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The Primacy of Rhythm: Practical Understandings of this First Musical Skill

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By Stuart Hunt

“Rhythm is the art of beautiful movement” – Augustine of Hippo

Putting the horse in front of the cart when discussing rhythm, let’s take a moment to examine the “why” of rhythm, followed by the “how to,” as both teach and learn. The “why” can guide our path to excellence and the joy of performance.

As conductors, we know that counting and rhythm, at its core, is just math. But, as humans, we actually experience and learn pulse before we are born, in vitro. Mom’s heartbeat is always present, a life-giving metronome. At a certain point, we then also become aware of our own, metric pulse. The word “rhythm” is derived from the Greek rhythmos, meaning “measured flow, movement or motion.”1 Plato’s definition was “Rhythm is order in movement.”2 Barred / metric rhythm, it is worth noting, only began to appear in the seventeenth century as a result of the need of dancers to know where a “downbeat” was. As choral writing with more parts and greater complexity rose after circa 1600, there was obvious need for more precise notation to “hold things together.”

Considering rhythm in the singing and choral art, rhythm exists in the form of groups or patterns: small, medium, and large. It is true that rhythm can exist without melody (percussion), but melody can not exist without rhythm. In order for singers (alone or in groups) to interpret text, melody, tension/release, artistic expression, and other aspects of vocal communication, we eventually choose how we “group” rhythmic patterns. The challenge for choristers (and conductors) is that we must agree how to group and interpret.

The easiest and least time-consuming method to accomplish this is to be able to independently “count” rhythm. However, this is often over-thought, over-worked and does not actually produce the intrinsic accuracy and motivation we hope for.

Addressing and solving this challenge, one of the most influential choral conductors of the twentieth century, Dr. Robert Shaw, promoted “count-singing” that gave both substance and form to rhythmic precision by teaching that “count-singing is a procedure that teaches pitches and rhythms simultaneously and trains the singers to share a common pulse.”3 Count-singing works, Shaw insisted, because of the following:

  • It removes all doubt when sounds should begin and end.
  • It clarifies exactly which pitches should be sung and how long they should be sustained.
  • It ensures vertical alignment for all voice parts, regardless of the pitch or duration of the individual notes in each part.
  • Because it clarifies vertical alignment, it reveals harmonic progressions and facilitates clarity in polyphonic passages.
  • It offers a means by which crescendo and diminuendo may be paced over time.
  • Choirs will find it easier to control the placement of final consonants and the pronunciation of diphthongs.4

Agreement on Terms

Perhaps we’d better state the obvious:

  • Tempo is the speed at which music “moves.”
  • Rhythm is sound placed in time, in an organized pattern.

As applied to poetry, speech, or music, rhythm (and expression) give interpretation and understanding to words and text. How we stress or do not stress syllables can completely change understanding or meaning. Consider the following:

Are you going to choir?

Are you going to choir?

Are you going to choir?

Are you going to choir?

Are you going to choir?

Likewise, rhythmic interpretation can and does affect the way we “feel” about musical phrases, whether or not text is present. Two excellent examples of rhythmic variation and mood influence are Karl Orff’s “Carmina Burana” and Bedrich Smetana’s “The Moldau,” both evocative of the theme for which they were written.

Learning to Learn

It is worth considering that our instrumental colleagues and their approach. Instrumentalists make constant use of “concept repetition”, or drill, which involves:

  • quickly and correctly identifying and counting notes
  • grouping them into rhythmic patterns
  • interpreting the patterns into musical phrases

They do, in fact, drill patterns of many types, which leads to improved abilities to “see” larger amounts of notes, quickly recognize and group them into recognized patterns, and play artistically with decreasing amounts of rehearsal time—what we all wish to do.

How Is This Trained?

Consider how we all learned to read in the first place:

  1. We learned the sounds of letters (note identification).
  2. We combined them to make words and rhythmic patterns.
  3. We linked words to make phrases & sentences (musical phrases).

What is often overlooked or missing in choral education is rhythmic pedagogy. We teach rhythmic identification but do not train the eyes to look ahead and combine notes into phrases. To save rehearsal time and detail more advanced music, we must train our vocal students to:

As professionals, we do that, but our students do not yet have that depth of experience.

Gary Corcoran wrote in The Addition System for Teaching and Learning Rhythm: “Achieving an automatic response to reading rhythmic patterns . . . is the result of much necessary drill and repetition. It is impossible to develop a reflexive and accurate response to rhythm patterns without drill(emphasis mine).”5 (Download Dr. Corchoran’s book by clicking here.)

