ChorTeach Vol. 4, No. 1 Fall 2011 Practical Teaching Ideas for Todays Music Educator Dr.

Terry Barham, editor tbarham@emporia.edu or tbarham@sunower.com

Welcome to ACDAs online magazine 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 and division ACDA newsletters around the United States and submissions from seasoned choral directors with topics germane to the profession. 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 ChorTeachs 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. Whats in this issue? 1) Preparing High School MusicalsA Beginning by Jacob Narverud 2) Educating Contemporary AudiencesTimes Have Changed by Scott Buchanan 3) Preparing High School Singers for College/University Auditions by MB Krueger 4) Using Tuning Forks to Empower Your Church ChoirExcellence at the Basics by Julie Ford 5) To Jazz or Not to Jazz by James McCullough

Preparing High School MusicalsA Beginning

by

Jacob Narverud, University of Missouri-Kansas City (Used with permission of the author)

Directing a musical in high school can be rewarding, challenging, and frustrating all at the same time. Navigating students' schedules, varsity sports, academic classes, etc., can be highly stressful. If its your rst musical, you may feel overwhelmed; however, if you begin thinking about the show many months ahead of time, do your research, plan carefully, consult the other people involved in the production, and stay organized, you can successfully direct a high school musical.The nished product is worth the enormous energy and work required.Your students will benet and grow from their participation in all phases of the production. The following ideas can help you get started. Choosing the Show How often are performancesevery year, every other year Appropriate show for your studentscontent, language, music ts student abilities Lead roles and music difculty, tessituras of lines Have students in mind as leads Can the singers act and the actors sing Community members sing in the chorus Research Research the musical thoroughly. Plan how you would stage the production. Will the drama department at the school be involved? Collaboration can be a good thingvery helpful to you, the Music Director. Develop an artistic vision for the show.
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Using all available resources, nd out how other directors and high schools have staged your choice and, if the show is a period piece, work to understand culturally what was happening in the particular culture and the world at that time. Know your budget. Check for availability and order the materials well in advance of rst rehearsals. Budget Work with the school administration months ahead of time Each school district has its own procedures for requesting money for projects Choose a show that ts your budget Do not assume that ticket sales will be part of the overall budget Student/parent fundraising to help support the show? Staff Needs Accompanist, Choreographer, Costume Designer, Stage Manager (local college student?) Set Builder, Lighting Director, Sound Designer, Props manager Hair and Makeup, Stage Crew, Music Director/Conductor, Director

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Collaboration School administration should know about your plans from the earliest stages of planning Consider becoming the Producer if you have the time and skills Ask for help from students, parents, community members, booster club, other staff Consult the principal often as the show progresses Rehearsal Space Get permission from appropriate teachers/administrators Tape or spike the oor with stage dimensions and outline of sets music room gym commons area community center Rehearsals When to rehearse How often After school: 36 pm evenings: 6:309:30 pm How many days a week Six- to eight-week time spantotal time on show Music rehearsals once a week? Create a six-eight week rehearsal schedule. Rehearsal schedules must include days off, costumes ttings and tech rehearsals and take into account other activities and homework load of the students in the production. Check the school calendar for other possible conicts. Actors should be off book after three weeks of rehearsal. If actors need prompting at this time, the
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stage manager can prompt them as needed; however, I believe even high school actors need to know their lines by this time. Auditions Approach the process professionally and with a positive attitude Sign-up sheet should include whats required Email or send letters announcing auditions to parents Get the word out. All students, not just those musically involved, are welcome to audition Open or closed auditions Prepared monologues? Prepared musical piece or one song from the show Have students bring a headshot and rsum to practice for future auditions 16 bars or a complete song Dancing included in audition Who will accompany auditions Callbacks: duets, leads, song selections Posting the cast listleave the place quickly. Friday afternoons are best! Dealing with divas and parents Performance Space Get to know the janitors Auditorium Cafetorium Gym Community center

