Choral Director by Choral Director Magazine

NOVEMBER 2011 $5.00

Dream Team

Shrewsbury High School’s

Bonnie Narcisi and Michael Lapomardo

Guest Editorial: Recruitment & Retention Commentary: “West Side Story” Survey: Choral Equipment

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Contents 12

Columns 4 5 30 31 32

Opening Notes Headlines Vocal Tip Classifieds Ad Index

Cover Photo by Tony Scarpetta, Somerville, Mass. Choral Director® Volume 8, Number 6, 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, November 2011

November 2011

Features 8

UPFRONT Q&A: CATHERINE CONNOR-MOEN CD chats with Cathy Moen, choral director and longtime MICCA festival chair, about the latest trends in choral festivals, as well as tips for handling logistics and improving performance.

GUEST EDITORIAL: RECRUITMENT & RETENTION Choral director Troy Meeker details the creative methods he employed to bring attention to his vocal music program and boost attendance in his choral groups.

COMMENTARY: “WEST SIDE STORY” As “West Side Story” celebrates its 50th anniversary, Keith Mason takes a look back at the landmark theatrical piece and proposes several relevant activities for school groups.

UPCLOSE: SHREWSBURY HIGH SCHOOL CD chats with a pair of educators who team-teach their choral students in Shrewsbury (Mass.) High School, collaborating to nearly double the size of the vocal music program while achieving outstanding results.

SURVEY: CHORAL EQUIPMENT CD readers weigh in on the essential and non-essential equipment they use throughout their daily routines.

Opening Notes

Vocal Health: Nothing to Sneeze at

n 2008, British singer Adele was one of the fastest rising stars in the music world. By 2011, just three years later, she was already on top of the pop music world, having won Grammy awards and sold millions of records, with her second album, 21, moving over 300,000 units in the U.S. during the first week of its January, 2011 debut. However, the 23-year-old’s career is now in serious jeopardy, as she was recently diagnosed with two vocal hemorrhages. In an October 5, 2011 entry on her blog (www.adele.tv), the singer explained just how it happened. Adele wrote, “I follow all the advice I’m given and stick to regimes [sic], rules, and practices to the best of my ability but it seems to simply not be enough… I first started having trouble with my voice back in January. It was weakened by a bout of flu from December and never got its complete strength back before I started my UK and “It was literally European promotional tour, so it just got weaker and weaker until as if someone it eventually ‘broke’ as I say. I didn’t realise at the time, ‘cause I’d pulled a curtain never had anything wrong with my voice, ever, but I’d also never over my throat.” sung as much as I was at the time it went. I was diagnosed with laryngitis and ordered to rest intensely for 10 days. I recovered and went on to do a show in London and a month-long promo tour in the U.S and also the Brit awards without any hiccups. The whole time, I stuck to a strict regime of numerous diets, steaming, vocal rest, and vocal warm ups, which is very necessary but insanely grim. After a bit of time off I embarked on my European and UK tours at the end of March and finished at the end of April and everything seemed fine. “In May, I went on tour in the U.S. I was in Minneapolis halfway through the tour when I made a skype call in the morning on the day of the show and during it my voice suddenly switched off like a light! It was literally as if someone pulled a curtain over my throat… I was diagnosed with a hemorrhage, which is like a black eye on the vocal chord.” Adele has since undergone surgery to repair her injured vocal chords and is optimistic about making a full recovery. However, in the meantime, her career is on hold. Vocal health issues are nothing new, having plagued a number of high profile singers, including Julie Andrews, whose voice was never the same after what had been deemed a “simple” surgery, opera singer Denyce Graves, who hemorrhaged her voice sneezing backstage, and pop artist John Mayer, whose anticipated October release of his latest album, Born and Raised, has been pushed into 2012 because of recent restorative throat surgery. Whereas instrumental musicians can always replace a guitar, piano, clarinet, oboe, or snare drum – cue shots of The Who smashing drums and guitars on stage during a concert – Adele’s story is a stern reminder of how diligent vocalists must be in the care and maintenance of their instrument.

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HeadLines NAMM Invites Music Educators to 2012 “Music Education Days”

he NAMM Foundation recently invited music educators and school administrators from across the United States to come to Anaheim, Calif. to experience NAMM’s fifth annual “Music Education Days,” being held on Saturday and Sunday, Jan. 21 through Jan. 22 at the 2012 NAMM Show. Music educators and school administrators will have access to NAMM’s premier trade-only music products trade show, where they will be encouraged to see and try the many instruments and products relevant and useful to today’s music classrooms. Highlights of “Music Education Days” include a breakfast receptions including a performance by National Show Choir Champions Brea Olinda High School, a choir clinic, a brass ensemble clinic, a live interview with composer Sammy Nestico, and much more. To learn more about Music Education Days, visit www.namm.org.