The Keys

As noted in points 1, 2, and 3 above, Dr. Corchoran points out: “Believe it or not, our eventual goal is not having to count while performing! (Unless one chooses to.) While insisting that our students “Count! Count! Count!,” we seem hesitant to tell them that advanced musicians do not count every rhythm they encounter—although they could if asked. Instead, they have developed over time a sizable repertoire of instantly recognizable rhythm patterns which they can consistently perform with precision and accuracy at all tempos and in all styles without having to consciously concentrate on counting.”6

With good material, in order to truly progress toward mastering a skill, or, at least, becoming independently competent, we must adopt a regular and reasonably rigorous routine of

Practice

The website Stages of Skill Acquisition (http://stagesofskillacquisition.blogspot.com/) offers information and suggestions on 3 types of deliberate practice and breaks down deliberate practice into three stages:

  1. The Cognitive Stage. This is the first step when learning a new skill. You’re practicing and making mistakes.
  2. The Associative Stage. You’ve had enough practice to see where you are making mistakes and to correct them. It’s at this stage that getting the quality feedback we spoke about earlier is important if you want your skill level to progress.
  3. The Autonomous Stage. When you reach this stage, you can almost perform the skill on auto-pilot. You aren’t a master yet and maybe you never will be, but you have become competent in a relatively short amount of time thanks to deliberate practice.

It is very important to just be patient with yourself. If you don’t fear mistakes or be too critical, you can move from okay to excellent. Take some risks, make mistakes but learn from them. Time is your friend.

Did You Ever Wonder?

For those really serious about growing high-performing individuals and choirs, here is a link to a Psychological Review article entitled “The Role of Deliberative Practice in the Acquisition of Expert Performance,” by K. Anderson Ericsson, Ralph Th. Krampe, and Clemens Tesch-Römer. The article is well worth reading as a guide to what, how, and if deliberate practice leads to maximal performance, among other topics. You can read or download to ruminate on best-practices and expected outcomes.

Additionally, here are 75 rhythmic practice exercises that I have prepared and that are available for free download: www.toolsforconductors.com.

Evaluating Progress

A last consideration is how to best evaluate progress. To guide you and your students, Dr. Geoffrey Boers, Choral Chair at the University of Washington, has developed the Choral Literacy and Skills (CLaS) Rubric, just posted by NAfME on their website as the first-ever national choral standard by NAfME: click here to download and learn exactly what students should be able to achieve in 12 areas at 6 levels of experience. It is the culmination of 3 years of work, also being adopted by Choral Canada as their national standard.

[Note from ACDA: Dr. Boers is currently working on a series of videos, funded in part by ACDA’s Fund for Tomorrow, that will educate and train conductors, students, adjudicators, and administrators on the application and potential of the rubric. The videos will be available in 2020 and free for public access.]

Finish with Assessment

After months, or perhaps years of hard work, is it paying off?

  • Choirs are reading more accurately and faster.
  • They can teach the “newbies” without your help.
  • You can choose literature they would love to perform, but could not handle before skill improvement.
  • You know in your heart they are heuristic learners.

But, can you prove it?

There are, finally, lots of resources available to music educators. In the past, we have had to rely on “assessing” (subjectively) our students one-on-one or in small ensembles, which is very time-consuming and begs the question “What are the other students doing in the meantime?”

The option not to consider is doing nothing. While our colleagues who teach math, science, history, English, etc., are evaluated by state “norms,” mandated music evaluations have been sporadic or nonexistent. But that is changing and we must make the decision to prepare and be ahead of the curve, taking our detailed evaluations to administrators before they ask or mandate.

A first assessment in the autumn, a mid-year assessment, and final evaluation in the spring (more if you wish) will provide growth markers for students and program-effectiveness evaluations for the educator.

Plan on it, research it, ACT! There are many benefits.

Benefits

Putting rhythmic mastery front and center,

  • saves large amounts of rehearsal time
  • solves many discipline challenges because students are constantly engaged in “problem solving” and artistry
  • helps singers become aware of their own competence and ability to help others
  • moves artistry to a higher level
  • elevates choice of literature

By focusing attention on solid grounding and mastery of rhythmic skills, the acquisition of all other skills is simplified. Consider making it of prime importance for all of your choirs.