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Designing and Building Sets Keep them simple Less is more Involve staff, drama department, shop class, parents Rent the set and a few backdrops? Get cast members and set crew involved Build camaraderie and develop a sense of ownership and accomplishment Have a schedule Have fun in the process Provide surprise treats Pit Orchestra Use piano if orchestra isnt possible High school studentstop notch players only, audition Local college studentspaid musicians or for class credit or internship Hire professionals? Most important is the rhythm section (piano, drums, bass) Distribute scores and a list of all orchestra cuts and notes weeks before the rst rehearsal How often to rehearse Efcient use of rehearsal time. Dont waste it. Know exactly what you want musically before the rst rehearsal Communication is the key. Make sure the schedule is set well in advance When to pay the musiciansopening night is typical Contracts for professionals$25 an hour is the standard rate in Kansas City area as of 2011

Studying the Score Instrumentation and availability of partsknow this before picking the show Traditional or modern orchestra Assigning vocal parts before or during rehearsalwater down vocal parts? Tempos and fermataspractice your conducting gestures Highlighting/color codingbring the score to life red = forte, light blue = piano, etc. Dialogue cues Style and interpretationlisten to other shows by the composerstudy the libretto thoroughly Have a daily schedule for studying the score months ahead of time Orchestrations and Arrangements Water down some parts? 8-part harmony to 2- or 3-part harmonywhat is important musically? Become familiar with either Sibelius or Finale software to rewrite parts, transpose music, etc. Transposing scoreslearn transposing instruments Read orchestra partsmark phrasing, changes Photo-copying scores Costumes Making costumes? Who does this huge jobtimeline for completion Renting/borrowing/purchasing Contact colleagues who have directed shows for advice months ahead of time

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First Read-through with Cast Ice breaker and improvisation games Read script in a circletalk about character development Find the natural ow and feeling of the cast Help students act by relating their character to themselves and their personal experiences Sing a few musical numbers or play Broadway cast recording Explain expectations and policies Talk about commitment, its importance Pass out production calendar and scene/character breakdownexplain in detail Share list of learning/listening resources for cast: websites, videos, DVD, CD recordings Rehearsal Process Production calendarvery specic, including off-book dates Conicts and schedulingStage Manager handles? Dealing with absent students/re-casting issuesclear with principal rst Times for rehearsalswareness of sports and organization conicts Music rehearsals Use of time/efciency in rehearsalsonly call who needs to be there Be as specic as possible during rehearsalsdont wait to x things later Sitzprobecast sings through score with orchestra Blocking/stagingknow exact staging/blocking in advance Which approach: educational (a learning process) or professional or both Explain stage termsstage left, stage right, upstage, downstage Explain how to mark musical terms and blocking in scores and scripts Choreography when, how much? Appropriate for show? What happened to the strong singing with which we started! Give the cast notes after each rehearsal. Members should write them down. Cover specic items that need work for the next rehearsal. Be rm about deadlines and possible consequences if people don't follow through. Advertising Use a variety of means: posters, local radio and/or TV stations, local newspapers, teasers for nursing homes, schools, arts council Have cast and crew T-shirts Programs Cover design a crew member, art class Cast and crew bios/pictures Directors notes about the show Business sponsors Professional look Ticket Sales In advance, at the doorboth Cost per person, seating (numbered?), budget requirements Number of performancesyoung voices have limits Matineeyoung voices have limits

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Tech Rehearsals Know your placestay calm Help students remain calm Be as efcient as possibleknow exactly what you want to accomplish Some things are going to go wrongbe ready, make corrections, get over them, move on Pizza and pop make everyone happy Explain what call time meansallow plenty of time for makeup and warm-ups If you have a competent stage manager, let her take over during techs Rehearse what needs rehearsingrun what is already in good shape Everyone must have adequate sleep/rest to function wellnever forget that musicals are an extracurricular activity Stop on time Have high expectations but dont overwhelm the students Dress Rehearsals/Full Run-throughs Get out of the waylet the show happen Fix only what needs xing Focus on the orchestra and the big picture Practice the routine of the showcostuming, vocal warm-ups, physical and group warm-ups Makeup considerationsstudents purchase kits or provide their own general makeup Backstage helpersmoms love to help, but too many moms are not good for the production Use dress rehearsals to make costume adjustments, fully integrate props into the production and make needed changes
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in blocking or sets. Dress rehearsal is for getting the timing of your production just right. It's your time to x things before the show opens. After choreographers and directors leave a show in professional theatre, the stage manager and music director maintain the show. The Music Director takes care of the musical aspects. The Stage Manager maintains everything else: blocking, dialogue, costumes, props, etc.