Malta’s International Choir Competition

hoirs from across Europe recently gathered at churches and public squares in Valetta, Malta for the 4th International Choir Competition and Festival Malta. The Maltese capital city hosted an unforgettable competitions and concerts that were put on by Interkultur and various Maltese agencies. The festival began with a parade of all participating choirs and with an Opening Ceremony in The Grand Master’s Palace, while competitions comprised of secular and sacred music, with a special focus on Folklore. Choirs performe in front of the magnificent backdrop of numerous churches of the storied Mediterranean island. At the beautiful St. John’s Co-Cathedral, participants contributed to the festival’s peace ceremony, “Singing for Peace“ and supplemental the ecumenical service. In the middle of the weekend, selected choirs gathered at the at the historic Mediterranean Conference Centre in Valetta to give a concert together with the Malta Philharmonic Orchestra. Gábor Hollerung, Artistic Director of Interkultur, conducted. This year’s highest rated choir of the entire festival was the Vingel Singers group from Norway, conducted by Erland Horten. The choir earned very high points in the “Sacred music – open category” and were awarded a Golden Diploma Level III at the festival’s awards ceremony. Other top choirs included Napev

from Slovenia, Caldera from Norway, FaVoZa from Slovenia, Kammerkoret Apollon from Norway, and Caldera from Norway. Read more at www.interkultur. com.

2012 MTNA Conference

he 2012 Music Teachers National Association (MTNA) National Conference will take place in New York, New York, March 24–28, at the Hilton New York, located on the Avenue of the Americas. MTNA expects more than 2,000 music teachers from across the country to converge on the city for this annual five-day event. Benjamin Zander, conductor of the Boston Philharmonic Orchestra since 1979, will act as the conference’s keynote speaker. Numerous professional workshops, teaching tracks, sessions, industry showcases and masterclasses will also take place, as well as the finals of MTNA’s national student competitions. For more info, visit www.mtna.org.

Interested in learning more about how to record your choral group? Scan this image on your smart phone to access a helpful video on mic placement for choirs by Audix Microphones.

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Visit www.choraldirectormag.com and let your voice be heard in the current online poll – results to be published in the next issue of CD.

6 Choral Director, November 2011

If you come across headlines or breaking news that you want to share, e-mail editor Eliahu Sussman at

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PERFORMING ARTS C

CDUpfrontQ&A:

Catherine Connor-Moen

Inside the MICCA Festival: Tips and Trends

he highlight of the year for many school music programs, choral festivals represent a unique opportunity for students, educators, and communities to come together, learn, and strive for their very best. For an in-

depth look at the latest trends in choral festivals, performance tips, and some insight into navigating logistical hurdles, Choral

Director recently spoke with Catherine Connor-Moen, the cho-

Catherine Connor-Moen

ral director at Norwood (Mass.) High School and district fine arts coordinator for Norwood Public Schools. Cathy also served for 15 years as the festival chair for MICCA, the Massachusetts Instrumental and Choral Conductors Association, coordinating the annual state choral festival for the Massachusetts Music Educators Association. Choral Director: Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve been involved with festivals for close to two decades at this point. How have choral festivals evolved in that time? Catherine Connor-Moen: There are more different kinds of festivals out there than there used to be, which is very positive. Depending on where your program is, you can find a festival out there that will fit your needs, whether that happens to be a smaller destination festival at an amusement park, a bigger trip, or a staterun festival that is really all about the performance. There are so many positives at all of these events. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s great to be able to perform in other venues, and kids have so much they can learn through the opportunity of hearing other groups perform. The excitement that is generated from these events is really positive for the music programs. Sometimes a kid might join an ensemble because he or she is interested in the travel aspect of it only to find that he or she loves what is happening in the choir. It can be a huge boost for the community and a great way for kids to have a successful experience. 8 Choral Director, November 2011

CD: Where does the MICCA festival fit in along the scale of festivals that you just mentioned? CCM: There are destination festivals, which are the ones that combine a travel experience, and then there are the ones that are sponsored by music education associations like MICCA, ACDA, NAfME, and so on. Both types of festivals can be fantastic opportunities for music students, although the latter type of festival, such as ours, tends to be a little more rigorous. We give a very honest evaluation. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not just a feel-good event. We definitely want kids to come back year after year, but we want to be very honest in how we evaluate the groups that participate. One of the things that we do with my own music program at Norwood High School is look at the MICCA festival as analogous to our state-mandated standardized testing system. Our festival has requirements of suggested literature that groups have to prepare.

The biggest tips I can think of are understanding the technical aspects of teaching kids how to sing and programming appropriately, where you stretch but don’t over-reach. Directors really have to analyze their groups as they pick out music, and that’s something I think not everyone does.

Students have to perform music at a certain level – we tend to use the NYSSMA manual – and present a variety of pieces that give us a really good sense of what the kids can do. Destination festivals also have their place. We have used them ourselves, and they can be great for certain groups and certain levels. There comes a point in time, though, when most groups want a slightly more rigorous evaluation. The state festival has a clinic piece to it, where there is an intense rubric (available online at www.miccamusic.org) that we use for adjudication. Maybe a third of the communities here attend this festival – not everyone chooses to participate. I’ve been affiliated with MICCA for 15 years, and in that time, I’ve seen the number of groups that participate increase substantially, although it has leveled out at about 80 ensembles every year. I don’t want to sound dismissive of the destination festival; they just have a different purpose and role from the festivals that we put together.

a group can do well. Certainly, everyone should try to challenge their students, but it needs to be a reasonable challenge, and one that’s attainable. That’s one area where groups often make errors. We see the kids doing the very best they can, but maybe there aren’t enough voices, maybe there isn’t a great balance, maybe the group doesn’t have enough range – it can be clear when sometimes the music just isn’t a good fit for a particular group. It might be great music, but it has to be a great fit with the choir.

