I remember memorizing the phrase “whole-whole-half-whole-whole-whole-half” many years ago when I began taking piano lessons in third grade. My piano teacher Mrs. Peterson was incredibly pleased that I had the phrase memorized and could recite it at a moment’s notice. She would smile and congratulate me on my new skill. The problem was, even though […]
Search Results for: purposeful teaching
The Power of Purposeful Collaboration: A 1000-Mile Collaboration between RISE Chorales (Savannah, GA) and Lawrence Community Girl Choir (Appleton, WI), including Composer Matt Carlson (Gettysburg, PA)
By Karen L. Bruno and Dr. Emily Williams Burch In a year during which many of us have experienced deep divisions and conflict, purposeful collaboration can be a balm that pulls us together. As teacher-conductors, many of us have spent hours on Zoom meetings and webinars sharing best practices, learning from one another, and building […]
ChorTeach: Teaching Healthy Singing in the Choral and Applied Studio
ChorTeach is ACDA’s quarterly online publication, designed for those who work with singers of all levels. A full annotated ChorTeach index is available online at acda.org/chorteach. Over 160 articles are organized into seventeen categories. For submission information, to view the index, or to read the latest issue, visit acda.org/chorteach. Following is an excerpt from an article in the Fall 2020 […]
Leading Voices: Re-envisioning and Rediscovering Singing
Suddenly, the bass section broke out in full, boisterous song. After they finished, I said, “That was great! what were you singing?” They all heartily replied, “The Wellerman,” with a few Arrr’s thrown in for effect. It was the beginning of the school year, and each section of the choir was working on their […]
Leading Voices: Adjusting to the New Dynamics
“Hey Susan, your work in choir this year was outstanding – thank you for a great year” In disbelief of what I just wrote in Susan’s yearbook, I looked up and said, “You did such a great job this year in and really grew as a musician, congratulations! You know, considering everything we went through, […]
Exploring Mindful Breathing in Elementary Music Classes
Elizabeth Weismehl teaches K-5 General Music and Choir at Avoca West School in Glenview, IL, and directs Voices Rising at the Midwest Youth Artists Conservatory in Ft. Sheridan, IL. _ _ _ _ _ _ “Ms. Weismehl! Ms. Weismehl!” a second grader blurted out with her hand raised. I was in mid-sentence, and the flow […]