhythm to be clapped in addition to the steady beat and the rhythm being studied. Again, work this until each group can clap with mastery without stopping between the rhythms. 

Next, have students count off in threes, and then assign group 1 the new rhythm, group 2 the steady beat, and group 3 the simple rhythm. Perform this as a class, and have each group cycle through all three rhythms. 

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Baby Steps

These steps could be broken up over a few class days to add to retention and mastery. On a successive day, include the rhythm in a warmup for the ensemble. At this point, you’re ready to introduce the new selection containing the tricky rhythm. Isolate it and ask students to sing or count it aloud before sight reading the piece. 

Because the tricky rhythm is not a surprise, but something familiar, you’ve increased the likelihood that every student will experience success.

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Saving the best for last, I also offer some of my favorite choral-specific rehearsal tips.

Classroom Management Tips

Start your rehearsal immediately when the bell rings. Students will learn that you expect them to be ready to start every day as soon as class begins. List the order of activities on your screen or board so that students can get their music in order and know what to expect.

Establish an atmosphere of efficient routine and expectations. Students thrive on this, and your ensembles will flourish. Your students will achieve more when you are truly prepared and organized. While we all have days when our best-laid plans go out the window due to unforeseen circumstances, winging it every day will not produce quality ensembles.

“What you allow, you endorse.” This axiom applies to any area of your rehearsal, whether it be posture, pitch, diction, or behavior. That small amount of talking between songs will grow to a deafening roar in a short time. I was taught to be “firm, fair, and consistent” by my very wise cooperating teaching instructor. It has served me well in managing classroom behavior and expectations.

Collect a “bag of tricks” for unexpected days at school that disrupt rehearsals, such as doubled class lengths for testing, power outages, or lock-downs. Include games, exercises, student-led activities, listening games, rhythm-bees, or word search pages. You can make a list on your phone or laptop, create a small card file, or develop a dedicated folder kept nearby. Collect ideas at conferences, professional journals, Facebook groups, or asking other directors for activities they incorporate. I also kept several copies of Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul by Jack Canfield in my room. I’d occasionally read aloud a short inspirational story about kindness or someone overcoming tremendous personal adversity. My students loved that! 

Keep an emergency substitute teacher folder prepared. No one can take your place, but things like listening activities (and prepared rehearsal tracks for choral groups) can go a long way to prevent your rehearsal from being a total loss. Train a student in each class on how to access your sound system so they can assist a substitute teacher. 

Rehearsal Tips for Instrumental and Choral Groups

Learn and prepare every score thoroughly. You cannot skip this step, even though it is tempting. Analyze the melodies and harmony, highlight parts that are important, study the articulations and dynamics, anticipate trouble spots, and have an aural sense of what you want the piece to sound like. Listen to multiple recordings for different perspectives of interpretation. Practice conducting your selections outside of class, so that you are truly ready for every rehearsal.

Develop non-verbal cues that your ensembles can follow. This saves rehearsal time and your voice. One example is a gesture to the top of your head that can indicate “from the top.”

Try a “speed rehearsal” every once in a while. This would be a time when every piece is performed straight through, no questions would be taken from students, and instructions from you are very brief, or only non-verbal. This also might be a great opportunity to record every piece; either for you to listen to when students are not present, or for the ensemble to hear at a different time.

Invite colleagues or guest conductors to rehearse your ensemble. I gained invaluable insight by listening when someone other than myself led my groups. In some cases, it felt like I grew a new set of ears as I became aware of things I was not “hearing.”

Learn to “read the room.” Sometimes, you can tell from student faces, voices, and body language when it’s time to move on to another piece. Flexibility in your rehearsal plan is a must. Always plan on rehearsing more than you actually think you can accomplish in your allotted time, and then you’ll never be caught without enough material to cover. 

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Choral-Specific Tips

Make sure vocal exercises build on previous days or experiences. Be sure to include breathing exercises, tone builders, range extenders, agility and articulation exercises, and aural training. Customize the exercises to keep singers engaged. Directors can also incorporate difficult passages from the literature the class is learning, such as interval jumps, diction, or rhythms.