CD: Has the downturn in the economy manifested itself somehow in choral festivals?

“A lot of time is spent talking about the professionalism and the discipline of performance, and we take it very seriously.”

CCM: I haven’t noticed that the economy has had a major impact. We haven’t seen a drop in the number of schools attending our festival. In fact, because we’re local, we may have seen an increase in part because perhaps some schools are choosing to participate here rather than do a destination festival. CD: Let’s talk about performance. Aside from misunderstanding the evaluation rubric, are there any somewhat obvious pitfalls that groups tend to fall into? CCM: The biggest error that people often make is in programming; directors will tend to program music that is too difficult for their group. Many people will program music that they really like – perhaps they had a great experience performing a particular piece in high school or college – but it might not be particularly suited for their current group, so they can’t necessarily be as successful as they should be. It’s so important for the director to sit down and really evaluate what

CD: Repertoire selection aside, what about the flipside of that last question: are there any little things that the really successful groups do that other groups might want to take note of? CCM: This is a little tricky because sometimes it’s impractical for some schools because of budget issues, but it’s always advantageous if there is a dedicated accompanist, so the director doesn’t have to be the one who is also doing the accompanying. Otherwise,

it is just hard for the director to hear what’s going on. The other thing is that a choral director at the public school level needs to know how to teach students to sing. It’s not enough to just teach the notes. This is really tough, particularly in school systems that have small staff and have instrumental educators also teaching choirs. In those cases, many of those people have great skill and talent teaching notes, rhythms and phrasing, but most choral students don’t take private lessons – the choral rehearsal is their private lesson, that’s their pedagogy time. So if an educator isn’t comfortable teaching kids how to sing – how to teach a boy to handle a falsetto and a voice break, teaching breath support so that tone stays warm and in tune – that’s another issue that we pick up on in our festivals. e see groups that can sing the notes accurately, but still, with a lot of technical issues.

CD: What about factoring in what adjudicators might want to hear? How big a role should that play in the selection of music and preparation for a festival performance? CCM: Ideally, adjudicators should be listening for a variety of music: a program that demonstrates an ensemble’s versatility with appropriate tone and phrasing in, say, a gospel piece or a sacred-type a cappella piece. Ideally, the different pieces selected will display the different aspects of a group’s skills. An adjudicator would likely be negative to “cheesy” or inappropriate repertoire. There’s a lot of contemporary and popular repertoire that’s really good, but there’s also a lot of music that isn’t. I don’t think you’d find

any judges say, “I don’t like that song so I won’t give them a good rating.” However, they might say, “That’s not a great choice.” It’s kind of like planning a menu. Are you going to feed the kids a good balanced, well-rounded diet, or are you going to feed your kids a lot of junk food? Yes, you’re going to want a novelty piece here or there for the kids to have fun with, but would that be the piece you’d want to bring into a festival? CD: How about navigating the festival – are there any logistical or other non-musical elements that might actually make the music and presentation of the music a little smoother? CCM: What we do here at my school is something that works really well for us: all the pieces that we take into festival are pieces that we’ve already performed at a concert at some point in that season. That helps alleviChoral Director, November 2011 9

ate some of the performance nerves. Also, we spend an awful lot of time reminding the kids that they are in performance as soon as they enter the public eye. This sounds like common sense, but not everyone thinks of it. There is plenty of time spent practicing getting on and off the risers, which side they will enter or exit from, spending time on the actual risers so that the students know how to space themselves. Sometimes the logistical details can really make a kid nervous. We put the kids on stage in advance so they know what they will sound like in a hall, as opposed to a classroom. We have an accompanist come in for some rehearsals before the festival, so the students are used to really watching a conductor, as our classes aren’t normally accompanied. We make a big deal about appropriate dress because that’s the first impression that the ensemble will make. If they look put together and classy, that will help create the right frame of mind. A lot of time is spent talking about the professional-

10 Choral Director, November 2011

ism and the discipline of performance, and we take it very seriously. Most festivals will include some warm-up time, and we usually warm up their instruments, but we also take them through the pieces to think about some of the pointers they should keep in mind; it’s probably somewhat similar to the pep talk a coach might give going into a sporting event, minus the “rah-rah, knock ‘em dead” kind of stuff. It helps give focus. CD: What are your thoughts on the role of competition in vocal music festivals? CCM: I have very strong opinions on this issue: I am not a fan of the sweepstakes type of finishes. I am not supportive of that at all. The state festival that we work in is a standards-based festival, with gold, silver, and bronze medals, so the groups aren’t competing against each other so much as competing against themselves. Our rubrics explain that really well. The MICCA festival is a threeday festival over two different sites, and

you could go through a whole day and maybe never have a gold medal performance on one day and another day maybe never have bronze medal. With our rubric, you can take the recording of the performance and sit down with the students, following along and evaluating your own performance in a great learning experience. All kids want to be a part of something that is successful, and school systems will support something that is very good. That element of performing and receiving medals is a real positive for the school and community – it’s a positive affirmation of what the kids are doing. But I don’t like the first, second, third place rankings, because that means that second place is still somehow a loser. If you’re the one group that wins those types of competitions, that’s awesome, but if you did the best job that you could possibly do and it was the most amazing performance you’ve ever given, and you only come in fifth, that’s kind of crummy. You want every group to have a chance at a great experience.