Opening Night Deliver an opening night speech to your cast an hour before show time. Students need to hear from you, the director. You are proud of the work they have done.They need reassurance. They are ready for this moment. They will be superb in this performance. Strike Everyone, cast and crew, must help Have a party for cast and crew after the strike clear it with the principal Erase all music marks in all scores Mail scores back to the company ASAP Write thank you notes or letters to administration, staff, parents, and sponsors/supporters Suggested Resources Music Theatre International http://www.mtishows.com Broadway Junior http://www.broadwayjr.com

Miracle or 2 Productions http://www.miracleor2.com Balk, H. Wesley. The Complete Singer-Actor:Training for Music Theater. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 1977. Barker, Clive. Theatre Games: A New Approach to Drama Training. London: A. & C. Black Publishers, Ltd., 2009.

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Hodge, Francis, and Michael McLain. Play Directing: Analysis, my ensembles to achieve the excellence that lies within them; however, there was something else nagging at me the entire Communication and Style. Boston: Pierson Education, 2005. drive home. Taylor, Bruce D. The Arts Equation: Forming a Vital Link between Beyond their artistic and aesthetic beauty, the Chicago Performing Artists and Educators. New York: Watson-Guptill ACDA concerts were special. For a few hours, I struggled to Publications, 1999. put my nger on what was bugging me. Thena road sign Volz, Jim. How to Run a Theatre: A Witty, Practical, and Fun on highway 63 On went the light bulb and I had my answer. Guide to Arts Management. New York: Watson-Guptill Publica- It was the audiences. They were respectful, kind, polite, and appreciative. tions, 2004. That highway sign indicated an exit for a small, rural town. Welker, David. Theatrical Direction:The Basic Techniques. BosEarlier this year, I had the opportunity to visit there while conton: Allyn and Bacon, Inc., 1971. ducting a choral festival hosted by the high school. I vividly remember how taken aback I was on the night of the Young, John Wray. Directing The Play: From Selection to Openconcert, specically with the behavior of the audience. People ing Night. New York: Harper & Brothers Publishers, 1958. were noisily walking in late. Men wore, during the entire event, a variety of cowboy hats and baseball caps. Cell phones were going off. Little kids were screaming and yelling while running up and down the bleachers. Parents and siblings were yelling at their family members on the risers as if they were at a rock concert. I felt sorry for the students who were on stage because it seemed that very few in the audience were actually paying attention. You cannot discover new oceans unless you lose sight Scenes like this have been happening too often in my experiof the shore ence. It doesnt matter the size of the school or its location. I Anonymous am acutely aware that some aspects of this problem are cultural, but I also know that many people, regardless of location, simply have not learned proper concert etiquette. My rst teaching position was at a large high school in Florida. I knew early on that folks who attended our programs were not accustomed to the atmosphere we were trying to create: sophisticated, but not stuffy; fun, but not raucous; educational, by but not cerebral. At the same time, I was not comfortable standing in front of Scott Buchanan audiences at the beginning of each concert reciting a laundry Indiana State University (Used with permission of Central Division's Resound, list of rules concerning appropriate behavior at school concerts. Vol 34 No. 3 Spring 2011) Here is a short list of things I believe we choral conductors can do to help educate our audiences and make everyones concert experience more pleasant. I continue to use several I was driving home from Chicago, on my way back from yet of these ideas and have discovered that my students are asked another outstanding ACDA national conference. As usual, I was good questions about our programs by their family and friends upbeat and inspired by the fantastic musical performances I had at post-concert gatherings. experienced. I was also impelled to work harder and challenge

