Here are five tips to help improve your conducting during choir rehearsals.
1. Know What Sound You WantI believe it’s important to know the sound that you ultimately want your choir to achieve – and audiate it – before you give them a downbeat.
Festival Music in MakeMusic Cloud
What an exciting (and busy) time of year! No doubt you are deep into rehearsals for your December performances and then a well-deserved holiday break.
Open this when you need some inspiration
Thank you for your work in music education! Even on the hardest days, your students are still so lucky to call you their teacher.
Power Up! Visual Rhythms
Musicians are multitaskers. Our brains, fingers, and bodies do so many things all at once to perform with our instruments.
Music for the Holidays
We don’t need to remind you that December performances are right around the corner—your opportunity to spread holiday cheer while showcasing the skills your students have been working on this semester.
Power Up! Rhythm from Day One
At the beginning of the year, the band hall is ripe with potential! Beginners walk through our doors with wonder and excitement, maybe some nerves—only natural in the newness.
Quick Rehearsal Tip: Learning Tricky Rhythms
When planning to teach a new selection that includes a tricky rhythm, I suggest teaching the rhythm separately before sight reading the piece.
Classroom and Rehearsal Tips for Choral and Instrumental Programs
Having enjoyed more than thirty years in choral classrooms, I’ve had lots of experience with what works, and what doesn’t.
The Singer’s Spark: Motivating the Whole Student
As the school year begins we all have plans of grandeur. Who among us hasn’t thought, “This is the year my ensemble will get superior ratings,” or perhaps, “This year, everything will come together just in time for the musical!” Imagine taking all these goals – and your students – on a metaphorical school bus ride.
A Band Director’s Guide to Teaching Choir
In an ever-shifting job market, the ability to teach both band and choir has become a necessity for many music educators.