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CDGuest Editorial: Recruitment & Retention

Overcoming Weakness By Troy Meeker

hen I first began teaching at Central High School in Phoenix, Arizona five years ago, the plan was to build a successful high school choral program. In my college music teaching methods class, I was taught that there are three

steps to building a successful music program with high enrollment: quality of instruction and performance, marketing the product, and recruiting (see sidebar). We followed the playbook, and it worked in many ways. I implemented numerous changes over the first few years: implemented daily sight singing and rhythm reading practice, introduced lessons on music theory fundamentals, created a choir website, created a poster marketing campaign, performed the national anthem for almost every sport on campus as well as professional sporting events, and performed at every middle school and elementary school that would let us in. The quality of our musicianship and performances increased significantly. Our school, staff, and community recognized what we were accomplishing, and were very supportive of our success. The only thing lacking in the choir program was students.

12 Choral Director, November 2011

The first year we had a total of 46 students enrolled in choir, and by year two it nearly doubled, but then remained static for the next two years. I was frustrated. How could I be doing all this positive work in all the areas I’m supposed to and see no improvement in the number of students in my classes? I recognize that numbers are not the most important element of the program; it’s about the learning and the experience. However, it’s hard to give a positive singing experience to a beginning men’s choir with only nine students because they always feel exposed. There is safety and security in numbers, and to be honest, it’s a lot easier to hide pitch mistakes within a larger group. I was at my wits’ end, so I called a good friend of mine, Dr. Judy Durocher, and asked her for help. She has a reputation for being a program builder, an excellent educator, and a great motivator. After discussing the challenges I was having, she and I decided it would be best for her to come in and speak with some of my students. We both felt that they might be a little more honest with her than they would

be with me. When she visited, she questioned students about the state of the choir program: what they liked (singing), what they didn’t like (sight singing), and why they joined. The most insightful responses came when she asked why other students don’t join choir. Nearly all choir students agreed on two answers. The first was simply that other students think choir is stupid. The second, however, was, “Other students think that Mr. Meeker [me, the director] is mean.” Of course, the response that “Mr. Meeker is mean” intrigued Dr. Durocher, so she asked students to give examples of how I was mean. The answers were: “He never gives us a day off,” “He makes us do our best every day,” and “He never let’s up; he is always asking us to give more or work harder.” Dr. Durocher then asked, “So how is that mean?” The students said, “It’s not; that’s why we like it here. We know he’s always got our back. That’s just what the other kids think.” After class, Dr. Durocher and I were talking about what we heard, and she made an offhand comment, stating that I should “own” the whole mean thing. “Heck, you should make a shirt and put a picture of your mean face on it,” she said. One of my choir officers overheard the conversation and loved the idea. He brought it up at the next choir officer meeting, offering the challenge of how we could use the knowledge of how other students viewed me to change the reputation of choir program and its director. The officers decided that if we advertised the “mean thing” and could somehow make fun of it at the same time, it might take some of the power out of the statement. To remove the negative stigma, the officers thought about it, and they decided to put “mean” on the shirt, converting the word into an acronym for “Making Excellence Available Now.” Then they designed the rest of the t-shirt with a caricature of me, deciding that a cartoon version of the director further served to soften the reputation. Having isolated the weakness, reclaimed the statement, and created the advertisement, we still faced the chal-

“Weaknesses should be viewed not as anchors tying us down, but as opportunities for improvement waiting to be realized.” lenge of how to use it to recruit new members. The officers brainstormed, and using a recent sporting event as inspiration, they decided that we would have a “white out.” We would make the shirts white with black and red writing and give them to as many people as we could. Additionally, since our choir is often recognized for the posters that we use for marketing, we decided to add posters to what was fast becoming a “white out” event. The officers created white posters with black writing that would be placed all over the school showing the same image and slogan on the shirts. Finally, we decided that each choir student would carry a stack of forms that would allow other students to sign up for choir in the fall. They could simply fill out the forms on the spot and turn them in to our counseling department. We selected a date, and the plan was set. We ordered shirts for every staff member and choir student. Posters were copied and prepared to be hung up. Signs and banners were painted with the slogan, “Get Mean.” Signup sheets were copied, cut, and distributed. The day of the white out, every choir student and most staff members wore their t-shirts. Choir officers arrived at 6:00 a.m. to hang posters and signs on every open space on campus. A 40foot “Get Mean” banner was mounted above the quad where every student would see it. The principal was even

sighted in his “Meeker is Mean” shirt. Dr. Durocher stopped by to see what

The Three Steps to Building a Program

The three steps to building a successful music program with high enrollment are commonly understood within the music education community. Below is a summarization of the common understanding. Quality – People want to be a part of a winning team. Marketing/Advocacy – Teachers, students, administrators, and community members need to know of the good things happening in the choir program. Recruitment – Take choir students to the feeder schools and perform. These same three items have appeared in countless articles and books on the topic in various forms and a few are referenced below. Jorgensen, N. S., PfeilerBielawski, C., & Ehly, E. (1995). Things they never taught you in choral methods. Milwaukee, WI: Hal Leonard. McGill, S., & Volk, E. (2007). Beyond Singing: Blueprint for the Exceptional Choral Program. Milwaukee, WI: Hal Leonard. Simmons, M. (2008). “Mission Possible: Organizing the Resurrection of a Choral Program.” Choral Journal, 48(8), 79-81. Choral Director, November 2011 13

