JULY/AUGUST 2011 $5.00
Hometown Hero
Chris Pratt Gets Back to Where It All Began Technology:
Portable Video Devices
Survey:
Back to School Preparations
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Contents
July/August 2011
Features
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18
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SURVEY: BACK TO SCHOOL Choral directors share tips on getting a leg up on the new school year.
10
UPCLOSE: CHRISTOPHER PRATT CD catches up with Chris Pratt, director of Center Grove High School’s choral program (and former Center Grove student), to discuss how he’s stepped into an established program and taken it to new heights.
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REPORT: CHORAL APPAREL This pictorial showcase highlights the latest best-selling items in choral fashion today from some of the industry’s top apparel designers and manufacturers.
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REPERTOIRE FORUM: NEW HOLIDAY SELECTIONS Forum editor Drew Collins presents new holiday music for a wide range of skill levels.
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TECHNOLOGY: PORTABLE VIDEO DEVICES Dr. John Kuzmich, Jr. takes a look at using portable video devices in a school music setting.
Columns 4 5 28 30 31 32
Opening Notes Headlines New Products Vocal Tip Classifieds Ad Index
Cover photo by Susan Ziegler, Indianapolis, Ind. Choral Director® Volume 8, Number 4, is published six times annually by Symphony Publishing, LLC, 21 Highland Circle, Suite 1, Needham, MA 02494 (781)453-9310, publisher of School Band and Orchestra, Musical Merchandise Review, Music Parents America and JAZZed. All titles are federally registered trademarks and/or trademarks of Symphony Publishing, LLC. Subscription Rates: $20 one year; $30 two years. Rates outside U.S.A. available upon request. Singles issues $5 each. Resource Guide $15 Standard Postage Paid at Boston, MA and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER/SUBSCRIBERS: Send address change to Choral Director, 21 Highland Circle, Suite 1, Needham MA 02494. The publishers of this magazine do not accept responsibility for statements made by their advertisers in business competition. No portion of this issue may be reproduced without the written permission of the publisher.Copyright © 2011 by Symphony Publishing, LLC, all rights reserved. Printed in USA.
2 Choral Director, July/August 2011
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Opening Notes
Building from Within
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his issue’s cover story features Chris Pratt, the director of Greenwood, Indiana’s Center Grove High School choral program. Over the past 15 years, Chris underwent a remarkable transition from inquisitive young Center Grove choir member to freelance choreographer for the program, which he did while attending college, to taking over as director shortly after finishing his undergraduate studies. Under his watch for the past nine years, the program is thriving. His narrative is one of dedication and vision, where he was able to realize the dream of supporting and leading the choral community and program that has given his life such direction. But, as Chris readily admits, the genesis of this tale goes back to the founder of the Center Grove choral program, Judith A. Meeks. Judy Meeks is the one who built the choral program into a regional and national “Perhaps more powerhouse over the course of her 34-year tenure. A pioimportantly, she neer in the field, she founded the first Center Grove show choir, Sound System, in 1973, and went on to create a was also creating wide array of both competitive and non-competitive enopportunities for sembles. Perhaps more importantly, she was also creating young people to opportunities for young people to flourish through the flourish through medium of vocal music. Meeks is the one who created the environment where a young Chris Pratt might join the the medium of program, fall in love with what was happening there, and vocal music.” decide upon a career path dedicated to preserving and nurturing that very program. Although she passed away in 2005, before doing so, Judy Meeks told Chris, “You’ve taken this program to something I never could have imagined,” a statement that Pratt considers the highest compliment he’s ever received. While certainly a great story, this tale of a respected elder passing the mantel on to a young protégé isn’t entirely unique. Undoubtedly, many graduates later return to their former schools as teachers. However, it can’t hurt to step back and examine one important lesson that can be gleaned from such events: in addition to teaching music, creating a community, fostering excitement and joy through performance and teamwork, choral directors also have the opportunity – and some might say obligation – to inspire others to carry on and further great choral tradition. Who knows which of Chris Pratt’s students might be dreaming of someday leading groups of their own…
Eliahu Sussman Editor • esussman@symphonypublishing.com
4 Choral Director, July/August 2011
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July/August 2011 Volume 8, Number 4 GROUP PUBLISHER Sidney L. Davis sdavis@symphonypublishing.com PUBLISHER Richard E. Kessel rkessel@symphonypublishing.com Editorial Staff
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HeadLines Subject of a New Choral History Book, Cincinnati to Host 2012 World Choir Games
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chance to host the upcoming World Choir Games will harken back to Cincinnati, Ohio’s musical heritage next summer. As thousands of choristers descend upon Cincinnati, city historians will remember the first Cincinnati May Festival in 1873. Saenger Hall, the precursor to Music Hall (built for the festival in 1878), hosted a large orchestra, an 800-member chorus and enormous audiences. At the time, Cincinnati was renowned for its German singing societies, spurred by the great migration of German immigrants in the 1840s. The first Saengerfest was held in Cincinnati in 1849 with choruses from all over the Midwest. Meanwhile, a 200-page hardbound book, being written by Karin Pendle, Frank Pendle, Catherine Roma, Craig Doolin and Daphne Robinson, will be published by Orange Frazer Press in time for the 2012 May Festival and the World Choir Games. The coffeetable book will be funded by the May Festival, which is currently seeking sponsors. The book covers early 19th century to the present and includes sections on choral music in schools, churches and throughout the city, with special attention paid to the lesser-known African-American contributions to music during early times. For more info, please visit www.2012worldchoirgames.com
NEA Study Projects Arts Job Growth to Outpace National Labor Average
U
sing data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the NEA projects a growth rate of 11 percent for arts-related occupations over the next seven years. Perhaps surprisingly, that’s a bit higher than the projected increase of 10 percent for the overall labor force. Granted, the figure is lower than many other fields in the “professional and related occupations” category, such as the 72-percent projected increase in jobs for biomedical engineers. Nevertheless, the need for qualified professionals in many arts-related occupations is expected to grow as fast, or faster, than the job market as a whole through the year 2018. The report looks at “long-term structural changes” in the economy, rather than the temporary effects of recessions or periods of economic expansion. In a less-than-comforting aside, the authors note: “The projections assume that the U.S. economy and labor force will have fully recovered from the effects of the 2007-09 recession by 2018.” For more information, visit www.arts.gov.
