Choral Caffeine: Make a Plan

       Looking for a way to maximize your rehearsal time and improve the responsibility of individual singers?  Maybe Deborah Fristad can help.  In her article, “How about a 5-5-5 Plan? Sive Songs, Five Weeks, Five Concerts!” (Resound, Spring 2012) she lays out a method that just might work for you.

 

       Each day was marked by a plan and specific, targeted goals.  Students were divided by sections and assigned specific practice rooms. Every 10 minutes, the groups rotated to the next

practice room and worked on a different selection. Student leaders with keyboard skills helped with starting notes or difficult intervals encountered.

       I worked in one of the sectional rooms to address specific issues. For the most part, students practiced without help from the keyboard. Becoming secure with notes, rhythms, and texts made the students more comfortable as we added their part to others. They were able to sing more accurately and confidently.

        A key ingredient was rotation through different rooms. Physically changing locations helped keep the blood and energy flowing. If frustration or boredom set in, it was time to move

to another room.

       The sectionals forced the singers to take responsibility for learning their parts. They became better at taking directions from a peer or temporarily stepping into leadership roles. Singers came to appreciate the challenges faced by section leaders. Cooperation was the norm.

 

       Hmm . . .  let’s see:  improved student accountability while the repertoire is both learned more efficiently and more efficaciously.  Sounds like a plan!

 

(To access the full article, simply click the highlighted title. For additional articles on a dazzling array of choral topics, visit  ChorTeach.)