Questions, or interested in dialogue on this issue? Please post a comment to this blog post, or contact the author at .

Notes

  1. Anon. Rhythm. Online Etymology Dictionary. Retrieved from https://www.etymonline.com/word/rhythm
  2. Crossley-Holland, P. (2017, Aug. 31). Rhythm. Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved from https://www.britannica.com/art/rhythm-music
  3. Elrod Huffman, P. (2013, Feb.) The rehearsal techniques of Robert Shaw. Southwestern Musician, p. 41.
  4. Bloker, R. (Ed.). (2004). The Robert Shaw Reader. New Haven, CT: Yale Univ. Press.
  5. Corcoran, G. (n.d.). The Addition System for Teaching and Learning Rhythm.New Hampshire Band Directors Association, p. iv. Retrieved from http://www.nhbda.org/corcoran-addition-system-for-counting-rhythm.html

Centering Vocal Pitch Is Not Difficult, and Can Be Great Fun!

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By Stuart Hunt

Beside accurate counting, looking ahead to “pre-hear” rhythms and pitch (audiating), singing accurately and in-tune is a primary skill for all vocalists. But is it typically taught, or just caught?

Our instrumental colleagues have posters that read “Tune it or die !”, which presumably refers to effort, not impending doom. 

Think about it for a moment: when a vocalist (or section, or entire choir) is out of tune, how do you respond and correct? For the most part, the fault lies in one of two (hopefully not both) ways:

  • an interval is incorrectly sung, and all successive intervals are adjusted to the missed pitch
  • vowels are malformed resulting in tension or distortion of the vocal tract or resonant chambers

There are, of course, a number of other causes, but let’s focus on the cures for a moment by first mentioning the “The Seven Learning Styles” (courtesy of https://www.learning-styles-online.com/overview/.)

  • Visual (spatial): You prefer using pictures, images, and spatial understanding.
  • Aural (auditory-musical): You prefer using sound and music.
  • Verbal (linguistic): You prefer using words, both in speech and writing.
  • Physical (kinesthetic): You prefer using your body, hands and sense of touch.
  • Logical (mathematical): You prefer using logic, reasoning and systems.
  • Social (interpersonal): You prefer to learn in groups or with other people.
  • Solitary (intrapersonal): You prefer to work alone and use self-study.

Actually, corporate (choral) singing incorporates ALL of the above (save perhaps solitary). We touch on these methods throughout every rehearsal which is the joy of learning and expressing great art together. But, at times, we must just STOP and fix things. The conductor must determine the cause, then craft a solution that, hopefully, solves the challenge both at the moment and gives singers the tools to both recognize and correct missed pitches themselves (preferably before they sing them).  It becomes both method and habit. The mantra is:

“Practice does not make perfect: it makes permanent. Only perfect practice makes perfect.”

We can practice the wrong things. Learning is much easier than relearning.

Here is something I have discovered and used for years. It is always a joy to watch how singers interact with this technology after instruction on Appoggio, or, diaphragmatic vs. laryngeal singing and control of pitch. (I know. I’m setting many of us up for a contestable discussion, so, I’ll just keep to the main subject). Here’s a picture of a digital tuner:

There are many such devices for free or inexpensive downloads. I like this one because singers get real-time feedback in two ways:

  • The vertical needle is constantly finding and responding to whatever pitch it “hears,” indicating 0, or perfectly in tune or flat or sharp, and how far (by the way, this can also be calibrated to whatever you need).
  • Below the needle are 1 green flanked by 2 red LEDs, with a flat or sharp symbol beside them. Some explanation for new learners is good. 

These LEDs work together with the needle to give a vocal real-time feedback. What a singer sees before them is whether they are using laryngeal control of pitch (needle hard to control, RED lights constantly blinking) or, more stable, diaphragmatic pitch control which keeps the GREEN light on. I simply ask them to hold the pitch steady for 3 seconds, then 4, then longer once they connect with the diaphragm. 

Next, after they gain more control over pitch stability, I ask them to move the needle slightly to the left (and tell them this is below the center of the pitch, or flat) then back to center and hold. Next, to the right (and tell them this is above the pitch center, or sharp), then back to center and hold. It usually takes only a few seconds for them to lose inhibitions, start to monitor and be aware (just trying fails; awareness cures!) what their diaphragm is doing in this challenge. It quickly becomes a challenge they are willing to accept.

This is exactly what happens when we ask a choir to “center the pitch” or “sing on the high side of the center,” but that is a meaningless admonition unless they experience first-hand what we are asking.

