This workshop is a low stress and inexpensive early-in-the-year choral experience for high school students.
Essential skill development in the areas of musicianship and vocal production will serve as the basis for this workshop. It has been designed to be relevant to choristers with a variety of musical backgrounds, and will be of benefit to members of auditioned and non-auditioned choirs.
The workshop will be divided into 4 segments:
- The warm up — A crucial aspect of every rehearsal, the warm is not just about vocal exercises. Instead, it plays a much broader role in preparing the body for the physical, mental, and emotional work that is about to take place. It's a time to energize, focus, and connect.
- Starting a brand new piece — Many young choristers experience this as one of the least enjoyable parts of singing in a choir. However, learning a new provides important opportunities for discovery, sectional teamwork, and the development of musicianship skills. The early stages of the learning process are rife with achievable milestones which, when celebrated, can serve to keep the choir's morale high.
- Learning by rote — There is a long list of benefits to learning music by rote. In addition to aiding in aural development, singing by rote helps with memorization and is an excellent opportunity to focus on vocal production. Because choristers are not holding a score, they can more easily use the body to help with learning and expression.
- Beyond the notes and rhythms — The notes and rhythms provide medium through which artistry is manifested. Refined tuning and balance, expressive diction, clarity of articulation, phrase shaping, etc. are all integral to an emotive performance. Choristers need not only develop the technique necessary to support their artistry, but they also need to understanding and embrace the conductor's artistic vision.