Educating Contemporary Audiences Times Have Changed

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Somewhere on the printed program, ask listeners to turn off cell phones, pagers, and other electronic devices. Politely state that if young children become noisy, parents are encouraged to take them to the auditorium lobby or any other place that is appropriate. 15-30 minutes before the concert begins, host an informal session for audience members where you discuss the repertoire.This could include translations of foreign language texts, having your students demonstrate important melodies, tight harmonies or rhythmic licks the audience could listen for, or explaining why you chose a certain work.You might even include information on the National Standards for music and how each work relates to the musicianship skills you are teaching. Create program notes that are educational in nature and which provide something specic to listen for in each work. You want your listeners to be informed and active rather than uncaring and passive. Listing composers names with birth/death dates is good, but if you, or better yet your students, demonstrate the basics of a fugue for an audience, people might be more inclined to listen carefully when you program a Bach fugue. During a concert, have an audience participation event. Turn up the house lights and use the call-and-response approach to sing with solfege. Teach people the Curwen hand signs and challenge them to sight sing a simple melody from your signing. Teach a canon. Some will resist, but others will accept the challenge and have fun as long as they dont feel threatened or embarrassed. I am sure your creativity and imagination will lead you to other ways to educate your audience. Like anything else, the more your audience knows about the basics of the music, the more they can appreciate it. And your efforts to teach appropriate audience behavior will be rewarded.

If the shoe doesn't t, must we change the foot? Gloria Steinem

Preparing High School Singers for College/University Auditions

by MB Krueger Metropolitan State College, Denver, Colorado
(Reprinted with permission of Colorado's RE:View,
Vol 28, No. 2, Spring 2011)

Where to go to college or university If you have a student who has decided to major in music, help her dene her goals and choose a program that will help her reach those goals. For example, a student wanting to become a high school choir director should look for a college or university with a strong music education program. She will most likely pursue a Bachelor of Music Education degree. The singer who wants to be the next American Idol, or the Idols agent or recording engineer, should look for a Bachelor of Arts program specializing in commercial music, recording technology, and/or music business. The budding opera singer or composer will be drawn to a program with excellent studio teachers and performing opportunities in his area of interest. He will likely pursue a Bachelor of Music degree. What to expect from a typical audition Most auditions begin with introductions between the faculty panel and the student. In order to make a good rst impression, it is a good idea for the student to be dressed appropriately. Women might wear a skirt, dress, or dressy pants; men could wear a coat, if possible, and a tie. Men and women should

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wear dress shoes that are comfortable for standing and singing without affecting posture. A student who is friendly, respectful and able to introduce himself and articulate what he hopes to study is generally more interesting to the panel. Following the introductions, auditions may includenot necessarily in this orderperformance of a prepared song, vocal exercises and/or aural testing, sight singing, additional questions and information, and possibly a theory placement test. Choosing appropriate repertoire Many talented students have not studied voice privately and have little experience choosing repertoire for an audition.They need your guidance. Tailoring the choice of repertoire to the audition situation is extremely important. A student seeking a degree in musical theatre should sing music from the musical theatre repertoire.To perform one of the 26 Italian arias would not be an appropriate choice. A jazz standard or pop tune is not appropriate for a music education degree seeker but would be a good choice for a commercial music audition. An operatic aria may be a good choice for a music performance audition but not if it is beyond the students vocal maturityas much operatic literature is. No faculty member is comfortable hearing a 17-year-old attempt Mozarts Queen of the Night aria. Sight Reading skills Most college auditions require auditionees to exhibit their current knowledge and practice of music theory in some form or other. Students should be prepared to sight sing, identify intervals if asked, and even take a written test.The best help you, as their teacher, can give is to continually reinforce musical skills in your classes and ensembles. Although tutoring and cramming before an audition can be of help, it is consistent learning and reinforcing of basic musicianship skills that will be on display in an audition setting. I believe the ability to identify key signatures is vital. Using a pitch reading system such as solfege, numbers, or intervals shows the panel that there is a degree of understanding behind a students sight singing attempts. In general, singing rhythms
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correctly and choosing a steady tempo at which the student is able to accurately read the rhythms are of primary importance. Remind your students that slow and steady wins the race when sight singing. Being prepared Most college music programs suggest that audition repertoire be memorized. Some will require it. Encourage your students to be condent and accurate in their memorization. Entering the audition room with an excuse is not a good idea. For instance, my skin crawls when a bright young singer comes to an audition and proudly states: I learned this song yesterday. Students may think the faculty panel will be impressed with the fact that their musical skills are so strong they can learn a new work overnight, but the effect is to make the panel they did not take the audition seriously enough to prepare thoroughly. I would prefer hearing something the student has sung for months because I want to hear musicianship, not ability to fake a song. Most audition committees would rather hear something simple and well-prepared rather than complicated but sloppily presented. Accompanists Some colleges and universities provide an accompanist for auditions and expect the student to bring a second copy of the music. Other schools may require the student to furnish her own accompanist. In some cases, recordings of the music, rather than live accompaniment, may be allowed, but this situation is rare. Remind your students to read the colleges audition guidelines carefully weeks before the audition date. Maintaining a positive attitude Encourage your students to try whatever is asked of them, no matter how unusual the request. So the panel wishes to hear a siren on an [i] vowel? Sure. Just do it.The faculty wants the singer to sight read while standing on one foot? Why not? Faculty panels have specic reasons for their requests. It is in the students best interest to do what is asked, thereby displaywww.acda.org/publications