New York Metropolitan Opera Visits Japan
T
he New York Metropolitan Opera became the first major performing arts company to visit Japan this summer, less than three months after the earthquake and tsunami devastated the country. Embarking on May 30, the Met counted it as the seventh—but by far most historic—visit there, happening amidst tour cancellations from other major international arts institutions. The Met decided to go ahead with its tour after consulting with scientific and medical experts and determining that radiation levels had been back to pre-earthquake levels in Tokyo and Nagoya since April. The company presented 13 fully staged performances of Lucia di Lammermoor, La Bohème, and Don Carlo. Principal Guest Conductor Fabio Luisi and Maestro Gianandrea Noseda are on the podium. “We are the first major opera company to come to Japan since the earthquake,” General Manager Peter Gelb said on arrival at a press conference in Tokyo, “so the tour has a special significance to us and to the people of Japan. What we want most is for our trip to provide an opportunity to lift the spirits of those members of the public who love opera.” In response to the last-minute cancellations of Anna Netrebko and Joseph Calleja, who hesitated to visit Japan at this time, the company launched an eleventh-hour casting initiative in the weeks before the company’s departure from New York. Soprano Marina Poplavskaya was released from a concert in Paris in order to join the Met and tenor Marcelo Álvarez canceled a vacation in Argentina. Fellow tenor Rolando Villazón, who is making a historic comeback after a recent vocal crisis, shifted his commitments so he could perform with the Met. In an interesting twist of fate, Villazón had originally been cast for the tour several years ago but been forced to bow out due to his vocal problems. For more information, visit www.metoperafamily.org.
Choral Director, July/August 2011 5
CDSurvey: Back to School
Summertime Homework Prepping for the New School Year
W
hile the annual summer break offers both teachers and students a welcome respite from the grind of the academic year, it is also a unique opportunity for finding new music, professional development,
strategic long-term planning, and other critical tasks and ac-
tivities that might be difficult to fit into the cramped mid-year schedule. To ascertain exactly what types of homework this publication’s readers have given themselves over the summer, especially as it pertains to prepping for the school year fast approaching, this recent survey asks exactly that. Read on to see how your summertime back-to-school preparations stack up against those of your peers. 6 Choral Director, July/August 2011
Are you ready for the new school year?
33%
Yes No 67%
8% All of it
33%
Some of it 39%Yes No “I just took the Carol Krueger workshop and am really excited about the new school year!” Kimberly Morgan Sun Valley Middle School Monroe, N.C. “Not yet! I take the first few weeks to relax before starting the preparations for next year.” Nancy Theeman Masters School Dobbs Ferry, N.Y. “June and July are reserved for family activities, but August is about getting ready for the year.” Ken Ahlberg Hermantown High School Hermantown, Minn.
33%
Yes No 67%
How much of your music do you select before the school year starts?
7% Only a few pieces
“I select all fall and most Holiday music in advance. Jazz music, I select for the entire year. In September, I select Listen to new March and spring music once music I get to know my younger groups.” Attend trainings, workshops, or clinics Jim McCullough Pursue my own musical endeavors Saint Charles East High School See great live music Saint Charles, Ill.
26% 21% 16% 12% 10% Take break from music for a while “Summer is aMeet time area to peruse music; get single copmusic ed associations 7% goodwith ies and play/sing through them. It is a bit time-consuming Meet with a mentor 6% (although enjoyable); and there usually is not time enough (or mentor a young educator)
during the school year.”
2%
Other
What will you do this summer to help prepare you for the new school year?
26% 21% 16% 12% 10% 7% 6% 2%
Carl Benton Armstrong Atlantic State University Savannah, Ga.
Yes No 75%
Attend trainings, workshops, or clinics
8% All of it
Pursue my own musical endeavors See great live music
46% Most of it 39% Some of it
Take break from music for a while
Meet with area music ed associations Meet with a mentor (or mentor a young educator) Other
7% Only a few
“In addition to looking at music, I update the library records, student account files, and other similar tasks over the summer. I will also work on preliminary trip planning with the band director and booster club.” Mary Nell Starner Minersville Area Jr./Sr. High School Minersville, Pa.
25%
Listen to new music
“I attend the summer regional ACDA Convention, study new and recommended scores, learn new computer pro- work Attend trainings, grams, write accompaniments on GarageBand, and write some choral arrangements for my Pursue students.” my own musica Martin Lassman SeeSchool greatOflive music Cab Calloway The Arts Wilmington, Del. 17% Yes, we’re all set!
21% 16% 12% 10% Take break from music We have some positions set, others TBD 18% “I do extensive internet researchMeet on music choices during with area music e 7% WeI will student once thetoschool 36% the summer. alsochoose order music so leaders that I am ready begin year star Westudents don’t establish leadership positions 29%when singing arrive August. It brings and Meet withenergy a mentor 6%instudent focus to the entire year to start immediately with studying
(or mentor a young ed
good literature.”
39%
2%
No Yes 61%
Other Deanna Amend La Cueva High School Albuquerque, N.M.
Will you be running a vocal music camp for your students before the school year starts?
25%
Yes No 75% 59%
“I save some money in the budget to use during the year if I hear of a piece that is working well for someone else or a new piano arrangement for the show choir.” Dave Babcock Victor Jr. High School Victor, N.Y.
25%
Listen to new music
Yes No 75%26%
8% All of it
46% Most of it 39% Some of it
67%
7% Only a few pieces
41%
No
Yes
Choral Director, July/August 2011 7
46% Most of it 39% Some of it 7%
“Along Only with twoa other colleagues, I host a mini-camp to few pieces prepare select students for our state Honors Chorus. I introduce the audition piece, discuss the composer, and introduce/review sight reading skills.” Kenneth L. Morris 26% Listen to new music Way Middle School or clinics 21% Attend trainings, workshops,Eastern 16% Pursue my own musical endeavors Goldsboro, N.C.
12% See great live music “I used tobreak do a from vocal music Take music for camp a whilebefore the school year 10% starts, but due to the economy, funds have not been avail7% Meet with area music ed associations able. Also, quite a few of my students are now also in march6% Meet with a mentor
(orwhich mentorstarts a young educator) ing band, three weeks before school starts.” Stan Scott 2% Other Central High School Grand Junction, Colo.
“Actually, I try to prepare and send out one song to the advanced choir and jazz choir to get a jump on the year. It’s 25% a great way to start that first day back with a new song that the kidsNo already know!” Deborah Divine Enterprise High School Redding, Calif.
Yes 75%
Do you already have student leadership in place for next year?
17% 18% 36% 29%
Yes, we’re all set! We have some positions set, others TBD We will choose student leaders once the school year starts We don’t establish student leadership positions
“I need to look at which students are able to continue. Since programming is done over the summer, I do not know 39% what my final rosters will look like.” Cynthia Gray Benito Juarez Community Yes Chicago, Ill.