In a group situation, what typically happens is that I will ask for a volunteer. In middle school and high school choirs that can take a moment of patience, but someone will always take a challenge. I position myself a few feet in front of them and hold the tuner closer so the microphone can accurately measure their voice. For those shy, precious volunteers, what happens nearly every time is that their bravery is uncommonly rewarded: others gather around to watch them work the digital tuner. Embarrassment dissolves because the total focus is on the tuner, not the singer. Others watch and when asked “would someone else like to experiment?”, nearly every hand is raised. This will go on for as long as you allow it. Students usually download their own tuner and experiment and become more accurate tuners themselves. 

Doubtless, you have other ways worth sharing with colleagues. Consider writing them and being a part of this forum. It is always fun to discuss ways to improve the art. 

You may contact me at:

Stuart Hunt is enjoying his 48th year in music education and choral conducting.  His company, Tools for Conductors, writes and publishes sight-reading material K-university.  TFC band, choir, elementary, and rhythm online assessments, “You Won’t Miss a Beat,” are available through MusicFirst.com.

Was Anybody Listening? A Teacher Looks Back

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By Debbie Aurelius-Muir

This particular day began as every day had. It was Thursday. Not that that made a difference. Every day started the same. The bell rang at 8:22 a.m. and by 8:25 a.m. my special education class arrived. There were 14 students and one aide. I often struggled with it. I never intended to be a special education teacher. These middle school children had varied emotional, physical, and intellectual challenges. Every time I thought I understood their limitations, they would surprise me. Conversely, there were many times when I was sure I had the perfect amount of challenge to the lesson plan, only to discover that I had missed the mark completely.

I started class signing and singing “Do Re Mi” from The Sound of Music. The students were always very excited to show that they had mastered the Curwen hand signs for the major scale. (I should mention that because of age requirements, I had most of these special education students every day for five years. They entered sixth grade at 11 years of age, but were not promoted to high school until they were16 years of age).

One of my most enigmatic students had a disability called “Dandy Walker Syndrome.” Dandy Walker Syndrome manifested itself in this student with limited speech, limited intellectual development, limited physical strength, and limited mobility. We will call him “Robert.” I watched Robert grow from a skinny little eleven year old barely four feet tall to a strong-willed adolescent approaching six feet in stature. He didn’t have great control of his limbs. He walked to music class by using a walker that let its owner pull down a shelf that allowed a quick sitting break in the middle of the trip. He had difficulties keeping his eyes focused in one direction. His eyes often darted left and right as if he was frantically trying to record everything for the future. His speech was very hard to understand. It appeared as if his tongue muscles didn’t cooperate any better than his leg muscles. He had lots of volume but he couldn’t articulate words. He had a very small vocabulary, as well. I don’t recall ever hearing him singing with the class.  He sat and looked around.

Robert never made eye contact with me. I greeted him every day, as I greeted all of the students, but I usually never got a response. As Robert matured, he became angry. Maybe he felt some resentment at his limitations. I don’t know. He really couldn’t communicate very well, so there was no way of knowing. Now that he was getting older, he would shout out expletives and disrupt the class. He would throw himself on the floor. He would spit at other students. He would hit other students. If he was handed an instrument, he might throw it down. I used to question if he should even be in there. I didn’t think he was benefiting from the class and he was making it difficult for the other students to learn. Was he even listening? Was I even an effective teacher for special needs students? I wasn’t the special education teacher in the family, my sister was. I didn’t want to teach in the special education field, I really didn’t have any training. And to top it all off, I have to confess that on certain days, in that class, I did not display my finest teaching.

But as we all know, in teaching and in life, every day is a new day. You get up and you tell yourself that you have a chance to make this a great day. I would pray for strength, courage, and love for my students.

As I said, this day began like any other day. Robert, his aide, and the other students filed in. We sang and signed “Do Re Mi” and our other songs and enjoyed our activities. At the end of class, the students began to leave. Robert and his aide started to leave. But Robert wouldn’t leave. He slid his walker right up to me. He stopped his six-foot skinny frame right in front of me. He reached out to touch my dangly earrings. I felt like the girl in the gorilla cage being told, ”Don’t make any sudden moves; it frightens them!” My mind began to race with fear: What was he going to do? Is he going to yank out my earring? Is he going to hit me? Is he going to pull my hair? Is he going to spit on me? He got about two inches from my face and looked right into my eyes. While keeping one hand on the walker, and gently touching my dangly earring, he sang perfectly in tune and perfectly pronounced the solfege syllables “sol-mi-do.”

