By Jonathan Babcock, DMA, Texas State University Throughout my years as a student, I was always drawn to opportunities to lead and contribute to my musical community. As a high schooler, I was thrilled to be elected the president of the school marching band. The process of being elected by my peers, provided this lanky, […]
Teaching
14 “Secret” Indicators That Your Choral Program is Outstanding
How do we measure success? This, of course, is a lifelong question that stares us in the face every day. This article is far less philosophical, but does perhaps pose a way in which we should change the way we view success in terms of high school choral programs. Find out the 14″Secret” Indicators […]
Don’t Waste Your Final Rehearsal(s)
Choral Clarity Blog Presents: Many of us think of the last day of class as a day of yearbook signing, collecting missing music, and a free period with lots of selfies. Sure, those things might happen during the last day of class, but making the final day meaningful is so important for building tradition within […]
Does Every Student Deserve An Award?
Choral Clarity Blog Presents: I agree with the criticism about the “award-bearing” adolescent world we live in today. Every student gets a trophy. Students get participation awards just for breathing. Does Every Student Deserve An Award? The answer isn’t as cut and dry as you might think…..
On the Voice: CJ Replay
The June/July issue of Choral Journal features a special article for the On the Voice series. Sharon Hansen has been a member of the Choral Journal editorial board and editor of the On the Voice article series for many years and writes about the history of On the Voice in Choral Journal, past practices, and […]
Memorizing Music Without Really Trying
Choral Clarity Blog Presents: As we move closer to our Spring concerts, many of us believe a memorized concert will make for a better performance. How we teach and run daily rehearsals greatly impacts our students’ ability to be responsive to our conducting, sing freely, and be communicative. How Students Can Memorize Music Without Really […]