No 61%
“I usually have student leaders in place at the end of the year. However, our school is undergoing a change in our daily schedule and it was not possible to finalize that before the end of the school year.” Camille Blackburn Hillcrest High School Ammon, Idaho
41% 59% No Yes
“I select them in May prior to the school year and I also require them to take a leadership workshop in the beginning of the year.” John Rose Coral Reef High School Miami, Fla.
8 Choral Director, July/August 2011
We will choose student le 36% No 29% We don’t establish studen
75%
Do you anticipate funding to be a major hurdle next year?
39%
No Yes 17% 18% 61% 36%
Yes, we’re all set!
We have some positions s
29%
We will choose student lea
“We have a very supportive Choral Booster organization establish in District 64 (five elementaryWe and don’t two middle schools). Parents usually join and also make donations. I use funds for music, field trips, and awards.” Linda Thomas Roosevelt Elementary School Park Ridge, Ill.
39%
“Here in California, funding has been a nightmare for the past few years. This year will be worse than those. I’m working on new ways of doing the ‘business of choir.’” Clifford Badgley Reyburn Intermediate School Clovis, Calif.
41% 59% No No Yes Yes 61%
“Funding always is a hurdle. Most of the time I don’t get to spend all my money because it is ‘borrowed’ by someone else whose order goes over budget. Spring music isn’t purchased until winter or early spring.” Barbara Connelly Lunenburg School District Gilman, Vt.
Will you be planning a major trip in 2011-2012?
41% 59% No Yes “We just returned from a trip to Rome! Next year we are doing a performance and workshop at Disney World.” Angie Jones North Harford High School Pylesville, Md.
studen
“I am trying to just keep things going. The school system will not allow me to fundraise, as all departments will need extra money from the community to stay even.” Mary Richmiller Cassville High School Cassville, Mo.
“I’m always fighting conflicts with sporting events. I need to have the administration acknowledge value to the choral ‘team’ just as much as competitive sports.”
Patti Hayes Lauve University Laboratory School, LSU Baton Rouge, La.
“We plan to do a student tour in New York City, which will be primarily funded by the students.” Jennifer Nafziger Winfield Middle/High School Winfield, Mo.
Additional thoughts? “I am always trying to educate administrators (building and district level) about how a quality music program benefits them, their school, and their district, as well as how to think about staffing in a way that is beneficial to students and quality programs rather that what works on paper.” Wendy Traeger Wauwatosa East High School Wauwatosa, Wis. “I try not to figure out too far in advance what kind of voices I’ll have to work with. In September, I adjust.” Andy Descoteaux Lowell High School Lowell, Mass.
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Choral Director, July/August 2011 9
Hometown
10 Choral Director, July 2011
Hero:
Center Grove Director Chris Pratt Gets Back to Where It All Began By Matt Parish
This This summer, between working 9-to-5 at at his graduate program and serving as as president president of his district’s Teachers’ ers’ Association, Chris Pratt has been busy busy planning planning the seasons of Center Grove Grove High High School’s nine different choral ral ensembles. ensembles. His students have bolted for for family vacations, summer jobs, and camps camps while while Pratt Pratt begins studying new choreography, ography, plowing plowing through through hours of new music, and and mapping mapping out out a packed calendar of performances mances and and competitions. competitions. Time off has been tough to to come come by, by, but but he wouldn’t want it any other way.
Choral Director, July/August 2011 11
For the last ten years, Pratt has held what many young choral fanatics might consider a dream job – returning to his hometown high school program. Pratt grew up at Center Grove singing in the show choir and was offered the director position just one year out of college, in 2002. He’d just won the Outstanding Teacher of the Year award his first year as a teacher in Danville, Ind. By the time he finishes up his Master’s degree in Education at Indiana University this summer and works toward becoming a qualified principal, he’ll have capped off an incredibly successful start to an inspiring career. But taking over a program already proven to be successful, especially so early in a teacher’s career, can pose its own challenges. Pratt met them headon. After a short time, he’d grown the program and worked his way into the good graces of the district as a genuinely talented, carefully resourceful, and highly respected educator. Choral Director recently spoke with Pratt about his continued success with the program and how he keeps things running smoothly year after year with tight budgets, an ever-evolving cast of students and, of course, returning from that pesky summer break.
Choral Director: Your show choirs receive a lot of attention, but the whole program is extensive. How do you manage to run nine different ensembles? Chris Pratt: I run the program with an assistant director named Jennifer Dice. We team teach one choir, usually our freshman choir, which ranges in size from 50 to 70 students, and that traditionally is a non-auditioned choir. I also direct four of my own choirs and Jennifer directs three of her own choirs, with a piano class as well.
“I was fortunate because there were a lot of people who were open to this interesting kid who had wanted to do show choir since he was twelve.” CD: And how do you split the rest up? CP: I do Sound System [varsity mixed show choir] and I also do our varsity concert group, the CG Singers. The other competitive mixed group is called Surround Sound, which is a 32 to 36-voice mixed JV concert show choir. Part of the year they do show choir repertoire and part of the year they do concert music. Then I do an all-female choir called the Choralaires. On Jen’s side, she teaches the Debtones, the competitive varsity women, and she does JV show/concert group called the Accents, and we team teach Descants and Gents, which is our freshman choir. Jennifer also has a mixed kind of intermediate group called the Counterpoints that usually has around 50. In all, from a programmatic standpoint, we have four competitive choirs and five noncompetitive choirs. Jennifer and I have worked together for the last five years. CD: What was it like getting re-acclimated from a director’s position to the same high school choir program you grew up in? CP: I never really left. In college, I started choreographing for the Debtones, the women’s group, back in 1998, and actually choreographed the group through 2003, even after I became the director. So I was always kind of around – I knew the kids and I knew the parents. And I think when I graduated the program, people had always said “Wouldn’t it be great – maybe you can come back and be the director?” CD: Was it stressful to maintain the success of the program? CP: When I first came on, there were parents who thought I was too young, who thought I didn’t have the capacity for it because of my age. I was 23. That was hard. That’s something that you really can’t fight against. You can only do your best to show your product and you can only do your best to, over a period of time, show people that you actually do have that capacity. My second year at Center Grove, I took them to the Showstoppers International Show choir competition and we won in New York City. Every year for seven years, we competed at Showstoppers and we won. Those were against groups from all over the country, so that helped critics to think, “Well, I guess he really does know what he’s doing.”