The aide and I looked at each other as our jaws dropped and our eyes welled up with tears. We were speechless! I didn’t know he could sing. I certainly didn’t think he had been paying attention. Of all the phrases he could sing to me, he sings a perfectly phonated, perfectly articulated, and perfectly in tune descending major triad? I didn’t know what to say. As I was wiping the tears from my cheeks, I realized that he had been listening!

I taught Robert for another two years. I never saw that kind of engagement again. But I knew he was listening.

So it is with all of our students. Whether they’re “special needs” students or “typical” students, you never know what they hear. You never know what they will remember, you never know what they will learn from you. You are charged with being their representative for music and for good. It is the greatest job on earth and an important responsibility. Rise to the challenge. Don’t squander a moment. And don’t worry, they are listening!

Debbie Aurelius-Muir is a retired general music, choral music, and music methods teacher in who taught in both Champaign-Urbana and Bloomington-Normal, Illinois. She spent thirty years teaching music to students from kindergarten through college and currently supervises music student teachers through Illinois State University.

Angels Among Us: Our Choral Sages and Their Contributions

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By Anne M. Saxon

I recently took a class at my church titled, “From Aging to Sage-ing.” I was very intrigued by the title, so I signed up. It was actually taken from our class textbook, by Zalman Schachter-Shalomi and Ronald S. Miller. In it, “Zalman…provides new inspiring ideas about the importance of an elder’s role in shaping society and explains how elders can embrace the power they have to provide value and wisdom to those around them.”

Now that I have grandchildren I often reflect on my own changing role within my family and community, and realize what a beautiful role-model I had for this: my own mother. Widowed early, she spent the remaining 25 years of her life literally “keeping the family together and seeing the grandchildren through.” She hosted Sunday lunch for our extended family for over 33 years. And I’m not just talking about lunch, I’m talking about the “cover of Southern Living Magazine Lunch”; consider a meat, three vegetables, homemade angel biscuits, and a spectacular dessert as the crowning end to such a feast. This was served on a beautifully laid-out table, complete with china, tablecloth, and a centerpiece of her own design (shaped from her treasures found in the Dollar Store).

I can still picture her today, running in from her church service complete with dress suit and pearls, shucking her feet into her bedroom shoes and throwing on an apron, and fussing about how “the sermon ran long.” The “Grand Grand-ma-mas” usually sat near the back of the sanctuary in case one needed to leave early and tend to a roast in the oven (a lot like the small-town volunteer firemen who backed into their parking spaces and sat in the balcony, poised to leave at the first sound of the alarm). She would plan her menu on Wednesdays and work on having it ready for each weekly presentation precisely at 12:30 on Sunday afternoons. This thing called “Sunday Lunch” was her greatest outward expression of love.

And it doesn’t stop there – imagine all of the birthdays, holidays, and countless extra times we “put our feet under her table.” By the time my kids were teenagers they would invite a church friend to join us for Grandma’s Sunday lunch and would seem surprised when their friend’s eyes got big when they sat down with total wonder at our weekly feast. It was then that my children realized what a unique and beautiful gift they enjoyed each week and that not everyone had a grandmother who did this kind of a thing. During their high school years, they were often admonished by their grandmother if they did not call ahead of time to let her know they would be absent for a Sunday lunch. As someone who always had a church music job, for me this meant my children had vegetables at least once a week and I was off the hook from cooking lunch after working all morning. What a precious gift!

My article in the recent issue of the [North Carolina ACDA Carolina] Caroler spoke about the sudden passing of Robert Frazier, the director of the music and arts ministries at Centenary UMC in Winston-Salem, last October. Even though it has been a painful process to pick up the pieces and continue forward, Centenary’s Chancel Choir has many wonderfully trained and experienced choral musicians among its ranks. June Stegall is one such person, and we have been extremely fortunate that she has served as our interim director these past several months. A retired high school choral music teacher, June has patiently and lovingly whipped us all into shape, guiding at the helm and helping us pick up the pieces of our shattered world, and has begun the process of making us whole again as a church choir community.

