According to Howard Swan in the book Choral Conducting: A Symposium, there are six unique schools of choral singing in America. Between these six schools, and the personal preferences of choral directors, there are countless differing opinions about choral tone. Ask any two conductors and you will likely notice differences in their approaches to vibrato, […]
music educators
ChoralEd: Developing Appropriate Student-Teacher Relationships
The relationship between a student and teacher has a significant impact on a student’s success in the classroom. As choral educators, we have a distinct advantage in the development of this relationship as we work with students for multiple years. Unfortunately, at times, student-teacher relationships have been tainted by the inappropriate actions of educational professionals. […]
ChoralEd: Classroom Management, Part 2
As discussed in last month’s ChoralEd post, there are two primary sections to any classroom management plan. In part 1, we looked at preventative classroom management techniques, which addressed ways to minimize and prevent behavioral issues before they occur. While it’s every teacher’s dream to prevent all behavioral problems before they occur, we must also […]
If Every One Agrees, We Can’t Have the “Difficult Conversations” with Micah Horton
Many people think they are speaking truth to power, but they are really just preaching to the choir. This episode deals with the role of political discourse in the lives of all citizens, and educators in particular. The future of education is hanging in the balance right now as I see it, based on the […]
ChoralEd: Classroom Management, Part 1
One of the major hurdles in any new teacher’s professional development is classroom management. If you are a younger teacher who lacks experience disciplining a child, let alone a room full of them, the responsibility of managing a classroom can be a daunting task. Even though it may be overwhelming at first, through planning and […]
Best. Interview. Ever! “Doing whatever it takes” with Superstar Deke Sharon
Imagine walking onto the set of a potentially epic movie with a seemingly large task ahead of you: create an “award winning” choir out of a collection of humans, none of which have ever sung in choir, in one month, with one hour of rehearsal a day. Go! Daunting? Fun? A bit intimidating? But possible […]