12 Choral Director, July/August 2011
The other challenge was how to take a successful program like the one Judy Meeks, who was the founding director, had built and not only help it to become even more successful but make it your own program. I sought out professional development from mentors that I thought were really great choir directors – not necessarily show choir directors, but people who were good at creating choral tone and other technique aspects. I sought them out and had them in and tried to learn as much as I could from them through different clinics and that kind of thing. I’ve always thought that, at least for musicians, the mentor concept is kind of key and helps people become even better. CD: You brought them in to speak with the kids? CP: Yeah, people I respected and
who I wanted to learn from. To this day, if I’m in certain areas, I just think, “Gosh, I’d like to know how Ron Hellems – a great choral director who’s now retired – how he might handle this. Or Michael Hayden, who does great things with choral music, would handle this.” So I’ve sought out those people, and I still do. CD: Are these people that you had contact with or some connection with ahead of time? CP: In high school, I knew that I either wanted to be a choir director or a lawyer. So my sophomore year, I started going up to people that I thought did great things in choral music. I introduced myself to directors who I respected – how their groups sang or I was impressed with what they were doing. So that was when I started building those relationships, while I was in high school. And then obviously I kept up on them in college. I’ve worked for many of the directors doing choreography or clinics or whatever the case may be just to gain some experience. I was fortunate because there were a lot of people who were open to this interesting kid who had wanted to do show choir since he was twelve. CD: It must just set a good example for the students to get them in that mindset of networking.
at a glance
Center Grove High School
Location: 2717 S. Morgantown Rd., Greenwood, IN On the Web: www.centergrovechoirs.org Students in the CGHS Choral Program: 350 Students Enrolled at CGHS: 2,550
Ensembles:
Sound System Debtones CG Singers Surround Sound Counterpoints Choralaires Accents Descants Gents
National Titles for Mixed Show Choir: Showstoppers National Show
Choir Invitational 1991, 1995, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007; FAME 2008, 2009; First Runner-up in 2010, and 2nd Runner up in 2011 (Indianapolis).
National Titles for Women’s Show Choir: Showstoppers: 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007; FAME: 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011.
Concert Choir National Titles: Showstoppers: 2006; FAME: 2007,
2008, 2009, 2010, 2011.
Upcoming Invitations: Olympia Show Choir Championships in Chicago, Ill., March 15-18, 2012 (Honors Host Show Choir – Sound System and Debtones), 2012 Olympics (“Varsity Singers” extracurricular group)
CP: You know, we talk about it. When I have a clinician like Ron Hellems come in, I tell the students, “I’ll never forget the first time I met him.” I tell them where I met him and how old I was. Or my choreographer, Andy Haines, who is out of Columbus, Ohio. I went up to him my senior year and said, “I want you to be my choreographer when I get my group.” He laughed and said, “Oh yeah, I’ll be retired then.” Five years later, I call up and say, “Okay, I’ve got my group and I want you to be my choreographer. How do we do this?” CD: It must be great for the students to see the effectiveness of taking personal initiative like that! Where there other specific changes you were trying to make with the program when you first started at Center Grove? CP: I wanted kids at all levels of choir to feel like they had a place they could come to and have an identity.
So we did small stuff like renaming the ensembles that might have been called something like “Mixed Concert Choir” – something very general and vague – to give those groups of kids an identity and something to latch onto. And then we try to focus on each of the ensembles and hone in on their unique goals so that, every day, the work we do fits into that goal: “What are we going to do today to improve our technique and performance?” CD: Did it feel like that when you were a student there? CP: The ability then to have multiple groups doing multiple kinds of performances was really limited. I mean, when she retired, Judy was 64 and how she did two competitive show choirs I’ll never know. She was there nearly every night at 64, so whenever I’m tired, I think “How in the world did she do that?” Choral Director, July/August 2011 13
CG Sound System performing at the 2011 Showcase of Champions (above) and FAME National Finals (right).
I also was very close to her. She died in 2005 and, the year before, she gave me probably my highest compliment, which was, “You’ve taken this program to something I could have never imagined.” Coming from the person who exposed me to all this, I thought that was the ultimate. CD: How’s your program managing with its budget? CP: It’s been a real challenge. For the actual choral department, outside of the salaries paid for Jennifer Dice, a full-time accompanist and myself, it’s completely supported by parents’ funds. We have about a $200,000
budget. Half of that comes from fees that students pay for and that provides things like costuming for the show choirs’ choreography, for all the choirs’ arrangements and that kind
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of thing. The only money we receive from the district is a $200 “materials” account. That has to be spent on consumables, so I could buy a stapler – no, sorry, I could by staples for a stapler. That’s what that $200 has to be used for. So in the way of instructional support, they do pay for our salaries and benefits, but past that there’s really no financial support for the choral program directly from the district. I’ve had people say, “I don’t believe you.” [laughs] Well, I wish that were the case. I wish we in fact did have the financial support that many in surrounding communities think we have, but it is $200.
able to expand what the ensembles do. Like, next year we’re planning a trip to Europe to perform at the Olympics. Those are things that obviously we will be responsible for fundraising. They’re huge endeavors. Besides being a choral director, I’m also a fundraiser and an administrator. It’s running a
With budgets from around the state, because of lack of funding for public education, it’s been a real balancing act. We’ve had to plan very conservatively as far as fee structures because obviously, throughout all of this, our parents were also hit with people losing jobs and reduction in
“When I first came on, there were parents who thought I was too young, who thought I didn’t have the capacity for it because of my age. I was 23. That was hard. That’s something that you really can’t fight against. You can only do your best to show your product.”
CD: And yet, wouldn’t you say the program has expanded since you got there? CP: Yeah, I would say that in spite of that lack of funding, we’ve been
small school within a school when you consider all the administrative aspects. So yeah, it’s been a challenge with the budget cuts because at one point, Jennifer was on a reduction-enforced list and I dealt with that not only as choral director but also our association president. That was a hard year, very stressful and I probably also became an emotional eater. [laughs]
pay and benefits. We haven’t planned on long trips to Orlando and New York for the last couple of years and have done things a little more local. I think the farthest we’ve gone is Branson, Mo. to compete in a FAME regional contest. The idea is just making sure kids have a great experience on a national stage for less money.
Choral Director, July/August 2011 15
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CD: So now we’re approaching one more new year – the next step in that process. What’s it like getting things back up in operation each season? Have you developed a routine to make sure everyone is ready to hit the ground running once the school year starts? CP: Yeah, typically when the school year comes to a close, I’ve started to think of music for next year’s group. I do a lot of listening in the summer and have searched on YouTube to see different pieces performed by other choirs and that kind of thing. We have a camp for our show choir, Sound System, at the end of July, and that leads into the whole back to school season. CD: When do you typically have the entire program picked out?
