Parents Don’t Give Up I have seen it many times. The child is talented; it is obvious he/she enjoys singing. But, they get to middle school and enter the “tunnel.” You know what I’m talking about. Inside the tunnel of “is this cool? am I cool? that’s not cool.” And so, they have the […]
Jessie is a 2014 graduate of Hays High School and was a member of Chamber Singers and President of National Honor Society. In this interview, Jessie reminds all of us about three important ingredients to “getting better.” 1. Preparation — Jessie took the initiative to find vocal coaches that could help prepare her to reach her […]
Rule 27: Limit Yourself I just had a recent experience where the speaker for that day did a 45 minute knowledge dump. At one point, about 20 minutes into the sermon, I wrote to my wife, “What is the purpose of his talk? What is the take-a-way from his sermon”? It was clear to me […]
Are those “music trips” educational or are they merely fluff? I get this question on occasion and if not the actual question at least some of those looks from non-believers who think us music teacher’s use these trips to manipulate students into signing up for choir. The trip is certainly a highlight of the year; […]
Baggage claim can be stressful. Did my luggage make it? You think that it is yours and as you go to grab it another person snags it up. If you miss your bags, not to fear, it will come around again. Some uncomfortable moments. Feedback can be uncomfortable but is vital to improvement. I want feedback with my students to be like the baggage conveyor … a constant loop between my choir and myself. I need feedback from them and they need feedback from me. So, how do you create and maintain a productive feedback loop? (more…)
Last summer, I had the privilege of attending the Choral Director’s Workshop attached to the Oregon Bach Festival. Several sessions were devoted to tweaking one’s conducting. Dr. Sharon Paul, of the University of Oregon, led the sessions which consisted of each participant conducting a piece and receiving feedback. In preparation, I felt confident that […]
#21 Model The Path My student teacher landed in my classroom the second semester. She saw a well-oiled-machine. The technique time had very littler verbal instruction. I was communicating with hand gestures. To her it seemed almost telepathic. Hand gestures for the primary vowels, tone placement, rules of transfer, and dynamics. All maticulously taught […]
#18 SUPERMODELINGWe have all had moments when our modeling for students was less than super and the student performance reflected it. When I model vocally a passage from a piece and tell my students “like this,” I better make sure my body alignment, breath, vowels, soft-palate, diction, and body language are what I want. Students […]
I am trying with renewed interest to finish this book!! I began last summer in an effort to make some notes listing some concrete things I could do to enhance my student’s individual practice. In the process, I hoped to gain knowledge that would improve my choral rehearsals. So, I went back and read through […]
Can your body language help you perform better? We preach that good body alignment is important to breath and tone. Does it help your confidence also? Performance not going well? How about expressing more … consciously change your body language. Watch this TED’s Conference presentation by Amy Cuddy. And I highly recommend this interview with David Kim.