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Interview

Mouthing the Text: The Advantages and Disadvantages (Part 2)

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The May 2020 issue of Choral Journal features an article titled “Mouthing the Text: The Advantages and Disadvantages” by Micah Bland. This is a fascinating interview, and you can read it in its entirety online at acda.org/choraljournal. Below is the first question of the interview.
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What are some of the advantages to mouthing the words?

Jeffery Ames: Memorization.

Hilary Apfelstadt: Perhaps if the group is uncertain in a homophonic texture, it could be helpful to mouth as a reminder.

Jerry Blackstone: Mouthing can improve vowel formation, and can facilitate conductor/ensemble connection, especially with younger singers. Mouthing is simply another tool for conductor/ensemble communication. Used too much, it loses its effectiveness.

Joey Martin: Mouthing can be a visual reminder of appropriate vowel shapes for developing ensembles. It can also be crucial for reinforcing memory of text (or lack there of…). I’ve found that the younger/older the membership of an ensemble, the more mouthing is needed to achieve ideal results.

Tram Sparks: One advantage of mouthing could be the perceived security and increase in empathic connection between conductor and ensemble. I say “perceived” since it is usually merely a perception on the part of the conductor, and not an expressive or musically effectual connection that actually elicits a corresponding sonic or emotional result. That said, very specific, limited, and intentional mouthing could help a conductor to feel a stronger rapport in a given moment of music making.

Carl St. Clair: Not quite sure that there are any. Having an orchestra or chorus watch your mouthing of words could detract from their focus on your body and hands, which are communicating the essence of the music in one’s heart. Mouthing certainly does nothing to add to the quality of the sound or musical output of an ensemble, choral or otherwise.

What are some of the disadvantages to mouthing the words?

Jeffery Ames: In my opinion, mouthing the words, without any apparent need, prohibits proper preparation for the cue. Oftentimes, I see my choral conducting students mouthing the words. When this happens, they cannot properly execute the shape of the vowel needed in the following word. Of course, the “prep” prepares the next beat by indicating inhalation, vowel shape, dynamic, and character. But one or more of these elements will be missed when mouthing the words, which occurs as a ‘real-time’ event.

Hilary Apfelstadt: The biggest is that the group does not watch the gesture but rather focuses on the conductor’s mouth. It becomes a crutch, I think.
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Read the rest of this article (and more!) in the May 2020 issue of Choral Journal, available online at acda.org.

Mouthing the Text: The Advantages and Disadvantages

by Leave a Comment

_____________________________
The May 2020 issue of Choral Journal features an article titled “Mouthing the Text: The Advantages and Disadvantages” by Micah Bland. This is a fascinating interview, and you can read it in its entirety online at acda.org/choraljournal. Below is the first question of the interview.
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As a conductor, what percentage of time in performance do you find yourself mouthing the words?
Jeffery Ames: 25%

Hilary Apfelstadt: As little as possible. Likely the maximum would be 15–20% of the time.

Jerry Blackstone: I’m probably the wrong person to ask about how much I mouth words, since mouthing is often unintentional. I do, however, try to not mouth words unless it is for a specific purpose, such as vowel improvement, unanimity, etc. I find that with younger singers, mouthing tends to improve the sound of the ensemble, especially large festival groups. Young singers are trained to follow the conductor’s face, not their hands, so breaking that habit in the space of a few days is not so easy. I’d say, with the University of Michigan Chamber Choir, I tend to mouth very little. They are trained musicians able to ascertain the conductor’s intention quite quickly from communicative gestures. Perhaps 15% of the time.

Joey Martin: The percentage of time varies from ensemble to ensemble based on their needs. With advanced university groups, I rarely mouth the words. With less experienced ensembles I mouth about 20% of the time.

Amanda Quist: This is hard to say without watching a video of myself conduct. I believe it changes with the ensemble; if I am trying to inform vowel shape, then it may happen more. Hopefully not more than about 20% of the time.

Richard Sparks: Too much, although I’ve never counted percentage!

Tram Sparks: Since I have been on the faculty at USC, I have not conducted an ensemble on a regular basis. However, while a choral faculty member at Temple University (1999–2009) and as conductor of several ensembles over the course of my time there (Women’s Chorus, University Singers, University Chorale, Concert Choir), I found myself mouthing words on occasion, e.g. significant words or words at important entrances. As far as I am aware (I think conductors typically have an inaccurate view of their own practice unless documented by videos), when mouthing, I usually would form the vowel shape, as if to visually “place” the phrase. Personal video footage generally shows more vowel formation than mouthing of sentences or entire phrases.

Carl St. Clair: I am not one to do this as a matter of course and certainly do not employ this as a substitute for nonverbal conducting gestures and communications, but if there are particularly favorite moments or texts, I might sing along with a singer or chorus. I can think of a few places, such as in Mahler’s Ich bin der Welt abhanden gekommen, or some of Hesse’s incredible texts in Strauss’ setting of his Vier letzte Lieder, when I just can’t resist singing along. I am sure there are such moments in Beethoven’s 9th as well. But, at this moment I am not “mouthing” words, I am literally singing along because I love it so much. I suppose that in every opera, choral work or works with singers there are such beautiful moments which I just can’t escape participating. That said, I would never sing so loudly that almost anyone would hear it. No one would buy a ticket to hear my voice.