kind of chaos was stirred up from our little experiment. There was a buzz on the campus. Everyone started talking about what was happening. Students couldn’t walk into a single classroom on campus without seeing a t-shirt or a poster about choir. The support was fantastic, the kids were excited, and I was so busy making fun of myself and giving “mean looks” to everyone who I saw that the day flew by. In a single day, 80 students signed up for Central High’s choirs for the next school year. Though not all of them were able to fit choir in their schedules, almost 50 of the students singing with me this year joined as a direct result of what they saw that day. We took what was perceived as our biggest weakness, put it on a shirt, advertised it, and used it to make ourselves stronger. My students and I still laugh at the fact that we told the entire school that I was mean, and they still joined my class.

Weaknesses don’t have to hurt educators. They are a part of us all as human beings. Weaknesses should be viewed not as anchors tying us down, but as opportunities for improvement waiting to be realized. I tried to shy away from the reputation that I had gained on campus, and it didn’t help. I tried to focus on the classroom instruction and marketing because they were my strengths, and it did not improve the numbers. Finally, I took the unconventional route and a little selfdeprecation allowed students to see beyond the mean.

izona, where he has developed district curriculum in choral music education, music technology, and is currently piloting an online music technology course which he designed. He is an active member of the National Association for Music Education (NAfME), Arizona Music Educators Association (AMEA), Technology Institute for Music Educators (TI:ME), and the Choral Directors of Arizona (ChoDA). Currently, Mr. Meeker serves as the All-State Jazz Choir Chairperson as well as a Member at Large on the ChoDA Board. Mr. Meeker has presented at the Western Division ACDA Convention as well as the AZ Music Educator’s Convention. In addition, he has worked as a clinician for Greater Phoenix Junior High Honor Choir, Northern Arizona University Summer Music Camp, Paradise Valley USD Summer Music Camp, and the Phoenix Union HSD Summer Music Camp.

Troy Meeker is the director of choirs at Central High School in Phoenix, Ar-

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14 Choral Director, November 2011

CDCommentary: “West Side Story”

“West Side Story”: Fifty Years of Cinematic Magic By Keith Mason; all photographs froM United artists.

“W

est Side Story” is one of the great films of all time. Premiering on October 18, 1961 at the Rivoli Theater in New

York, it celebrates the 50th anniversary of its film debut this year. To mark the occasion, a special Blu-Ray edition of the film was recently released. Earlier this year, “West Side Story” was voted one of the top five favorite musical films of all time on an ABC-TV special entitled “Best in Film: The Greatest Movies of Our Time.” This article commemorates the 50th anniversary of the motion picture version of “West Side Story,” providing background about the original conception of the Broadway stage musical. It then traces the creation of the motion picture version and outlines activities that focus on the “West Side Story” music and libretto that can be utilized with both vocal and instrumental music students. The film version of “West Side Story” garnered 11 Academy Award nominations, winning 10. While the original 1957 Broadway musical was, in retrospect, innovative, some reviewers believe it may have been ahead of its time. A musical about gangs was very different from the typical musical comedies of the same era; by the end of Act I, two main characters are dead; another main character dies by the end of Act II. This was quite different from themes and

16 Choral Director, November 2011

George Chakiris (middle) performs as “Bernardo.”

Rita Moreno (Anita) sings and dances “America” with the Sharks and their girlfriends.

characters found in the traditional musical comedy. Scott Miller, author of “From ‘Assassins’ to ‘West Side Story’: The Director’s Guide to Musical Theatre,” observed that, “‘West Side Story’ is the American musical theatre’s only great tragedy, a story in which a happy ending is not possible, a musical about hatred and prejudice, a musical that says that love cannot triumph over all. It is also a perfect blend of the many disciplines that make musical theatre. More than in most musicals, the book, music, lyrics, and staging come together as a perfectly unified whole, speaking with one voice.”

Background: The Stage and Screen Versions The four creators of “West Side Story” were Jerome Robbins, Arthur Laurents, Leonard Bernstein, and Stephen Sondheim. “West Side Story” was originally conceived as “East Side Story” in 1949, and it was to be a conflict between Jewish and Catholic families. Instead, the creators decided to capitalize on the huge Puerto Rican immigration of the 1950s. The Sharks represent the Puerto Rican immigrant gang while the Jets were the New York gang, forming the main conflict in the musical. The conflict is increased when the New York character of Tony falls in love with a Puerto Rican woman, Maria. The concept for “West Side Story” was to stage Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet” as a ballet, an idea that legendary choreographer Jerome Robbins came up with in 1947. Robbins had worked with Leonard Bernstein on the musical “Wonderful Town” and thought Bernstein, Sondheim, and Laurent would be ideal for the music and libretto of the Romeo and Juliet musical. Bernstein, Robbins, and Laurents discussed this musical treatment between 1949 and 1955, yet the project remained on the back burner for several years. On August 25, 1955, Bernstein and Laurents crossed paths. They discussed how they regretted that nothing had come of the Romeo project. They talked about gang wars between