Direct every rehearsal as if you are working with your top group. Students are very perceptive and will live up to your expectations. This also helps every student feel important and valued; no matter if they are in your beginning women’s chorus, or the highly selective chamber group. An esprit de corps will be fostered throughout your program when students experience being valued at every level of the ensembles.

Demonstrate good vocal hygiene. Be a good example, and they will learn from you. Don’t sing with your choirs! Many directors will sing along with their groups, or even try to sing louder than their singers. If you are singing, you cannot hear what they are doing. 

Sing for students as a demonstration, if necessary, when the choir is not singing. Instruct them when they should rest their voices, and when to seek medical advice. Some directors use personal microphone devices so that they can speak and sing comfortably all day long. 

If you are fortunate enough to have a piano accompanist in your rehearsal, show them the utmost respect. Recognize their contributions to your performance, and encourage your ensemble members to also show their gratitude. Consider asking your accompanist their opinion on performance aspects. You may gain some valuable insights that can further improve your rehearsal. 

Show your passion and enthusiasm for music to your students in rehearsals. Let them be inspired by your example. Tap into cross-curricular connections to spark interest. Are you singing a piece by Mozart? Connect it to historical events they have likely studied. Team up with your fellow educators in the history department. Or, perform that Mozart aria you sang on your college recital for your singers. Invite community performers, former students majoring in music, or colleagues to sing or play works that relate to selections your ensemble is rehearsing. 

Show You Care

Show your students you care by attending school events outside of music. This gesture can go a long way in motivating students in the rehearsal, if they know you care enough to attend their basketball game, robotics competition, or play. 

I’m hoping some of these ideas may prove helpful to you. Happy teaching!

The post Classroom and Rehearsal Tips for Choral and Instrumental Programs appeared first on SmartMusic.

Repertoire Difficulty

Often, judges are presented with scores for bands or choirs that are woefully more difficult than the students can perform. They wish they could say,“What were you thinking?” or “Did your college perform this when you were a senior, and you thought it would be fun to perform again?”

So much of a music program’s success occurs with proper score selection. Please choose carefully and keep in mind the skill set of your students, instrumentation and/or voices in your ensembles. With the entire music world at our fingertips via the internet, don’t hesitate to contact other state and district teachers for recommendations of literature. I’d also suggest you reach out to  the music retailer of your choice.

Don’t forget the old music adage, “It is better to play Bach beautifully, than to play (or sing) Brahms badly.” Choosing appropriate music for every ensemble and student is a skill that takes time to acquire. Every music professional I know has – at one time or another – regretted a literature choice they’ve made. Learn from those errors and choose more wisely in the future.

Repertoire Variety

Another issue with literature occurs when directors choose a second or third piece that is in the exact same style and key as their other selections. Occasionally every piece performed is by the same composer or arranger. 

Sometimes we want to ask, “Do you know what contrasting means?”

Judges often cannot  comment on or lower points based on music choices. It is not the performer’s fault they are singing or playing pieces that are nearly identical. So, again, please choose carefully and make sure that there is indeed a contrast in the selections.

If you find yourself in a rut in choosing pieces, spend and evening or two on YouTube listening to performances or picking the brain of other colleagues. Reach out to retired directors in your area who would most likely love to offer some suggestions of literature that they taught for decades.

Measure Numbering

Improperly numbered measures can be a sticking point with adjudicators. Under no circumstances should this numbering occur on the bus while in route to the contest.  But I suspect they sometimes are. 

Adjudicators work hard to refrain from asking, “Did your three-year-old number this music?”

Honestly, clear and legible numbers on every measure help make the judging so much easier. An adjudicator is often juggling the music itself, a microphone, MP3 recorder, or tablet, and a written critique form while the music is being performed. It’s really tough to try to stop and figure out a horribly illegible number while trying to point out a rhythm error or compliment a section on a well-executed phrase.

Directors, do yourselves a favor, and check the numbering of your scores before any evaluation. Yes, it’s one of the many dreary tasks to add to your already incredible workload. In solo and small ensemble festivals, I have actually been handed a tall stack of books, and the director suggested I “figure it out!” True story! But, trust me, we love it when presented with clearly numbered music that is placed in performance order.

