A Handbook for Beginning Choral Educators

Contents

CONTENTS Preface vii Acknowledgments ix 1. Getting Started 1 A. Building a Choral Program 1 B. Choosing and Purchasing Music 3 C. Before School Begins 7 2. Choral Basics in the Rehearsal 16 A. Warming Up the Choir 16 B. The Unison Sound 18 C. Vowels, Diphthongs, and Consonants 21 D. Choral Sound and Vocal Production 26 3. The Academics of the Rehearsal 38 A. Teaching Sight-Singing 38 B. Presenting a Basic Sight-Singing Lesson 41 C. Acquiring Basic Skills in the Choral Classroom 44 4. Important Related Topics 48 A. The Boy’s Changing Voice 48 B. Singing in Foreign Languages 50 C. Popular Choral Music 58 5. The Extracurricular Program 64 A. So You Are Going to Do a Musical 64 B. Travel, Parent Groups, and Competition 73 v vi Contents 6. Non-Choral Concepts to Be Considered by a Choir Director 79 A. Preparing a Budget 79 B. Preparing a Student for College Music Study 82 C. Music Professional Organizations 87 D. Why Should Music Be in the High School Curriculum? 89 7. Fifty Things No One Ever Told Me 93 Epilogue: From Other Vantage Points 105 Appendix A. Forms Often Used 131 Appendix B. Warm-Up Exercises 137 Appendix C. Music Lending Libraries 139 Appendix D. Timelines for Producing a Musical 141 Appendix E. A Budget Template 145 ...