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Choral Journal

CJ Replay: Choral Elitism is Real

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The June/July 2018 issue of Choral Journal features an article titled “Choral Elitism is Real: What It Is and What We Should Do about It” by Chris Maunu. You can read it in its entirety online at acda.org/choraljournal. Click “Search Archives” and choose June/July 2018 from the dropdown menu.
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I have been a high school choral director for over eleven years. The last decade has been filled with so many beautiful moments, wonderful music, and students who have learned a few things about music and even life. My life has been enriched beyond what I could have ever imagined. I owe so much to the field of choral music for so many of the blessings I’ve experienced in my life.

As I look back through the years, however, there has been an ever increasing awareness of something else—something that presents itself in a less-than-overt manner. Many of my years have been spent second guessing myself, wondering if I’m good enough, comparing myself to others, and suffering from imposter syndrome. Much of my journey in working to get over that in recent years has involved recognizing my own innate insecurities as a conductor. It even took some time in therapy to get to the heart of something else going on in the choral landscape of the United States that I’ve come to recognize as a significant contributing factor to those issues: choral elitism. I couldn’t put my finger on it in those early years, but as I look back on it, choral elitism was at the core of a lot of my anxieties as a conductor.

What is Choral Elitism?

Oxford Dictionary defines elitism as the belief that a system should be led by an elite group. I believe choral elitism is deeply rooted in the culture of our profession. It stems partially from the comparative aspects of what we do. We can all agree that excellence is valued highly in any artistic medium, but because there is no one universally accepted definition of what a great choir sounds like, the only way we can assess our own level of achievement is by comparing it to other work that has already been presented.

We spend a great deal of time listening to great recordings and performances to shape our personal understanding of what constitutes high artistry. At the core, this is not a negative thing. We need to be pushed by one another to reach greater heights of musicianship. Elitism shows up in what we say to each other or about one another, how we assess each other’s work, how we view the various levels of musical education, and our general attitude and arrogance about the various aspects of our profession. Here are some things that I felt and observed in my career:

“I’m better than you because my choir is performing at this level and your choir is not.”

I’m sure very few have actually come out and said this, but it’s felt in the underpinning of a comment, body language, or facial expression. It’s in a simple statement like, “You’ll get there.”

“If you are not as experienced or your choir isn’t performing at a certain level, you aren’t as valuable to the profession.”

A colleague of mine shared a story about performing at a state conference for the first time. One of her students came up to her and asked, “Are we supposed to be here?” Confused, the conductor inquired what the student was talking about, and he explained, “I overheard someone say we didn’t deserve to be here because you’re such a new teacher.” My colleague was mortified that (a) a music teacher thought that and (b) had the nerve to say it aloud in front of students.
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Read the rest of this article (and more!) in the June/July 2018 issue of Choral Journal, available online at acda.org.

CJ Replay: Teaching Adolescents with a Holistic Perspective

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The October 2016 issue of Choral Journal features an article titled “Keeping the Glass Half Full: Teaching Adolescents with a Holistic Perspective” by Bridget Sweet. You can read it in its entirety online at acda.org/choraljournal. Click “Search Archives” and choose October 2016 from the dropdown menu.

Below is an excerpt from the article.
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“When describing the young adolescent, floods of words come to mind. Unpredictable. 

Emotional.

Hilarious.

Moody. 

Angsty.

Perhaps, however, the word “individual” is the most appropriate, because each adolescent is unique and progresses through adolescence in his or her own way. It is for all of these reasons–and many more–that educators enjoy working with adolescents so much. This paper comprises two main sections. The first addresses emotion and physical development, which are two key adolescent characteristics commonly encountered in the choral classroom; the second concerns puberty and adolescent voice change.”

Emotion
In my work with adolescent singers, I have found them to be smart, clever, hardworking, and extremely loyal once you get them on your side. Because these students truly straddle both child and adult worlds, however, identity navigation and decision-making are not always accomplished in the most sophisticated ways. As a result, general public perspective of adolescents is one of deficit, anguish, unpredictability, and irrational behavior. Fueling the stereotype are adolescent emotions, which have a tendency to run high and fluctuate often.

Many of our choral students will experience difficulties during adolescence, but we can choose to focus on this population with a “glass half full” attitude and remain resolute that “‘Storm and stress’ is not a universal experience of early adolescence. Some individuals are (or seem to be) well adjusted.”1

Attempts to control or direct adolescent emotion in the choral classroom are as pointless as trying to prevent the ocean from crashing against the shore. However, through acknowledgment of adolescents’ emotional fluctuation—embracing it, even—our work as choral music educators can be less burdened. When students seem emotional or angry, there are only benefits in honoring what students are experiencing, even if we (as adults) find the reason for their despair to seem a bit trite. A simple, nonjudgmental comment such as, “I am so sorry that you are feeling this way,” can go a long way with adolescent students who crave validation and belonging.2

  1. Thomas A. Regelski, Teaching General Music in Grades 4–8 (New York: Oxford University, 2004).
  2. Ian McMahan, Adolescence (New Jersey: Pearson, 2008), 185.

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Read the rest of this article (and more!) in the October 2016 issue of Choral Journal, available online at acda.org.