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CP: For me it’s always evolving. There are songs I said I was going to go ahead with several weeks ago and I’ve already changed my mind on a couple of those. There are certain pieces that I want to do with the group and those are the staples that we start with. Once I start working with the students, some of them come a little bit later once we’ve seen what the strength of the group is. CD: Do you take feedback from the students about the music? CP: I always have. If they have a song and they want me to hear it, I always encourage them to give it to me because, especially for show choir, I don’t always know the newest hip thing out there right away. I always give them my disclaimer that it doesn’t mean we’ll actually do it, but I am interested in hearing what’s out there. CD: What about the process about bringing in the newer students for the other groups?
CP: We have student leadership positions called “company managers” and they Bob Rogers Travel is a proud member of ... work with both Jennifer and I to organize new member meetings and that kind of thing. They’re the ones who drive Bob Rogers Travel is a proud member of ... that. So before the camp, they’ll hold a picnic and try to make sure all the newer Bob Rogers Travel is a proud member of ... kids coming into the group feel like they www.bobrogerstravel.com know somebody and are familiar with the people that are returning to the group. (800) 373-1423 CD: So a lot of the success of that falls directly on your student leadership.
16 Choral Director, July/August 2011
Pratt and students, 2010.
CP: Right. I really look to them to kind of facilitate that whole process, doing the legwork before rehearsal starts. I think that’s genuine and kids want to hang out with each other. It’s just a really great thing for those student leaders and also a great thing for the group overall to get to know each other as early as possible. CD: How long are the kids away from choir before the beginning of camp? CP: Their last performance is at graduation, where they sing “Battle Hymn of the Republic.” Then, it’s nearly a two-month break. CD: Are the challenges getting people back into it again after that? CP: Every single year. [laughs] I have yet to experience where you come back and everyone’s saying, “Here we are, ready to go.” I’ve tried it a few different ways, like meeting throughout the summer once every couple weeks, but then I don’t think they really feel like they have a break. And it’s difficult because you’re always missing three or four people because of family vacations and all that stuff. It just becomes a juggling act. This way they get a nice break and you have to deal with the acclimation issue no matter when you come back. CD: It can be an exciting time either way, right? CP: It’s kind of like a reset button. It’s fun to anticipate the strengths and weaknesses of a new group and it’s never the same. That’s kind of one of those things that I think I like most about it – just when you kind of get comfortable with one group, it’s time to start over again.
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Choral Fashion CDReport: Choral Apparel
Trends in
To keep an eye on the latest trends in choral fashion, Choral Director has assembled
this visual collection of some of the newest and hottest items for school vocal groups from top apparel manufacturers and suppliers.
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Southeastern Concert Apparel Choir and orchestra formalwear made of soft, easy-wearing stretch poly knit fabric and with 3/4 sleeves. 1a. Easy fitting, short sleeve stretch poly knit dress with Profusion Sequin center band, and side to back ties. 2.
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Fred J. Miller The FJM 007TUX is always in style, with classic lines that never go out of fashion. The FJM satin concert dress has 3/4 sleeve.
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Rivars Pink Dazzle Sequin Dress with double row rhinestone straps. 3a. Emerald/black stretch iridescent taffeta concert dress. 4.
DeMoulin Tuxedo: In stock, polyester one-button notch lapel. Black, single breasted, closed vent, satin lapel and pocket flaps, ventless sleeve, satin-covered buttons, and one-button sleeve. Dress: In stock, black, empire style, luxury crepe, fully lined bodice and sleeves, small scoop neckline, bell sleeve, satin waistband, zipper, unhemmed, dry clean only.
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Regency Gowns Recital: The elegant and beautifully tailored Recital Gown features a contrasting built-in stole both front and back, contrasting yoke, inset sleeve stripe and cuffed sleeves. Crosses are available in colors to match the gown.
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Cousin’s Concert Attire The “AUDREY,” inspired by Audrey Hepburn, features an elegant boat neck, princess seamed bodice, and self-waist piping in high performance showcase satin. It has a back zipper, is machine washable and is available in garnet, black and royal. 6a. “MARILYN” is a stylish scoop neck halter swing dress in high performance Mystique satin. It has a gentle easy fit elastic across top back edge, a back zipper and back neck ties, and is available in Victorian gold, black and purple. 7.
Academic Choir Apparel Brittany Choir robe adds a dramatic touch to a choral gathering, with a double cord accent stripe near the sleeve edge and a cord available in a wide variety of colors.
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Thomas Creative Apparel, Inc. has assembled a wide selection of appealing choral robes and stoles for school groups.
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Herff Jones The Symphony Robe features traditional machine-balanced fluting, standard V-neckline and full-length side pleats.
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CDRepertoire Forum: New
Holiday Music
New Releases
Holiday Selections TREBLE (EASY) Jubilate! Bells Are Ringing (arr. E. Foncannon) – pub. Pavane This is a cute selection for developing choirs, sixth grade and younger. It is scored for two-part chorus and piano, with optional handbells and c-instrument. The part-writing is ideal for young singers, including canon and quodlibet. The bell-like hymn melody, “Hark the Vesper Hymn,” forms the bulk of the piece, and is combined later with “The First Nowell.” The text is in Latin and English, and provides a good introduction to singing in Latin for uninitiated singers. A sample of the entire score and front-to-back sound file are both available, but in different places on the internet, so you will need to do some searching to review the piece.
Each of the past two years, I have undertaken an effort to come into contact with every new choral publication printed in the United States by a major publishing house (a significant task!). I then categorize each work into Holiday, Concert, Cross-Cultural or American Heritage. This issue includes reviews of works especially well suited for holiday concerts, with a variety of voicings and difficulties represented. You won’t find in my column a lot of pieces that are in the public eye, such as pop arrangements from the “Glee” series, or viral videos easily available on YouTube; I figure that you will find out about those yourself or from your students. My focus here are those hidden gems that you sometimes have to hunt to find. – Drew Collins
20 Choral Director, July/August 2011
How Far Is It To Bethlehem? (arr. M. Ijames) – pub. SoundForth SoundForth specializes in church choral music. As this column focuses on school music, the style of most church-oriented publishers does not typically lend itself to what readers of this column have come to expect. However, there is an occasional “cross-over” selection from such a publisher appropriate for public school use. This arrangement is one such work. This is a traditional
MIXED (EASY & MEDIUM)
English Christmas carol scored for two-part treble voices with piano accompaniment. It is straightforward, with interest gained from some gentle hemiolae in the piano.