Student Attire

All of us have experienced our own students forgetting parts of their ensemble attire. Unfortunately, appearance does matter and attention to detail positively influences adjudicators.

As judges, we don’t feel that we can ask, “Why does someone in the front row have on lime green tennis shoes?”

We’ve all had last minute wardrobe malfunctions and directors have to manage the best they can. Ultimately, the disregard for ensemble uniformity reflects on the school, the program, and director. We live in a visual society and are frequently judged on attire. I often carried a bag of extra bow ties, black socks, a sewing kit, and other items to competitions. At school, I kept extra pairs of shoes, pants, shirts, choir dresses, and robes for emergencies. Second-hand stores, like Goodwill, represent an economical way to purchase many articles of clothing.

When traveling out of town, I took an extra suitcase of emergency attire. It paid off several times. Parent groups can greatly assist directors with this area. Even if your performance attire is “black and white” it can work beautifully when every single person wears the required colors from head to toe.

In solo or small ensemble performances, ensure that the student’s faces and eyes are not covered by their hair.  It is difficult to judge an expression or embouchure when they are hidden from view. Hair pulled off the face will also make a good impression.

Director Attire

Directors might not consider what their own personal concert attire looks like while conducting and in front of their groups.

I know that some judges have thought, “Why didn’t you coordinate your outfit with your group? “Why do you look casual when your students are wearing formal outfits?”

Consider matching or coordinating with the color and formality of your ensemble. If the students are in black and white, then brown is not necessarily a complementary shade to wear. I’m not condoning a director wear the same tuxedo or dress that their ensemble wears. I am merely suggesting that you be mindful about it.

Consider being videotaped from the angle of the audience and see what you think of your jacket or pants/skirt. If, for example, something is too tight while conducting, then switch sizes.

Directors should also be careful with skirt lengths. Because you may be placed on an elevated, lighted stage and actively conducting, consider the audience view. My advice is to err on the side of modesty. If your group attire is a choir or band T-shirt, you might try a collared version of the same shirt topped with a casual sport coat or jacket. Again, many adjudicators will be pleased with the director’s effort to look professional.

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Music Etiquette

Please remember to acknowledge your audience applause, and to see if the judges are ready for your ensemble to begin their second or third selections.

Judges often think, “Hey, you did a great job, show the audience you appreciate their enthusiasm!”

Remind your students to use their best manners entering and leaving performance venues. Judges notice rowdy students, as well as well-behaved and polite ensembles. The music is always what is judged, but the ensemble can positively or negatively influence an adjudicator mindset before even one note is performed. In small ensemble and solo festivals, be sure your young performers know how to properly introduce their selections and to always acknowledge their accompanist.

One Director Willing to Go on Record

In preparing this article, I asked several music professionals for their thoughts on judging. Only one brave soul,Joseph Pappas, was willing to speak “on the record.” Joseph is a veteran high school and college band director and composer.

Here are a few direct quotes he kindly shared:

“If you would have chosen different literature (more appropriate, grade level, fits instrumentation, etc.) I wonder if your outcome would have been different.”

“It’s the student’s responsibility to practice and learn the music, but it’s the director’s responsibility to make it musical.”

“Don’t just play the notes, make it musical!”

“Music is like a piece of fabric; it has various threads of color and must be woven with each thread being important on its own to become the whole.”

Final Checklist

In conclusion, to ensure the best results at your next evaluative performance, make sure that:

1. Your music selections showcase your students’ talents.
2. You and your students are uniformly dressed.
3. All music scores are clearly numbered, and that
4. Proper music etiquette is observed.

This will ensure that your students and program are well served and your adjudicators will be impressed. Hopefully, their only unspoken thoughts will be, “That was wonderful,” and “Where are we going to eat dinner tonight?”

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Alternate Title: Selecting Holiday Choral Repertoire That Doesn’t Make Your Choir Sound Like Carolers (Unless That’s What You Want)

Many choral music educators experience panic when thinking of planning repertoire for holiday concerts. Some of us may even have had a few sleepless nights. However, with the ease of the technological world at our fingertips, selecting music has never been easier.

