A Handbook for Beginning Choral Educators

Contents

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pp. v-vi

Preface

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pp. vii-

When I realized that retirement was near, after thirty-plus years teaching choral music in the public schools, I had this great idea of staying an extra half hour or so each...

Acknowledgments

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pp. ix-

I discovered, in writing this book, that I was not capable of writing everything that needed to be included. In addition to the friends who read a chapter here and there...

1. Getting Started

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pp. 1-15

I sincerely hope that your first job is one that thrusts you into a situation where there is no established program or where the program is on its last (first) legs. That statement may sound very strange to...

2. Choral Basics in the Rehearsal

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pp. 16-37

Most of us have begun almost every choral rehearsal with a series of vocalizations and tongue twisters. We perform these without question, realizing that it is essential to “warm up” before we begin to rehearse. Our directors have often...

3. The Academics of the Rehearsal

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pp. 38-47

As musicians, the chances are very good that our backgrounds include some instruction in reading music, whether it was piano lessons while we were very young, or playing in the school bands or orchestras, or singing in choirs. To varying...

4. Important Related Topics

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pp. 48-63

It was at an ACDA (American Choral Directors Association) convention that I ran into one of my old college buddies. As you will soon learn by your own experience at these...

5. The Extracurricular Program

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pp. 64-78

The production of a Broadway-style musical has become somewhat of a given in many schools over the past twenty years or so; unfortunately the preparation of young teachers...

6. Non-Choral Concepts to Be Considered by a Choir Director

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pp. 79-92

There are many different ways in which school budgets are determined. The least satisfactory in terms of practicality and convenience to the teacher is the situation in which no set budget figure for the year is established. When the teacher has a need in his or her classroom, a request for funds is made...

7. Fifty Things No One Ever Told Me

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pp. 93-104

The times when there are the most job vacancies are late spring and late summer. Everyone would like to have a contract signed and plans made by May so they can kick back and enjoy the summer. The simple fact is that MANY...

Epilogue: From Other Vantage Points

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pp. 105-130

“From Other Vantage Points” is provided as an answer to a concern that the book is limited in scope to schools of a particular size and socioeconomic level. This is a concern...

Appendix A. Forms Often Used

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pp. 131-136

Appendix B. Warm-Up Exercises

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pp. 137-138

Appendix C. Music Lending Libraries

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pp. 139-140

Appendix D. Timelines for Producing a Musical

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pp. 141-144

Appendix E. A Budget Template

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pp. 145-146