Choral Conversation: Interview with Anton Armstrong

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Choral Journal’s ongoing column called “Choral Conversations” features interviews with noted choral conductors and composers. An interview with Anton Armstrong is featured in the April 2020 issue.

You can read the interview in its entirety online at acda.org/choraljournal. Click “Search Archives” and choose April 2020 from the dropdown menu.
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As someone who has traveled the world as a guest conductor and clinician, how have these international experiences shaped your view of choral music, and what are the most important things you’ve learned from these experiences?

I first traveled abroad as a member of the American Boychoir but didn’t travel again until I was invited to go back to my parents’ home region in the Caribbean and work for the Ministry of Culture and Education of the British Virgin Islands between 1985 and 1990. It was an incredibly validating and grounding experience to have my first international work be with people from my own roots and develop a deeper connection to the music I often heard as a child.

My international experiences have helped me learn that our work can help build bridges and heal wounds. The songs we sing from different parts of the world are often the way we enter a cultural experience very different from our own. If we can treat that music with respect and do our best to understand how and why that music originated, we start to understand the people who created it, and we find a commonality in how we exist together. Once we begin singing together, our differences of race, ethnicity, sexuality, and experience don’t disappear but instead cease to become barriers.

What do you find most challenging when preparing for the premiere of a new choral work?

Unlike preexisting compositions, there are likely no performance models to use as a study guide for premieres—whether it be an audio recording or performance video. Without that model, it’s squarely on your shoulders to find the interpretation of the piece that works best.

In my experience, I have learned that it’s essential to trust your own instincts—whether or not it perfectly aligns with what is written on the page. This can be quite a challenge, especially for young conductors and individuals working on their first premiere and learning to manage the conductor/composer relationship.

To address this challenge, I believe it is essential that conductors create honest and open communication with composers from the very beginning of the process, so that both can come to an understanding on the interpretations of a piece and forge a mutual path on how a score should be rendered. At minimum, my process includes a phone call with the composer. If I’m working with a local composer or we have the ability, I’ll invite them to St. Olaf to attend rehearsal so that we can delve further into the piece together and with our singers. The process isn’t always easy, especially if your vision isn’t congruent with the composer’s work. And occasionally, what a composer hears in their head may not be what works best for the piece when it’s actually brought to life.
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Read the rest of this interview (and more!) in the April 2020 issue of Choral Journal.

CJ Replay: Igniting Senior Voices in Multigenerational Choirs

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The February 2017 issue of Choral Journal features an article titled “Passing the Torch: Igniting Senior Voices in Multigenerational Choirs” by Victoria Meredith. You can read it in its entirety online at acda.org/choraljournal. Click “Search Archives” and choose February 2017 from the dropdown menu.
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A multigenerational choir provides an opportunity for singers of all ages to learn with, from, and about each other as they make music together. Depending upon the ages of the members of the ensemble, increased challenges in repertoire selection and rehearsal techniques confront the conductor seeking to achieve musical satisfaction for all. The thrust of this article is to address the age group most prevalent in multigenerational and intergenerational choirs: seniors. Many multigenerational choirs combine senior adults and younger singers of various ages. A brief survey of some typical types of choirs that incorporate seniors is presented below, followed by suggested guidelines for repertoire selection and related rehearsal techniques. There are several reasons for such a focus.

1) As adults mature, vocal changes often occur that make them uncomfortable singing in the choir or unsure that they are making a meaningful contribution to the group. This might be viewed as similar to what adolescents experience when their voices are changing.

2) Most formal training for conductors is focused on working with children and young adult to middle-aged singers. Normally, little attention is paid to vocal changes that aging adults might be experiencing.

3) There are many fine resources about working with children, adolescents, young adults, and beyond but few devoted specifically to conducting senior adults. At a time when the fastest-growing segment of the population consists of retired people, this is a gap that needs to be addressed for conductors working with that age group.

4) Repertoire selection guidelines and rehearsal suggestions that are essential for choral success with older singers can also benefit younger choir members.
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There is usually a specific purpose for combining singers of various age demographics. Each ensemble has its own reasons for being formed and its own musical and non-musical goals to be met. Membership in multigenerational groups may be by audition or open to all and may include many styles of musical repertoire. One aspect they all have in common, however, is a wide age span, creating unique challenges for the conductor.

The conductor of a multigenerational choir must ask several questions. The answers will probably reveal both musical and non-musical facets that will have a direct impact on the music selected and on the approaches taken to working with the group.

What is the function of this choir?
Who are these different age groups of singers being combined?
Why are they being combined?
How can I best meet the individual and collective needs of the groups in this combination?

People sing in choirs for many reasons as they seek to achieve aesthetic, social, spiritual, psychological, and physical goals. When asked why they sing in a choir, individuals of all ages often reply that they “just love to sing” or that “singing makes me happy.” Why they sing in a specific choir is often related both to favorable personal interactions with that particular group of people and to the types of music that the group performs.

While there is an ever-growing list of physical benefits to be gained through singing, from lowered blood pressure to a heightened immune system, for most singers these are not the primary reasons that they devote their time and energy to choral singing. In fact, most are not aware of these potential benefits. Commitment to a choir is more likely to be explained by a balance between the musical or social aspects of choral singing.