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Read the rest of this article (and more!) in the May 2020 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: 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.

Choral Conversation: Rosephanye Powell

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Choral Journal’s ongoing column called Choral Conversations” features interviews with noted choral conductors and composers. The seventh interview in this series took place with Rosephanye Powell in the March 2020 issue.

You can read the interview in its entirety online at acda.org/choraljournal. Click “Search Archives” and choose March 2020 from the dropdown menu.
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What is more important to you: the text or the music?

In one sense, I consider the text to be of primary importance since the text is the message to be communicated. In another sense, the music is of equal importance with the text. In addition to providing harmonic support, the music plays an equal role with the text in communicating the message and meaning of the text. I begin composition by immersing myself in the text, repeating and memorizing the text in addition to reading about the poet.

Through this immersion, the music begins to develop as I seek to express the sentiment and heart of the message awakened in me. The rhythm of the poetry influences the rhythm of the melody and the shape of the vocal line. The mood and energy experienced as I recite the poetry determine the text setting, tempo, form, rhythms, and harmonies. In contrast to the spoken word alone, music can serve to enhance the meaning of the text, painting mental pictures of it for the performer and listener. At the same time, music can detract from and betray the meaning of the text if its marriage to the poetry is not given serious consideration in composition.

What advice do you give composers who are entering the field today?

The advice I off er is to strive to develop one’s craft and distinct voice compositionally. The development of a career in composition is one that requires patience and persistence. I caution composers not to compose for the sake of composing. Rather, compose because one has a message to share or a story to tell through music. Then, people “get it” and connect to it. From lessons learned while a young composer, I inform composers to submit to one publisher at a time and wait several months before submitting to another. They should be sure to get a poet’s permission before setting their poem to music.

Also, when arranging someone else’s music, composers should be sure to obtain permission from the composer to do so. Finally, if one is having difficulty being accepted by an established publisher, consider self-publishing through one’s own website. Or, consider working with a non-traditional publisher who will allow the composer to keep ownership while providing online exposure and distribution for a fee or a small percentage of the sales.

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Read the rest of this interview (and more!) in the March 2020 issue of Choral Journal.

Choral Conversation: Emma Lou Diemer

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Choral Journal’s ongoing column called Choral Conversations” features interviews with noted choral conductors and composers. The second interview in this series took place with Emma Lou Diemer in the May 2019 issue.

You can read the interview in its entirety online at acda.org/choraljournal. Click “Search Archives” and choose May 2019 from the dropdown menu.
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How do you select texts for your choral works?

I look for texts that are not wordy, not “preachy,” not burdened by overly weighty thoughts that do not need to be set to music. I like poems about nature, love, joy, praise, remembrance, sadness, texts that have rhythm, imagery, sometimes humor. Brevity is an asset because words/phrases can be repeated. (Some of us have written works using just the word “Hallelujah!) Emily Dickinson is a favorite of composers perhaps because of her brevity and depth and quantity. The lightness and rhythm of Renaissance poets is enticing.

When looking through sources I find that the first line is the most important, and that ensuing ideas/images need to be striking, moving. A text becomes more vivid and understandable as one sets it to music and finds inspiration in the sounds of certain words and their meaning. In a recent work written for the Huntsville (AL) Master Chorale, the poet at the time of the writing of the poem was ten years old, and she had won first place in a Young Writers contest. Her poem, “My Apple Orchard” has a fl ow that poems must have and an innovative use of punctuation: “Inside my orchard, summer green. Quiet. Gentle. Still. Serene…Lush grass shadowed by bushes…” I found the word “shadowed” especially conducive to repetition and the pauses easy to set.

Never feel that composers are so interested in the music they are writing that the words have no importance. It is the sound of words that encourage the music. Of course, the Bible has some of the most beautiful texts in existence. I have set almost all the psalms either vocally or chorally or for instruments.

Looking back at your career, what impact, if any, did your gender have on your development?

This is a huge aspect. Women composers can readily be accepted as the writer of piano pieces for children, songs (especially pop songs that are popular, whether it is known that a woman composed them or not), perhaps short organ compositions. But women have written masses, symphonies, concertos, much of it neglected or of short life. I’m sure there was (and still is) a great deal of impact especially regarding publication and performance. Female composers may tend to be looked upon with suspicion by publishers and performers unless there is a women’s festival or a conscious effort and need/obligation to include music by women. However, women composers of music for film have become prominent and outstanding. I would not like to be labeled a “choral composer” or “organ composer,” etc., any more than men have liked to have those labels when they have written music in many kinds of mediums. My main interest is to write music, and it has been a great joy to do so for most of my ninety-one years.

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Read the rest of this interview (and more!) in the May 2019 issue of Choral Journal.

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