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ing what the committee might be looking for in a prospective student. You dont have to be a music major to sing in all college choirs Share this message with all singers who plan to attend college but who will not be music majors. Most all college music programs in this country have both auditioned and non-auditioned choirs open to any student on campus, not just to music majors. The transformative experience of choral singing does not and should not fade into the past for your college-bound singers.

If you run into a wall, don't turn around and give up. Figure out how to climb it, go through it, or work your way around it. Michael Jordan

Using Tuning Forks to Empower Your Church Choir Excellence at the Basics
by Julie Ford Lafayette-Orinda Presbyterian Church, Saint Mary's College Lafayette and Moraga, California
(Reprinted with permission of Californias Cantate,
Vol 23, No. 3, Spring 2011)

Perla Warren, a master choral director and teacher who guided me and so many other conductors, is fond of saying
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that all musicians should pursue excellence in the basics. Tuning, a basic skill, needs life-long attention. Each interval should become as familiar as an old friend so we can create and recognize nely-tuned musical moments and strive for this ideal at every opportunity. A few years ago, I grew increasingly impatient with my nonauditioned church choirs inability to stay in tune. Knowing that Dr. Warren had employed tuning forks in rehearsal at American River College, and wishing to place responsibility for tuning squarely on my singers shoulders, I purchased A440 tuning forks and set out to determine how to integrate their use within a church choir setting. Facing a wide variety of skill levels in sight-reading and little rehearsal timetwo hours a week, I needed to nd a way to address this issue, one that would be non-threatening and engage both non-readers and readers alike. My solution was to introduce exercises which focused on learning to identify intervals entirely by ear. What follows is the basic structure of an approach that has worked well in my situation and continues to offer substantial benets. After explaining how to use a tuning fork, I began with every person sounding his or her A440 and then singing and sustaining that pitch on the syllable oo. Once the pitch was well established, I designated about one of every ve peoplesome men, some womenas the tonic singers. They would sing an A (actual pitch and one octave below) for the entire exercise, renewing the pitch when they ran out of air and staggering breaths so that the pitch remained constant. With the pitch established and sustained, I directed the remaining singers to begin on A also in whichever register was most comfortable. We sang each interval of the chromatic scale on cue, one interval at a time. We returned to the tonic pitch after each interval was sung, all the while checking what was sung against the pitch, A, which was sustained by the tonic singers and also by the sounding tuning forks in each persons hand. Singers would perform the interval using its name, e.g., a minor second is sung with the word minor on the tonic pitch and the word second a half-step above. When singers arrived at the desired interval, I cued them to sing oo and tune that vowel against the tonic singers pedal tone. Once the tuning locked in, I cued everyone to return softly
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and carefully to the tonicstill on oo. This process was repeated for each new interval. As the choir sang words like major, minor, and third, I insisted on carefully puried or modied vowels, thus helping the singers understand the connection between vowel unity and tuning. I endeavored to guide the singers awareness of how balance affects tuning by directing them not to sing louder than the few singers who remained on the tonic. I also reiterated the importance of pitch retention, i.e., the tonic pitchA in this caseshould be ever-present in ones mind and always be the inner guidepost for tuning. Once these concepts were understood, they became common reference points when we sang repertoire. We have continued with this exercise each week. No one can avoid learning these skills. Each singer must develop the ability to do these exercises both independently and as a member of the choir. I ask all singers to carry their tuning forks with them every day in purses, backpacks, or briefcases and steal moments to practice on their own. The rst year I introduced these exercises, I tackled only a small part of the chromatic scale. For example, from September through November, we learned the minor 2nd, major 2nd, minor 3rd, and major 3rd intervals. In the spring, four different intervals were added. Our singers take an entire program year to get through the octave. As singers tune each interval, they are tuning linearly, as part of a melody, and vertically, as part of a two-note chord. They are building a strong understanding of how to listen and then adjust blend and balance to improve ensemble tuning. Four years into this process, our choir is quicker and more accurate with these exercises which we use routinely at every rehearsal. With the advanced choir, I have added increasingly advanced exercises including work with the modes, all of which are built on the pitch A. The other gratifying result of this work is that in the context of a musical work, the singers have become quite adept at identifying melodic and harmonic intervals by name and then making corrections when the tuning falters. Their diagnostic ability has improved dramatically. I routinely choose at least one a cappella work in A or D major, e.g., O Nata Lux from Lux Aeterna by Lauridsen, and ask
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that they refer to their tuning forks at the beginning, middle, and ends of phrases to see if their tuning has faltered, and if so, to identify when and where the pitch has slipped. The choir is able to apply these skills quite well, regardless of their very limited understanding of underlying principles of theory and/or the written score. Such skill has become intuitive for them. Their musical ears have been sharpened. Singers also may make visual connections to the score as a second step. As we all know, the basic skill of tuning needs life-long attention in order to achieve excellence. My personal musicianship has benetted from leading similar exercises with all my choirschildren and college-level. Pursuing and achieving well-tuned performances on a regular basis has helped all of our singers gain condence in and ownership of their singing a wide range of repertoire. Empowered with these skills, theyand Iappreciate the heightened sense of musical development. Everyone is gratied by the results.