Rise Up, Shepherd, and Follow (Spiritual, arr. N. Garris) – pub. Hinshaw
TREBLE (MEDIUM & DIFFICULT) How Like a Winter (R. M. Gray) – pub. Alfred Ruth Morris Gray has a talent for setting complex poems to simple melodies, making distinguished texts available to all ages. This is one reason that her music is so popular (for example, her Ask Me No More on a text of Tennyson, pub. Lawson-Gould). In this case, she turns her attention to the rarely set Sonnet 97 by Shakespeare. This is not necessarily a holiday text, except that it mentions winter, freezing, and December, which Shakespeare uses as similes (such as the opening line, “How like a winter hath my absence been From thee…”) and metaphors. So, like the many settings for choir of Shakespeare’s “Blow, Blow, Thou Winter Wind,” this new release by Gray will certainly be heard at holiday concerts and year round. It is scored for SSA choir and piano, with an SAB voicing available as well; I hope down the road publisher and composer consider making available versions for SATB and TTB choirs. Difficulty level is easy to medium, and is appropriate for 9th grade and higher, or perhaps 8th grade depending on your group. The SAB voicing is a good choice for older mixed groups that lack tenors. The minor melody is simple which is not meant as a slight. Composers often over-think Shakespeare as if it is to be conquered rather than merely glossed and Gray spins it in creative ways. The arpeggiated accompaniment is not demanding and assumes a support role.
Ave Maria (Angelus Domini) (F. Biebl) – pub. Hinshaw Biebl’s Ave Maria has been a favorite of male choruses since the
1970s. In the 47 years following its composition, it has done what relatively few pieces have: earned a place in the repertory. It has been recorded by Chanticleer, Robert Shaw, Dale Warland, Harvard Glee Club, and many others. As happens with most popular pieces, additional voicings have been made available. Originally for male voices, it later became available in two different mixed chorus voicings. This year, a superb SSAA voicing has become available. It is not clear if the composer supervised the revoicing himself (he passed in 2001), if Matthew Oltman arranged it, or if someone else did it. Regardless, it works very well in this voicing, and I recommend it. There are plenty of low F’s for the alto II, and the choral parts divide to five voices on occasion. And, of course, you will need three angelic soloists (SSA).
MALE CHORUS We Three Kings (Brubeck, arr. Robinson) – pub. Carl Fisher Part quodlibet, part contrafactum, Robinson has cleverly married the text and melody of We Three Kings of Orient Are with Dave Brubeck’s jazz standard, Take Five. Of course, this necessitated that the melody should be converted to 5/4, which will provide a neat challenge for your male chorus. Your audience will love it, too, but it should be introduced and explained from the stage to ensure the connection is made. Visit www.CarlFischer.com for a free score sample, beginningto-end recording, and part-predominant MP3s.
Garris has arranged this spiritual in gospel style, complete with piano accompaniment. It is part of André Thomas’s choral series, and the piano part has Dr. Thomas’s touch. The moments of soft dynamics and legato articulation provide momentary contrast to the rhythmic groove of the rest of the piece. To maximize this, pay special attention to the crescendos in mm.26, 30, and similar. The texture is responsorial: a soloist sings a line, and the choir responds. This happens throughout,
thereby providing opportunities for between 2-12 soloists. The style allows for adding bass and/or drum set, but the arrangement stands on its own without doing so.
Gaudete! (arr. Burrows) – pub. Heritage Mark Burrows has taken the familiar sixteenth-century carol and dressed it up for modern audiences. It is rhythmic, fun to sing, and keeps the ancient feel of the original, but Burrows still finds ways to vary the source material in engaging ways. It is scored for SSATB and percussion. There is a lot of changing meter, but it all has a natural feel to it that is at least somewhat logical for the singers, while still keeping the listeners on their toes. The percussion and introductory/interlude material in the voices add a lot to this classic melody. Choral Director, July/August 2011
21
MIXED (ADVANCED) Lullay My Liking (S. Chatman) – pub. ECS This setting of the Medieval English Christmas poem lends itself perfectly to the choral instrument. (Gustav Holst has a classic setting of this same text that is great for chamber choirs.) Chatman’s setting calls for three treble soli, low Cs in the bass, and is in Dorian mode, but is nonetheless within reach of advanced high school choirs. It demands a lot on the audience, as it is quite placid and haunting. Decide in advance if you want the first syllable pronounced “lul” or “lool.” There is an optional accompaniment that may be played either on harp or piano. Review a score and sound file at www.ECSpublishing.com.
Behold, I Bring You Glad Tidings (Gibbons, ed. Giardiniere) – pub. Hinshaw The “verse anthem” was a relatively short-lived phenomenon, and there are few that are today considered “repertory works.” This is a fine example of a verse anthem with appeal for modern audiences. Composers who contributed to this body of literature include Gibbons, Byrd and Purcell. The hallmark of the genre is the contrasting of solo voices with full choir in a single-movement work. It is scored for SSAATB choir with a soloist in each section, accompanied by organ, strings and recorder (the editor has indicated that the strings and recorder are “optional”). Because of the stylistic intricacy, this is really a college-level piece, but could be done well by a top-notch high school or church choir. The burden is on the six soloists: out of 94 measures in the work,
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Forum editor Drew Collins teaches choral music and music education at Wright State University (Dayton, Ohio). He is active as a festival conductor, author, and composer. Contact him directly at drew@drewcollins.com.
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CDTechnology: Portable Video Devices
Reality TV:
Using Portable Digital Video Recorders By John Kuzmich, Jr.
E
ver walked by a mirror or big store window and not looked at yourself? There’s more than just good looks in that reflection. Stimulation, motivation, analysis, curiosity, truth… all this and more when cutting-edge teachers
bring camera recording technology into their classroom instruction. Talk about exciting reality television!
“The camera is idiot proof, anyone can record – even me!”
Camcorders have come a long way from previous bulky, analog units. Nowadays, digital cameras easily fit into the palm of your hand, and their digital capabilities provide superior audio and video quality. Analog camcorder models have all but disappeared now that digital camcorders offer so many more options than simply playing videos back on a TV. Users can edit and embellish videos on a computer, then play productions on a DVD, Blu-ray play24 Choral Director, July/August 2011
er, PC, or handheld device. You can also e-mail recordings or upload video clips to sites like YouTube. Many video editing software suites also let you combine your video with digital stills, graphics and text, expanding the creative possibilities. Most digital camcorders are quite compact, weighing about one pound, with the smallest to a half a pound. In the past, camcorders stored video on mini tape cassettes and DVDs. Today, we have choices: internal hard drives, on-board flash-memory similar to what you find on MP3 players, or removable flashmemory cards like those used in a digital camera are the most common formats. Now we even have pocket camcorders or Flip cameras available which are less expensive and weigh only a few ounces. These typically have very simple interfaces and are easy to use as a cell phone. In fact, some of them are available with both HD (high definition) and SD (standard-definition) options. Their video quality may be a bit lower than full-size SD camcorder with fewer features. High-definition video or HD video refers to any video system of higher resolution than standard-definition (SD) video of 720 pixels × 480 lines, and most commonly involves display resolutions of 1,280×720 pixels (720p) or 1,920×1,080 pixels (1080i/1080p).
