ChoralEd, A Democratic Approach to the Choral Rehearsal – Dr. Robert Jordan

In a previous episode of ChoralEd (Episode 39), Dr. Robert Jordan shared a democratic framework for repertoire selection. In Episode 55, Dr. Jordan expands on this philosophy discussing a democratic approach to the rehearsal process.

To foster student ownership and agency, Dr. Jordan encourages feedback from students by recording and listening back to portions of rehearsal.  Students provide feedback verbally through class discussion or non-verbally using index cards that identify specific musical elements in need of improvement (i.e., pitch, rhythm, dynamics, etc.). Through this approach students are empowered, resulting in enhanced student engagement and the development of critical listening skills and musical independence.