Chicanos and Caucasians in the Los Angeles area. Laurents was not comfortable with a city and people not part of his consciousness and suggested Manhattan, and the tension between Puerto Ricans and whites as the main theme. Laurents was set as librettist but Bernstein was so occupied with conducting in New York and guest conducting elsewhere that he preferred to share the workload. Laurents saw Stephen Sondheim at a party and brought up the Romeo project. Sondheim wanted to be involved, yet he wanted to create both music and lyrics and was reluctant to accept the position as lyricist. Oscar Hammerstein, II, Sondheim’s mentor, believed that Sondheim should not pass up the opportunity to work with Bernstein and Robbins. The Laurents libretto was atypically brief compared to other musical libretti because so much of the story was told through dance and songs. All the main characters of “West Side Story” derived from Romeo and Juliet characters. Miller maintains that, “The drama and power of “West Side Story” lies as firmly in the choreography as in the words and music. Though Bernstein’s music, Sondheim’s lyrics, and Laurents’ dialogue are laid out carefully for anyone producing the show, Jerome Robbins’ choreography is not.” Originally called “Gangway!,” the title “West Side Story” was reinstated prior to the out-of-town tryout in Washington, D.C. staged on August 19, 1957. A Philadelphia tryout followed, and then the Broadway run began on September 26, 1957. Seven Arts Productions was the leading contender for film rights of “West Side Story,” which they bought for $350,000 in July of 1958. The Mirish Company, comprised of four brothers, entered the scene to produce the film. They were instrumental in getting Jerome Robbins, choreographer of the original Broadway stage production, as director. Because he had little film experience having only choreographed the 1956 musical film “The King and I,” they secured Rob-

ert Wise as a co-director. Wise had never directed a musical but was a big fan of them. He commissioned Ernest Lehman to adapt the show to the silver screen. Lehman was famous for his screenplays, including Executive Suite, Sabrina, “The King and I,” and “North by Northwest before” “West Side Story.” He would later go on to write such blockbusters as “The Prize,” “The Sound of Music,” “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?,” and “Hello, Dolly!” For the film, the “Prologue” was filmed on location in Manhattan from 61st to 68th Street. Abandoned housing was located in this area in anticipation of the construction of Lincoln Center. A playground was used at 110th Street between Second and Third Avenues. Parts of Maria were also filmed on location. The rest of the film was shot on sets within seven soundstages at the Samuel Goldwin Studios in West Hollywood. The production company used the majority of the studio space from September 1960 until the film’s completion in 1961. The opening of the film used aerial shots using bird-eyed views capturing New York City landmarks such as the Empire State Building, the United Nations, Columbia University, and Yankee Stadium. Robbins put shooting so behind because of his perfectionism and desire for multiple takes that he was released from his directorial duties in late October of 1960. Co-director Robert Wise invited Robbins to view footage done in his absence so that he could still provide feedback. They must have done something right; Miller explained that: “It wasn’t until the release of the 1961 film version that the [‘West Side Story’] finally captured the hearts of the public.”

The Musical Score Leonard Bernstein composed and conducted classical music, as well as musicals and operas. Bernstein not only composed the music for “West Side Story” (and lyrics, although uncredited) but also for the musicals “On the Town,” “Wonderful Town,” Choral Director, November 2011 17

and “1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.” He also composed the operas “Trouble in Tahiti,” “Candide,” and “A Quiet Place.” Stephen Sondheim has been a prolific contributor to Broadway for numerous musicals as both composer and lyricist. Some of his most famous musicals include “Gypsy,” “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum,” “Anyone Can Whistle,” “Do I Hear a Waltz?” (with Richard Rodgers), “Company,” “Follies,” “A Little Night Music,” “Sweeney Todd,” “Sunday in the Park with George,” “Into the Woods,” “Assassins,” and “Passion.” What makes “West Side Story” so phenomenal? Many have argued that the songs in the jazz-influenced score are its strength. Most of the songs from “West Side Story” are considered standards and familiar to so many universally. Some of the most recognizable songs of any musical are found in the “West Side Story” score: “The Jet Song,” “Something’s Coming,” “Maria,” “I Have a Love,” “One Hand, One Heart,” “Somewhere,” “Quintet,” “Cool,” “Gee, Officer Krupke,” “A Boy Like That,” and “I Feel Pretty.” Certainly, the musical score greatly contributed to its status. Miller believes that: “Bernstein’s mu-

Nixon also dubbed Rita Moreno’s vocals in the song “Quintet.” Betty Wand did the singing for Anita for the song “A Boy Like That” because of the very low register to very high range required by the song. Jim Bryant dubbed Richard Beymer’s singing, and Russ Tamblyn’s lead vocal in “The Jet Song” was done by Tucker Smith (who played “Ice” in the film). Nixon is also famous for doing the singing for Deborah Kerr in the 1956 movie musical “The King and I” and for Audrey Hepburn in the 1964 movie musical “My Fair Lady.” The “West Side Story” soundtrack was the best-selling U.S. album of the 1960s. It spent 54 weeks at #1 on Billboard’s album charts and won a Grammy Award for “Best Sound Track Album Original Cast.” Monush observed that the music of “West Side Story” appealed to both adults and teens. The soundtrack also created newfound interest in the Broadway cast album, which also leapt in sales and returned to the Billboard charts. Monush maintains that the “West Side Story” soundtrack held the number 1 position “longer than any other soundtrack album or album of any kind in recording history.”

Natalie Wood (Anita) and Richard Beyher (Tony).