June’s greatest gift? To me, it is her knowledge and experience from a lifetime of creating great choral music. She has led us through both traditional choral gems and new anthems alike, each one taking us to greater musical heights. On the night of our Lessons and Carols Service last December, there was June on the conductor’s podium, baton in hand, facing a full orchestra and an army of prepared singers, loving us through the music that Rob had chosen for that service. It was nothing less than amazing. That’s when I realized that June had actually been preparing for this moment her entire adult life. Her sage wisdom, and belief in us, was what made the difference.Although she would humbly disagree with me, she is truly “an angel among us.” The mere countenance of solid self-assurance when conducting was all we needed.

And it doesn’t stop there. We have now been through our post-Christmas music and on into Holy Week and Easter music, each service seamlessly and beautifully elevated by her musical leadership and wise counsel. Add to this a complete reorganization of things where Rob left off: adding new and returning choir members to our ranks, schooling the church pastors and staff on our needs, and getting us ready for the next person to stand on the podium. “Don’t forget that potential conductors are watching us on our live stream video” she states, while admonishing us to hold up our folders correctly and not close our eyes and drift off during the service. Akin to being scolded by an old-fashioned schoolmarm, even the basses on the back row will stand a little taller and want to please her, and I am holding my folder a little higher quietly cheering her on. Whomever God brings to us next, we are ready. It is because of this loving sage who “knows her stuff” and wields her power with grace and quiet strength.

Each of our choral communities have such angels among us, and I have witnessed time and again how they graciously and generously share their gifts and graces, imparting their knowledge to the next generations. Many of you know these people of whom I speak. These role models are true Sages, and I for one, am extremely grateful.

Anne Murray Saxon is the past president/executive director of NCACDA and is an active member of NCMEA. She is the founding artistic director of the Winston-Salem Girls Chorus and leads the children’s choir program at Home Moravian Church in Old Salem. She holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in music from Greensboro College and UNC Greensboro, respectively.

This article was originally published in the North Carolina ACDA Carolina Caroler. Reprinted with permission.

Reflections from a First-Year Educator, by Christina Nelson

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At the time of writing this, I have not yet completed my first full year of teaching. However, I have already learned a lot in the first semester. I arrived at my school mid-year and was both nervous and excited. My day consisted of five classes; 7th and 8th grade beginning tenor/bass choir; two 7th grade beginning soprano/alto classes (that would combine during performances); 8th grade intermediate soprano/alto choir; and 9th grade concert choir (SATB). I wanted to make beautiful music, teach students about vocal technique, and develop a strong and positive culture in each class. Little did I realize the impact that the previous sentence would have on my teaching when I stated and thought about my goals in that order.

Christina Nelson

While at the ACDA national conference in Kansas City I participated in a session entitled Developing Community Through the Choral Rehearsal, led by Randall Bradley of Baylor University. He said something that made me change the way I had been teaching: “Use music to make people instead of people to make music” [emphasis mine]. I realized at that moment that I had been so busy thinking about the technical aspects of choral music and education, I had forgotten why I fell in love with this beautiful and intimate art in the first place, and the real reason I wanted to become a choir director. I realized that I was trying to teach my junior high kids as advanced high school or collegiate students and that was obviously not working. When I returned home after conference, I began consciously treating music more as a tool and stepping out of my “college student mode.” I was reminded that while music is certainly important, so are my kids as human beings. I started doing “Circle Time” with my classes and spent a few moments with my classes asking my students to “Tell Me Something Good” about their day or weekend.

One day, when my 7th grade girls came in upset with each other for something, I asked each student to compliment someone else in the class. We went around the circle and students raised their hands to compliment others. Afterward, the girls were getting along and rehearsal ran more smoothly. A few days later, a student shared some rough things that had been happening at home and started crying. Before I could say anything, another girl raised her hand saying, “Ms. Nelson, can we compliment each other today?” The other girls voiced their agreement and of course I said yes. As they complimented this girl and told her how amazing she was and why (when we compliment, we go beyond appearances), I realized that my 7th graders loved complimenting each other and that brought tears to my eyes. Over the next few days, I realized that each class was coming to thoroughly enjoy complimenting each other when their initial reactions had not been quite as enthusiastic.

Not only do our students need to see that we are human, we need to remember that they are also humans who have a lot going on their lives as well. By taking the time to build relationships during rehearsals, my students and I grew closer as a team and they became excited to be with each other. Our rehearsals became more productive and we ended up performing some tough repertoire at our final concert in June. Sure, there were rough days, but what educator doesn’t have rough days? And how often is it a rough day versus a rough few minutes or a rough class period? The trick is to focus on the positive moments. Allow those moments to propel you forward: To see their eyes light up when they conquer a difficult passage, when a student who walked into class upset leaves with a smile on their face, or when the entire class leaves the room singing and doesn’t stop till they are almost to their next class. These are just a few of the positive moments that I have experienced. Of the many things I have learned in six months of teaching, using music as a tool to build relationships is at the top of the list.

