music educators

When selecting repertoire for the choral ensemble a great deal of care and thought should be given to each song as this music will serve as your curriculum for roughly eight weeks of rehearsal.  By selecting repertoire that is at the appropriate difficulty level, (as opposed to music that is too easy or difficult) you […]

Self-efficacy (one’s belief in their ability to succeed) is an important component when establishing a positive and productive choral environment.  In Episode 33 of ChoralEd, Dr. Greg LeFils describes methods for developing self-efficacy and pitch matching skills in the choral ensemble. An inability to match pitch can lead to negative self-perceptions of musical ability resulting […]

The voice change process can be a challenging experience for young singers.  Episode 32 of ChoralEd discusses musical accommodations that can support singers through their respective voice change. Musical accommodations occur when the choral educator makes changes to the musical material to better support their singers.  (1) Octave displacement is a common accommodation where the […]

In the adventure that is the adolescent voice much attention is given to the male changing voice.  While the male voice change is more drastic in terms of pitch fluctuation, the female voice change deserves equal attention.  In episode 31, Dr. Jamea Sale discusses the phases of the female voice change and provides resources to […]

In Part 3 of Dr. Terry J. Barham’s discussion of the boy’s changing voice, Dr. Barham shares strategies for maintaining a boy’s interest in singing.  Recommendations include, To watch ChoralEd, Episode 30 on YouTube click HERE.

In Part 2 of our three-part series on the boy’s changing voice Dr. Terry J. Barham provides insight into the voice test process.  When determining a boy’s voice part, Dr. Barham suggests the teacher establish a welcoming environment, completing the voice test individually (although group settings are also acceptable).  To begin, identify the student’s spoken […]