Choreographer and co-director Jerome Robbins demonstrates dance moves for the actors during “the Prologue.”

sic is heavily jazz inspired and, here and there, borderline rock.” An interesting fact about the film “West Side Story” is that several of the principal actors had their singing parts dubbed by professional singers, at the insistence of associate producer Saul Chaplin. Natalie Wood prerecorded the songs sung by Maria, yet in the final film, famous ghost singer Marni Nixon looped in the singing voice of Maria. Interestingly, 18 Choral Director, November 2011

Score and Libretto Activities The jazz-style music of “West Side Story” can undoubtedly enhance the vocal and instrumental music curriculum. A number of interesting activities are possible that treat the “West Side Story” score and libretto outlined below.

Print Materials

Finstad, Suzanne. Natasha: The Biography of Natalie Wood. New York: Three Rivers Press, 2001. Keenan, Richard C. The Films of Robert Wise. Lanham, MD: Scarecrow Press, 2007. Laurent, Arthur. Original Story By. New York: Knopf, 2000. Miller, Scott. From Assassins to West Side Story: The Director’s Guide to Musical Theatre. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann. Monush, Barry. Music On Film: West Side Story. Milwaukee: Limelight, 2010. Nixon, Marni, with Stephen Cole. I Could Have Sung All Night: My Story. New York: Billboard Books, 2007. Peyser, Joan. Bernstein: A Biography. New York: Beech Tree Books, 1987. Secrest, Meryle. Stephen Sondheim: A Life. New York: Delta, 1999.

• Keeping score: Students listen carefully to the background score. Students identify what melodies they hear in the background score that Irwin Kostal and Sid Ramin so carefully utilized in various scenes in the film version (see Miller 1996 for further discussion). • Identify the tune!: Using the film’s overture and the closing title music, students identify the melodies they hear from the “West Side Story” score. • Who’s Really Singing?: Besides using ghost singers in “West Side Story,” a number of musicals used the same approach. Students could investigate to see who really sang for the actors and actresses. A relevant tie-in is the MGM movie musical Singin’ in the Rain, all about the emergence of talky films in the late 1920s, and the need for voice doubles for non-singing actors. • Act it out!: Working with the Laurents libretto (script), students act out select scenes. • Hit it!: Students perform “West Side Story” songs with piano or other accompaniment or a cap-

pella or instrumental versions. • And now for our feature presentation: Students view the film in class or at a special screening. • Now on stage: Students see a stage production of the show. • Write it down: Students write about their favorite song from “West Side Story” or some other aspect of the show or score. • Rapping: Students discuss the show’s score in cooperative groups. Each group could analyze a different song or compare different versions of the same song. • Musical Analysis: Using Scott Miller’s analysis of “West Side Story,” teachers can help walk students through the music of “West Side Story.” For example, Bernstein used many minor chords and the lowered third and seventh scale degrees, common to jazz and blues music. He also used “hemiola,” setting a duple time melody against a triple time accompaniment, or three against four, etc. Bernstein also based his entire score on the tritone (the musical interval of a raised fourth). Bernstein, “to great advantage” according to Miller, uses the use of this dissonance that often indicates danger or evil. The tritone is used in almost every song of the “West Side Story” score, but especially in songs that

•

reflect Tony and Maria’s romance (“Maria,” “Somewhere”). Vocal versus Instrumental: In “West Side Story,” in addition to the songs with lyrics, much instrumental music is used and could be analyzed by students. Thus, both vocal and instrumental music teachers and students can analyze the score. “Tonight” and Balcony Scene: “Tonight” is staged on a fire escape in “West Side Story.” In “Romeo and Juliet,” a balcony is used. Students could undertake a comparison of these two key scenes. “America”: Students could investigate the Puerto Rican immigration wave in 1950s United States and analyze aspects of Puerto Rican culture, music, and dance. “Quintet”: Students could analyze the “Quintet” song involving the Jets, the Sharks, Tony, Maria, and Anita. How does this song fulfill the role of a turning point in the story? Compare and Contrast: Students could compare various recordings of the “West Side Story” score, especially the Broadway cast, London cast, film soundtrack, the 1985 Bernstein studio recording, and The Songs of “West Side Story” recorded by popular recording artists

such as Selena, Phil Collins, Aretha Franklin, and Little Richard. Specific songs could be assigned to individuals or groups. Students could consider the key signature (are any songs in a different key?) and orchestration (is it similar or different? How so?) A few songs in the stage version are positioned differently in the film. Why was this done?

Conclusion “West Side Story” is both one of the most popular movie musicals of all time and one of the most popular stage musicals in history. The stage and screen versions deserve attention within the music curriculum, especially in terms of the musical score. Keith Mason, Ph.D. teaches world languages at New Providence High School in New Providence, New Jersey. Dr. Mason received eight Rising Star Awards for educational impact from the Paper Mill Playhouse for integrating his school’s musicals into the high school curriculum. He has authored several articles about using musicals in the interdisciplinary curriculum.

