Have you tapped into the treasure trove of choral resources in MakeMusic yet?
Plenty of teachers tell us how much it helps with student practice. There’s nothing quite like singing along with a full accompaniment and not feeling like you’re singing alone. But have you thought about everything else that’s in there, and how much of it can support you during class time?
Whether you’re looking to escape the piano bench or just want to try a resource you haven’t opened yet, this choral method roundup is for you. Let’s dig into some gems.
Warm-Up Resources to Get You Away from the Piano
Let MakeMusic be your accompanist so you can focus on what matters most: your students. Walking the room, listening for vowel shape, and catching that one tenor who is definitely not singing the right pitch is much easier when your hands aren’t busy. These warm-up and vocal technique resources have you covered:
- Building Beautiful Voices includes over 60 vocal exercises that modulate. Pull one up on the board, press play, and your students can warm up with you while you move around the room.
- Choir Up! Offers a dozen fun, wonderfully campy warm-up songs with tasteful accompaniments and built-in modulation. Great for waking up a sleepy first-period group.
- Vocalize! Is another solid option for building vocal technique at the start of rehearsal.
- Sing at First Sight is available as the complete series, and it comes with sight reading templates, which we’ll talk more about below.
- Habits of a Successful Choral Musician is available too, and that’s just the start, so there’s more to explore in the choral library!
Try a different warm-up source each week to keep things fresh. Your students will notice, and so will your voice at the end of a long day.
A Moment for Sight Reading
Sight reading is one of the places our choral subscribers spend the most time, and there’s plenty to choose from:
- Sing at First Sight: the complete series
- Sing at First Sight Correlated Sight Reading Templates: pre-built templates that extend the skills from Book 1 almost without limit. You can refresh them whenever you want to see something new within the same parameters, so you’re never stuck reusing the same examples.
- S-Cubed Sight Singing: a program for beginners with both assessments and practice examples all integrated in MakeMusic.
- Sight Singing Workshop: another great option for building reading skills step by step.
Want something tailored to your group? You can always build your own sight reading exercises with whatever parameters you choose in Sight Reading Studio. Need more rhythm work for your sopranos or a key-signature focus for the week? Set it up once and you’re ready to go.
The Magic of MakeMusic: Bringing It All Together
Here’s the best part. With a MakeMusic subscription, you don’t have to pick just one or two of these resources. You can use all of them in your classes, mixing and matching to fit your rehearsal plans.
Here’s how to keep it all organized:
- Compile your favorite exercises into Playlists. We recommend organizing them into skill-focused groups, such as warm-ups, key signature practice, or minor tonality. Playlists have a 50-title limit, so smaller, focused collections work best.
- Save your favorite method books with the heart icon. This gives you quick access to the books you reach for most.
- Pin your chosen Playlists and favorite methods to your classes. Students can find exactly what you want them to practice without hunting for it.
Your Playlists and Favorites stay with your account, so you can use them year after year. Build them once, tweak as needed, and enjoy the time you save every August.
Ready to Get Planning?
Between warm-ups that free you from the piano bench, sight reading resources for every level, and Playlists that keep everything organized, MakeMusic can support your choir from the first downbeat to the final concert.
Log in or start a free trial today to begin.