“Use music to make people instead of people to make music.”

Christina Ruth Nelson graduated from Pacific Lutheran University (PLU) in December 2018 with a bachelor of music education degree, with a concentration in secondary choral education. She completed her studies under the direction of Dr. Richard Nance and Dr. Brian Galante and also served as assistant conductor of PLU’s advanced soprano/alto ensemble, University Singers, during her senior year. She completed her student teaching at Graham-Kapowsin High School with Mr. Jason Saunders and has recently finished her first semester of teaching at Stahl Junior High School in Puyallup, WA.

Are you a choral educator who has something to share? You are invited to write a blog post and submit it to us for publishing consideration. Send a draft to .

How to Help Your Choir Overcome Stage Fright

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By Molly McLinden

For many choral singers, performing can be very intimidating! Although they may have no problem lifting their voices up in song during rehearsals, the thought of spotlights and a live audience terrifies some singers.

Stage fright is extremely common among both solo and ensemble performers. The good news is there are several tried and true tactics that can help alleviate their fears! Here are some tips on how your choir can overcome stage fright so one and all enjoy each performance to the fullest.

Stretching

This tip is key for both rehearsals AND performance days! Stretching need not be anything fancy at all. It is something so important for the human body to do, yet we don’t do it nearly enough.

Many of your singers are coming to rehearsal or even a performance straight from a very long day at work. Having them do neck and shoulder rolls or full body stretches can help prepare the body for deep breathing and solid singing.

Once the body is more oxygenated, it is more likely to be relaxed! You may want to try some simple Qigong movements. The eight brocades are very easy to learn and don’t require great physical demands. For guidance, you can check out this video of Jessie Tsao. 

Ridiculous Vocal Warm Ups

Another good way to get relaxed and ready is to LAUGH together! Step away from the same boring scales and liven things up a bit. A bored chorus is a chorus that definitely won’t give you their all, and a chorus that takes themselves too seriously will likely stay tense and terrified.

Here are a few classic, silly vocal warm ups that choral groups tend to love and request often:

  • “I love to sing” – Sing this phrase in ascending arpeggios. The vowel in “love” is a common one in most songs, and this warm up reminds them why they’re there in the first place!
  • “Mama made me mash my M&Ms” – This warm up may be more common with the younger choristers, but why should they have all the fun? This phrase can be sung on various patterns. The M consonant is excellent for resonance!
  • Tongue twisters – Presenting a fun challenge to your group is another effective way to ease their nerves.

Meditation

Groups of all kinds can benefit greatly from this one. After a simple meditation, your singers will feel calm yet energized. They will likely be surprised at how much they’re able to give a more focused performance afterward!

For some, even the very word “meditation” is intimidating. People believe meditation is something very involved or something they will “get wrong.” But nothing could be further from the truth.

There isn’t just one correct way to meditate, but try the video above for starters. You can also lead a guided meditation, or perhaps use one of the many podcasts available.

Meditation will work best if you have a lot of room where each singer can find their own “space bubble” to either sit or lie down comfortably. You can choose to have soft music playing in the background, or perhaps you want complete silence.

Massage

A “conga line” massage is a big hit for singers of all ages. Have your singers turn and face the back of the singer next to them to knead all the tension away from their shoulders. Then flip and go the other direction. It’s even better to vocalize while you try this out!

Need more ideas? Check out this helpful video that with more tips and tricks for overcoming stage fright such as deep breathing exercises while backstage, and keeping your eyes on your conductor during a performance.

At the end of the day, it’s imperative that you stress this to your singers: stage fright is actually a good problem to have! It shows that the performer truly cares about the performance they’re about to give. The problem is that when there is too much of it, it can truly inhibit someone.

Find the right balance where your singers are excited but READY! Emphasize the fun and simplicity in these exercises and your singers will be in a good place to deliver an excellent choral performance.

Molly McLinden is with TakeLessons Live, a platform for online singing lessons. Molly is a choir, opera, and classical singing teacher. She’s been an instructor since 2002 and enjoys working with students of all ages and backgrounds.    

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