Obviously, knowing what sort of musical selections your school situation allows and expects is paramount. And equally important, what concepts, skills, and standards will be taught via your holiday literature? Once those questions are answered, planning your concert will have a guiding North Star.

Theme concerts are popular and choosing one can become a catalyst. Possible non-sacred themes could be snow, bells, winter, stars, peace, or holiday celebrations from around the world. With a theme in mind, let your search for ideas and literature begin.

The Search

A good starting place is to reach out to music colleagues who may have literature suggestions or octavos to trade for this upcoming season. Ask them for ideas of pieces that they have used that might fit into your theme. Connecting to your fellow educators on state ACDA, MEA or “I’m a choir director” groups via Facebook or Twitter may elicit a plethora of suggestions.

Choral ensemble music just debuted in beta form in SmartMusic this summer. It features assessable parts, full choral ensemble performance MP3’s, and assignments crafted by choral music educators. The list of titles will continue to grow; but several possible pieces for a holiday concert are available today.

Another site to spark new literature ideas is through a title search of YouTube with your theme and a key text word. Watching videos of other choirs performing is often a great way to get the musical creativity juices flowing. Plus, it’s also nice to have found a performance to emulate, or even share with your choir.

Music retailers have become tremendously accommodating for directors in the search for new literature. Go to your favorite and do a search for the desired voicing and theme. Clicking to listen to a recording or watching a video may help make choosing new pieces more clear cut and can even be fun! Examples include jwpepper.com, alfred.com, halleonard.com, sheetmusicplus.com, and lorenz.com.

Additionally, many composers have their own websites featuring recordings, videos, and sample scores. Search composers whose works have been accessible for your choirs to find literature that may be appropriate for a holiday concert. A few to start with might include olagjeilo.com, johnrutter.com, graphitepublishing.com and zrstroope.com/music.php.

Artist/Composer-owned websites like musicspoke can be searched easily by title, composer, or voicing. This new and exciting online marketplace allows users to hear and see entire pieces when considering them for such a proposed program.

Music educators on a tight budget can always check out www.cpdl.org. Type in your theme and a vast array of public domain pieces are at your choosing. A surprising number of holiday pieces are secular, or can become secular with a few deft text substitutions and changes. Consider dusting off those old theory chops and arrange some of these standard public domain selections explicitly for your singers. You may be surprised at how wonderfully they work and your students may be inspired by your extra effort to tailor pieces for them. (And, hey, your administrators would likely be impressed too!)

If You’re Looking For Caroling Options

For those educators who NEED typical caroling selections, most of the aforementioned sites will have offerings in a myriad of voicings and arrangements. Another site to consider checking out is: christmascarolmusic.org. This site features choral holiday pieces both sacred and secular in parts, and also single melodies with chords. It also has holiday music with guitar, and for transposing instruments. All of these selections are in PDF format and just a click away.

Many singers enjoy performing a piece that all choirs sing jointly at the end of a holiday concert. A time tested selection at my school that has worked well is “Carol of the Bells” SATB, Mikhail Leontovich/arr. Wilhousky – Carl Fischer LLC. Audiences loved it as well. The older students who had sung it previously loved the repetition, and new singers in the program benefitted from singing with the advanced students. Plus, some of them were excited to learn a choral piece heard in the iconic classic holiday movie, “Home Alone.”

One other idea for holiday concert programming is to tap singers who are also instrumentalists to assist in the accompaniment of your pieces. Students who play piano can be encouraged to start accompanying, joining another pianist for four hand accompaniments, or by playing a solo while choirs enter and exit the stage. A young percussionist, woodwind or brass player may be the icing on the proverbial holiday fruitcake, making a performance even more memorable.

Hopefully, some of these suggestions may spark ideas to be programmed for the upcoming holiday season. Happy hunting, and “Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow!”

Laura Vaughan has over 30 years of teaching experience. She received a B. S. in Music from Missouri State University and an M. M. in Voice Performance and Pedagogy from Webster University, with additional studies at the University of Exeter, England.

Her choirs were selected to perform at several Missouri Music Educator Association conventions. Laura is active as a choral adjudicator, maintains a private voice studio in St. Louis, and has been a SmartMusic clinician since 2004. She has performed as a soprano soloist in the US, England and Italy.

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