Alicia continues, “It is especially beneficial to record the students in the two weeks prior to a concert. At this point I am focusing on stage presence and musicality in the performance. Watching their performances and immediately critiquing it is critical and very meaningful. The dialogue from the students lets me know that they understand the musical concepts we have been addressing all year! My suggestion is purchase the Flip with the two-hour memory ability. I bought the one-hour Flip camera and regret not having the larger video capacity. The camera is idiot proof, anyone can record – even me!” You can see a sample of how her groups have benefitted from the Flip camera in this article’s web supplement, which can be found at www.kuzmich. com/SBO082011.html.
Bergenfield High School Jeff Brown at Bergenfield High School in Bergenfield, New Jersey regularly incorporates video technology. “I
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Using Video in the Music Classroom Alicia Belgiovane, an elementary/ middle school vocal teacher in Gunnison, Colorado, uses her Flip camera to make a difference in her teaching. She discovered how to use video photography to bring greater success to her teaching. “I have used my camera to record concerts, contest, and most importantly, classroom rehearsals. We can immediately watch the performance on our computer/screen. It only takes a minute to connect the flash drive to the computer and download the performance. The immediate feedback for my students makes both teaching and learning more fun and enjoyable.” Interestingly, Alicia’s principal originally purchased a few of these cameras for teacher use; and, it was the P.E., Drama, and Math teachers who used them the most.
use my Flip Ultra HD camera as often as I see fit. This usually comes out to about every other week or so. I use it on two fronts. The first is to provide aural and visual feedback to the students. The second is to critique my own conducting and rehearsal management skills. In both situations, the Flip cam is essential. I try to use the camera during the early stages of a piece that we are working on. That way, the students can later assess their progress. I believe it is vital for the students to be able to acknowledge their own improvement and to show how hard work can pay off. “The Flip cam always comes out during our dress rehearsals in the auditorium. Since we do not have the luxury of utilizing the concert space every day, adjusting to the acoustical properties can sometimes prove challenging. I typically set up the Flip camera on a small, flexible tripod towards the back center of the audience. This allows us to gauge how much of the sound is actually being carried throughout the
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Choral Director, July/August 2011 25
hall. From there we can adjust dynamics, articulations, and the seating arrangement of the ensemble. “The camera also helps drive certain concepts home to the students. We talk a lot about posture and how it affects sound but until they see themselves slouching, they never really get it. The camera is great for the most extreme cases. “On a personal level, I occasionally turn the camera on myself to improve what I do on and off the podium. Whether I am encountering issues in regards to clarity of instructions, conducting problems, or classroom management, the Flip camera captures it all. I can sit down and mark down how much time is spent playing vs. verbal instruction. As passionate teachers, we sometimes become too engrossed in the explanation and we forget that the students are there to make music. This has helped me get over many slumps in the preparation of a piece. “As for actual concerts, I try to set up the Flip camera on myself from somewhere downstage (again, for self-evaluation.) At Bergenfield, we are fortunate to have an excellent TV production program run by Ms. Ashley Carr. Every performance held at the high school and middle school is recorded using a state of the art camera and transferred to DVD within a week. Once the DVDs are in, we spend an entire class period watching, analyzing, and critiquing our performances. This self-reflection is an irreplaceable tool in the educational process. For analysis, we do a verbal critique in class rather than in written form. We get good participation in our large group discussion.”
Evergreen High School Wiley Cruse uses instructional video in his music classroom at Evergreen High School in Evergreen, Colorado because, as he says, “Seeing is believing.” “With video playback of my students’ rehearsals and performances,” Wiley notes, “ I’ve found my students retain more information, understand concepts more rapidly, and are more enthusiastic about what they are learning. You will often see one of my staff or myself with a video recorder in hand during every one of my marching band rehearsals on the field. This has become a valuable education resource used in conjunction with my SmartBoard for refining students’ marching band visual technique. Here’s a trick that I learned to do with my huge new 80” SmartBoard, which was grant-funded by my wonderful principal, Mr. Walsh, who is a strong proponent of technology integration for student success in our high school classrooms. My drill writer, Craig Sellers, uses Pyware 3D to write the drill for our marching show. I use Mr. Sellers’ Pyware 3D drill animation split screen with portions of the video recorded during rehearsals to show the big picture to my students plus zoomed-in aspects of drill shapes, intervals, and so on. Students see what their drill writer envisioned right beside what they are actually producing on the marching band field. The result is much cleaner drill much sooner in the season. The integration of video technology into my curriculum during marching band season has resulted in rehearsals that are very productive, I know my students understand what is asked of them by my staff and I, which leads to greater learner success on and off the marching band field. I highly recommend integrating video technology.” What do students say about video technology in their classroom instruction? Michael Guest, a marching band student at Evergreen High School reflected on his experience with this new technology. “Seeing the show from a judge’s perspective helps me know what they actually are actually seeing and I am better able to fix any visual or marching problem that I see. I can detect wrong notes or any sections in the music that require more attention. Watching previous concerts gives me a different perspective of how I sound with the rest of the group, while also gaining a better understanding of how the music flows.”
A Few Popular Pocket Cams The Flip Ultra HD video camera was the first miniature camcorder with HD resolution to raise the curtain on quick and easy videos for teachers. There are basically three models to select from that record between 1 to 4 hours at store.theflip.com/en-us/. For the money and size, the Flip cameras and the Samsung HMX-E10 are simple and ready to use right out of the box. They produce decent videos with 720p picture quality with good color reproduction and work well in a variety of lighting situations, including low light environments. Best of all, they’re very affordable. There are some drawbacks for the Flip camera: no removable storage with fixed memory, no external microphone input for shot-gun coverage, no macro mode and no 1080p for the ultimate in video resolution. The Flip is a simple video camera with a 2X digital zoom and a HDIM output that is conveniently equipped with a miniHDMI to HDMI cable that can be plugged into a high definition TV for instant viewing. It gives smooth video and no blurs with its 720p@60 frames a second. 26 Choral Director, July/August 2011
The Samsung HMX-E1 1080P HP Pocket camcorder is priced similarly to the Flip camera but offers more features. It has swivel lens built into the top of the camera that rotates 270 degrees. This gives you more flexibility and lets you shoot the perfect angle every time. This Samsung unit also offers a touchscreen that navigates much like a smartphone, with an intuitive user-interface so you can concentrate on your subject and not on a bunch of buttons and knobs. It has the same sharp picture and rich colors you see in high definition movies with whooping 1280 X 720 pixels. Don’t need a USB cable to connect as it has a handy USB arm built-in into the bottom of the camcorder so you can easily transfer videos to your notebook to edit and share. It offers plug-and-play portability so you can view, edit, manage and upload from anywhere. It even has features like a smart filter that shrinks your subjects, a vignette filter that fades the edges, as well as a defog for autocorrecting haze and improving clarity. The Samsung can handle low light conditions well because it has a bright F2.2 lens. If you are looking for more bells and whistles in a pocket size camcorder, don’t hesitate to look at units like the Kodak Play Sport Zx3 (waterproof up to a depth of 10 feet), Creative VFO624 (optional external microphone), and the Sony bloggie MHS-CMS (5X optical zoom lens).