Every difference of opinion is not a difference of principle Thomas Jefferson

To Jazz or Not to Jazz

by James McCullough St. Charles East High School St. Charles, Illinois
(Used with permission of Central's Division's Resound, Vol. 33 No. 3 Spring 2010)

Why dont more of us choral directors offer our students a jazz choir/jazz ensemble experience? Here are a few suggestions for directors who want to explore and, hopefully, adopt
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this dynamic art form in their schools. The choral directors enthusiasm, knowledge and ability to swingget into the musics grooveare important ingredients for success. Many listening and learning resources are available to the teacher who wants to learn more. One can look for vocal jazz performances on CDs at the library, on iTunes, Pandora and other web sites. Take a moment to search for vocal jazz on Amazon.com. Visit Western Michigan University Gold Companys web site as well as that of Millikin University and Edmonds Community Colleges top ensemble, Soundsation. One of my friends in Washington once said, Jazz is better caught than taught. In other words, jazz is better learned by listening and internalization rather than reading and talking. In the aural tradition of jazz, a director and his students will nd nearly all of the inspiration, motivation and education they desire. I invite you to sit down, block out all disturbances, turn off your cell phone, lock the door and actively listen to one arrangement by the New York Voices. The important elements are there to be discovered, mined, and applied: supported tone, expressiveness, balanced chords, swinging lines, nuance, articulation, heart, exemplary ensemble, near perfect tuning and dissonance/resolution. In New York Voices, you get the complete package. Other great groups to put on your listening list include the Real Group,Take 6, Hi-Los, and the Four Freshmen. Go to www.pandora.com and type in any one of those names. Pandora is free. With each group, you will grow by hearing different approaches to style, sound, harmony, rhythm, etc. Dont listen to an arrangement just once. On a second listening, focus on the rhythm section. How do the piano, bass, and drums interact with and complement the singers? Let recordings be your teacher, a technique jazz musicians have employed for decades. Internalize and lock these sounds, textures, rhythms, and colors into your ear. Share the recordings and your ideas about them with your students in rehearsal. I like this phrase: If we can hear it, we will nd a way to verbalize it. Keep your sound ideal intact and move the singers towards it with patience and praise. I believe the number one reason we should offer a vocal jazz experience in our programs is to nurture our countrys heritage. Jazz is Americas music. Jazz originated here and has
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spawned everything from Elvis to rap. Jazz will continue to inuence various developments in current music. The more I hear my 15- and 19-year-old daughters pop music choices, the more I hear harmonic and rhythmic connections to jazz. The second reason to teach this indigenous art is that kids love singing jazz. Why? It is fullling, challenging and rewarding. Students aesthetic response is on a par with the best choral literature appropriate for their age and experience. Another big reason to include vocal jazz in choral programs is the development of musicianship skills in your singers. Here are several elements which will move your students to new levels of understanding and performance: Pitch accuracy and ear training Many jazz melodies, and certainly the harmonies, stretch students ears and require an ability to think/sing intervallically a wide range of intervals, even augmented fourths and minor or major sevenths. A greater challenge presents itself when a harmony line