An intergenerational or multigenerational choir offers the added dimension of experiencing the universality of singing by combining voices with people across the lifespan. It is the conductor’s responsibility to make the experience musically meaningful for singers of all ages.

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Read the rest of this article (and more!) in the February 2017 issue of Choral Journal, available online at acda.org.

CJ Replay: Expanding Students' Musical and Vocal Ideals in an Urban Community Children's Choir

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The February 2016 issue of Choral Journal features an article titled “Discovering Voices: Expanding Students’ Musical and Vocal Ideals in an Urban Community Children’s Choir” by Nicole Becker and Jeanne Goffi-Fynn. You can read it in its entirety online at acda.org/choraljournal. Click “Search Archives” and choose February 2016 from the dropdown menu. Below is an excerpt of the article.
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“Singing here I feel trapped and oppressed in one voice,” Jewel, age 12, wrote in her first choir reflection.

An experienced gospel singer at church, Jewel wrote this shortly after joining a choir in which, for the first time, she was encouraged to engage her head voice. The intensity of her reaction illustrates the significance of the issue this article addresses: frequently, as choir directors seek to broaden students’ vocal and musical palettes, students perceive a mismatch between their teachers’ ideals and their own. It is critical to acknowledge this mismatch and the tension it creates, because the way students sing and the way they respond to choral training are influenced tremendously by the way they want to sing.

Singers whose musical ideals diff er from those of their choral directors will only engage in choir if they feel welcomed, respected, and empowered. This article offers an approach to choral training that seeks to broaden children’s musical ideals and abilities by training them in healthy, flexible vocal technique within a rehearsal environment that values and nurtures students’ diverse forms of musicality. The goal is to empower young people to discover their voices. Literally this means unleashing the potential of their singing voices.

In a larger, figurative, sense, it means leading singers to realize that their voices—their opinions, interests, ideas, and other authentic expressions of themselves—matter. This approach has been developed through our work with a non-auditioned community chorus for children ages 10-14, based at an urban graduate school of education.

Voice training is personal work. Our voices provide our first and most deeply instinctual way of communicating in our environment, and our voices are thoroughly shaped by our conscious and unconscious sense of who we are. How we speak and sing are not only vehicles for our self-expression, they are an embodiment of it. As Mora Andrews writes, “Our identity is projected through our voice.”

Thus, we approach voice work as a holistic process involving myriad interrelated psychological, social, and physiological factors. Working together as the music director and the voice specialist of a children’s choir, we address these overlapping factors as we work with our students over time, seeking combinations of approaches that will enable children to discover their voices and share them with pride. Vocal work is integrated with other musical work throughout the process; sometimes we address vocal technique directly, and other times we cultivate singers’ natural musical responses in order to guide their approach to singing. We seek to create an environment in which students feel safe and encouraged to share their voices fully.

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Read the rest of this article (and more!) in the February 2016 issue of Choral Journal, available online at acda.org.

CJ Replay: Interview with Ann Howard Jones

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The May 2015 issue of Choral Journal features an article titled “About the Music: An Interview with Ann Howard Jones” by Sean Burton. You can read it in its entirety online at acda.org/choraljournal. Click “Search Archives” and choose May 2015 from the dropdown menu. Below is an excerpt from that article.
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What was your childhood formation as a musician?
I was surrounded by music from as early as I can remember. It was an era when most households had a piano whether it was played or not, and while my mother could play a little, her mother was an active church organist and singer. One of my first memories was begging to go to my grandmother’s church to watch rehearsal. I don’t know why exactly, but I was fascinated by what was going on.

On the other side of the family, everyone was playing instruments by ear. It used to amaze me how they could do that so well. My grandfather would sit at the piano and improvise songs for us on Sunday afternoons. I am not sure what kind of impact that ultimately made, but it certainly was not unusual for music to be constantly present in our household.

Remember, I grew up in the small town of Cresco on the far reaches of eastern Iowa, and much of the music making was in the home. Because of programs like Community Concerts, we heard the Robert Shaw Chorale, the Roger Wagner Chorale, and other groups of that level on tour, but mostly the music we experienced was that which we made.

Would you share some thoughts on how you train conductors?
It is important that every student be very well-informed historically and analytically, so there is a significant emphasis on advanced studies in music history and theory here at Boston University. The platform from which we come merits study, and to be credible artistic leaders, we must know it thoroughly. We have to know how the music is constructed and its context in order to reveal the composer’s intent. The more well-informed, historically grounded, and analytically secure a conductor can be, the stronger they can lead.

Conducting students should always participate in ensembles, because they have to know not only how to lead ensembles but how to be in ensembles. In terms of how we teach teachers, I think the conductor should establish some basic disciplines then strive to attain that which may seem unattainable by encouraging ownership from the musicians from day one. Let’s not forget there is also the need to be able to express oneself. We lean heavily on the ability to speak articulately and how to utilize gesture effectively and appropriately.

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Read the rest of this article (and more!) in the May 2015 issue of Choral Journal, available online at acda.org.

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