Closing Comments Pocket camcorders were perfectly designed for music educators. The simple no-nonsense, user-friendly features enable quality results for multi-tasking teachers in rehearsal situations. Instant playback on an HD television is a breeze. The majority of pocket HD camcorders have a digital zoom and two hours of recording time available, along with mono recording limitations. Since recent pricing has significantly dropped, units that cost less than $100 are now available, along with free shipping from many stores. It is a great time to go shopping for a pocket camera to improve your instruction with the excitement and candidness of “Reality T.V.” For the latest developments in ultraportable HD cameras or to check out reviews online, visit: Digital Camera Reviews at www.digitalcamerareview.
com/camcorders/?categoryID=24 and PC World at www.pcworld.com/article/.../ hd_pocket_camcorders.html. Dr. John Kuzmich Jr. is a veteran music educator, jazz educator and music technologist with more than 41 years of public school teaching experience. He is a TI:ME-certified training instructor and has a Ph.D. in comprehensive musicianship. As a freelance author, Dr. Kuzmich has more than 400 articles and five textbooks published. As a clinician, Dr. Kuzmich frequently participates in workshops throughout the U.S., Europe, Australia, and South America. For more information, visit www.kuzmich.com.
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In this new vocal instruction book, vocal coach Mark Bosnian aims to help readers develop self-confidence, fine-tune their speaking voice and improve their speaking poise, focus, and control. Using step-by-step methods and illustrations, Bosnian aims to help readers to control their voice and overcome any problems impeding crucial energy flow. Topics covered include how to breathe efficiently (including the method of Bosnian Belly Breathing), visualization exercises, avoiding hoarseness and strain, methods for learning new songs, and many more.
New Songbooks from Hal Leonard: Glee, Real Worship, Beatles, and Disney
The Glee Vocal Method & Songbook by Kate Reid and Andy Waterman is designed to develop readers into better singers and performers in a style directly influenced by the show. The method teaches eight of Glee’s most popular songs – “Can’t Fight This Feeling,” “Don’t Stop Believin’,” “Hello, Goodbye,” “Telephone” and more. Each tune highlights three specific vocal concepts, with three unique vocal exercises designed to build vocal chops. Students will learn the vocabulary of vocal study, understand how to use microphones in per-
formance, read background info on the writers and original artists for each song and much more. An accompanying CD and choreography instruction is included, containing warm-ups as well as full-length backing tracks for performance. The Real Worship Book features 200 songs, including both new and classic songs from songwriters such as Chris Tomlin, Paul Baloche, Matt Redman, Joel Houston and others. Each song includes melody, chords and lyrics, in both singable and guitar-friendly keys whenever possible. Guitar capo chords are provided when needed, with extremely accurate arrangements, the
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series’ famous hand-written notation with no page turns, and songs indexed alphabetically, by key, and by tempo. Titles include “Agnus Dei,” “Amazed,” “Awesome God,” “Beautiful One,” “Hosanna,” “Revelation Song,” “Shout to the Lord” and many more. Beginning Piano Solo Play-Alongs are designed for pianists ready to play their first solos. Each volume comes with a CD of orchestrated arrangements. The music in the books matches these recorded orchestrations exactly, and is carefully arranged for beginning pianists. The simple notation and easy-to-read layout combine with recordings to pro-
NewProducts vide a rich experience for first- and second-year beginners of all ages. The CD contains two tracks for each song: a full performance track for listening and practice, plus a separate backing track that lets each student be the soloist. The CD is playable on any CD player, and is also enhanced so Mac and PC users can adjust the recording to any tempo without changing the pitch. The first volume, Disney Favorites, contains beloved songs like “Can You Feel the Love Tonight,” “If I Never Knew You,” “Mickey Mouse March,”“A Whole New World,” and “Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah.” The Beatles Hits, Vol. 2 offers eight Fab Four favorites, incuding “Eight Days a Week,” “Hey Jude,” “Let It Be,” and “Yesterday.”The Sound of Music, Vol. 3 includes “Climb Ev’ry Mountain,” “Do-Re-Mi,” “My Favorite Things,” and “So Long, Farewell.” Retail price: $12.99 (Glee Vocal Method and Songbook), $29.99 (The Real Worship Book), $14.99 (Beginning Piano books)
Deskew Scorecerer Desktop and iPad App
A recent update to the free companion Scorecerer iPad app, designed to accompany Deskew Technologies’ Scorecerer desktop app, lets users make handwritten notations and highlights right on the screen to enhance their understanding and clarify difficult passages on the fly. The original
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Z3 is the first in what will be a series of tablet device floor stands, designed to meet the demands of the music industry and fill an unmet need in the consumer market. The Z3 aims to utilize the advantages over sheet music offered by tablet devices, such as instantly providing access to any music, storing all music in one manageable location, freeing valuable storage space and, with their illuminated screens, eliminating the need for lighting. With a telescopic stem and hinged iPad cradle, the stand holds the device securely at any height or angle. In keeping with the design of tablets, Z3 is lightweight and portable; folding flat in just 3 simple moves. A 360 degree rotation feature on the cradle enables the iPad to be operated in landscape and portrait modes.
app enables users to scan their sheet music library quickly and easily into their computer and manage it with ease. Once sync’d with the Desktop app, sheet music appearing on the iPad can be flipped back and forth by simply tapping on the screen or by using a Bluetooth pedal. Scorecerer’s advanced sheet music management system helps musicians effortlessly scan their hard copies of songs, songbooks, lead sheets, fake books and other collections into their desktop or laptop, which can then be imported to an iPad, Amazon Kindle DX e-reader and the Freehand Systems MusicPad Pro.The desktop Scorecerer app, available for Mac OS X and Windows, also automatically straightening out scanned pages and making them fit the screen.
E-mail your thoughts or comments to editor Eliahu Sussman at
esussman@symphonypublishing.com!
Resources for Choirs and Soloists Since 2001 choral music directors world wide have chosen Note Perfect to help thousands of singers to confidently learn their individual parts.
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www.note-perfect.com Choral Director, July/August 2011 29
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SAVE THE DATE
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