shifts and may go up or down a major or minor second, up or down a major or minor third. Harmony and balance Jazz offers a plethora of opportunities to teach harmonic progression as well as chord colors that ring when sung in tune and with perfectly matched vowels balanced between all parts. Here are some possible questions you might ask your singers as you rehearse. How does the ninth on a major 7/9 chord interact with the third which is a step away? Which is more important to bring out? Which should be sung softer? Who sings the third of the chord? You should expand on the idea of engaging your singers in a dialogue about the music, I believe. You will also be teaching teamwork and music theory in a performance context. Students grow immensely as they learn their parts and what is happening in the music. Ensemble and Rhythm Whether the group consists of one on a part with four to six singers or a larger choir of 16, the students sense of enwww.acda.org/publications

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semble and rhythmic and melodic accuracy grow tremendously because there is nowhere to hide when one compares singing in a jazz ensemble with singing in a 32-44 voice concert choir. If it is to be, it is up to me. This phrase is my mantra for kids singing jazz. This type of responsibility can be daunting as students begin the school year, but they grow quickly, meet the challenge, and thrive on the experience. Friday is small ensemble day at our school. Students are randomly assigned to quartets, quintets, or whatever the arrangement requires. Everyone sings one tune, or portion of a tune, for the choir. After each performance, students and the director offer compliments rst and then constructive ideas for improvement. What better way to know what your singers are learning than to note what they say after listening to their peers? I nd myself adjusting my teaching based on these solo Friday performances in choir. Summary In my way of thinking, a choir program at any high school will benet greatly from offering vocal jazz. Our auditioned ensemble, Jazz, sings around our community and for our schools. These students are great ambassadors. If I had a dollar for every Kirby Shaw jazz arrangement of the Star Spangled Banner our Jazz singers have performed in the past 25 years, I believe I could retire ve years early! These performances, regardless of the type of audience, build support for the music program and create excitement for our students. We sing for a wide array of organizationsRotary, Kiwanis, Knights of Columbus, city gatherings, basketball games, and soccer matcheswhenever the students schedules allow it. We offer four regular choral and four separate jazz choir concerts every year. At each regular choral concert, one of the jazz choirs sings an unaccompanied arrangement to expose the younger singers and parents to this important American art form. More students have auditioned each year based on this important recruiting tool. Lets face it. Only a few choir kids may attend jazz concerts, so we take this musical style to them. To jazz or not to jazz is a choice for all choral directors. For many, it may mean getting out of a well-worn comfort zone and expanding ones musicianship. If you live in Illinois or Michigan,
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I recommend you attend a jazz festival at Millikin University (February), Western Michigan University (March), or Niles North High Schoolnorth shore Chicago (April). Go alone or take a few choir ofcers/leaders. Take your video camera. You will be surprised by the excellence and excitement coming from the stage. Vocal jazz is fun, rewarding, creative, and worth your investment of time. It is also great for our students and for our music programs. How about giving vocal jazz a try at your school?

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