Choral Director, November 2011 19

Dream Team This pair of Shrewsbury (Mass.) choral directors make compelling educational duets By Matt Parish

Bonnie Narcisi and Michael Lapomardo have been teaching together at Shrewsbury High School for eleven years now with incredible results. Their singing program has ballooned since 2000 from two choirs to four, with plans to add more varied ensembles to the middle school program, and a steady stream of students making their way into All-State choirs every year. 20 Choral Director, November 2011

Choral Director, November 2011 21

As director of the K-12 music program, Narcisi oversees everything from choir to band and the theatre program. She’s worked at Shrewsbury schools for 13 years and, these days, teaches for two periods a day, including rehearsals with the school’s toplevel-choir, the A Cappella Choir. Lapomardo came to Shrewsbury after meeting Narcisi at the University of Massachusetts - Lowell, where they had both studied. She granted him a request to student teach at Shrewsbury and soon after hired him to begin teaching lower level choirs at the school. Within a few years, Lapomardo had taught nearly every level of students in the school system and had gotten his

foot in the door at the high school program. Soon, his position as a versatile instructor began to serve as a valuable bridge in the long-term development of students in the choral program. He was able to see trends in population shifts headed to the high school and he was able to watch for the types of skills and knowledge Narcisi’s students were in need of before they became upper classmen. He now teaches three choirs (Mixed Chorus, Freshman Chorus, and Women’s Chorus), orchestra, a theatrical design class, and an electronic music class centered on using Logic Pro software. They added the Women’s Chorus choir to accommodate a recent rise in female students and they began focus-

ing on music literacy earlier on choral studies. Now the school enjoys a supremely accomplished group of choral students in a program that fits into a greater performing arts program including band and orchestra and theatrical arts. Choral Director caught up with both Narcisi and Lapomardo to talk about how their method of tandem teaching has evolved into an efficient feeder system from elementary singing classes all the way up through the most advanced high school choir ensemble. Choral Director: Let’s get started by talking about this long-developing teaching tandem relationship that you have going. Bonnie, how does having someone like Michael handling duties in the younger choirs affect how you approach your students? Bonnie Narcisi: I think our styles are probably different, but what we’re after is similar, especially in terms of excellence of performance. Michael is a real live wire. He’s up and down and bouncing all around and singing every octave imaginable. I’m older and more reserved. [laughs]. We both have a lot of personality and we make our expectations clear to the students. I think that the fact that our goals align is a key to the success – that we’re expecting the kids to read and understand what they’re performing and that we’re expecting them to listen and adjust their sounds appropriately. CD: When Michael started working, what was the process like to figure out how to balance those duties? BN: He’s had a lot of different positions here but he has been at the high school full time for a number of years now. Due to budgetary issues, the whole department morphs at times, though we’ve been able to stay pretty consistent lately. I’m sure he’ll say that he spends a lot of time on music literacy and solfège. There’s really been a focus toward that and you can’t talk enough about that. But I’d say that with the honors ensembles – the women’s group as well as the a cappella group, the emphasis is more on literature and performance. The emphasis is more on music litera-

22 Choral Director, November 2011

cy as well as performance in the other two ensembles. CD: Was it always that way? Michael Lapomardo: I think it takes awhile – you can’t just walk in the door and be on the same page immediately. You have to have a continual process of trying different things and seeing how they work. I’ve done a lot of that with the younger kids coming in, asking Bonnie what it is that she wants them to be ready for by the time they’re juniors and seniors. Between the different sight reading courses and the music theory courses that are out there, over the last six years I’ve been fine-tuning what they need to know by the time they leave freshman year so they’re ready for any choir. It has taken a lot of work to see how to get that where we want it, and then we have to go through a full cycle of four years. At that point, it’s back to square one – did this work? What can we change? CD: Michael, you sought Bonnie out after meeting her at University of Massachusetts - Lowell for a student teaching position at Shrewsbury and you’ve been there ever since. How has Bonnie influenced your approach to teaching? ML: I haven’t had any outside places of teaching, but I have worked in other schools and other districts doing theater activities, which still relates because you’re seeing what other students are doing. You’re seeing what’s in their program and what’s not in their program and how it affects how you’re able to teach them. So it’s really the same thing – I’m not doing classroom music with them, but still just trying to do a show in certain districts has been a particular challenge because they don’t have the same system of having students start singing in a certain grade and charting progress so that by the time they get to high school, they’re at a particular level. Some schools don’t even have choral programs in their elementary and middle schools – they don’t have a feeder program to supply the school.

CD: As the part of the team with the most exposure to the younger students, you must have a lot of ideas for how to tailor the program to prepare them for high school choirs. ML: Bonnie was willing to listen to what I was doing and I’m really the introductory person to the choruses. I’ve had the lower levels for seven years now. I am really settling them in, giving them knowledge and understanding of how to read and understand music. So she really listened and eventually we got everything to pass. That’s how we managed to have four choirs. CD: How has the progression been since you started? ML: Early on, we mapped things out because the general chorus was getting too unmanageable. There were so many girls. That’s when we decided to add a Freshman Girls Chorus so the boys could all go into the General Chorus and the girls would have their own separate chorus that would alleviate some of the size issues and make it more manageable. That was my first class at the high school. So I did that for a couple of years and as things progressed and the

middle school got stronger– they’d been through many changes but they got stronger and their class sizes became more manageable so that you were able to do more work. I then came to Bonnie and said, “Here’s my problem – I’m seeing my freshman girls starting to decline because the number of girls coming in is getting smaller and the boys starting to get stronger.” I said, “Now what I’m feeling is that there needs to be a women’s choir because the girls come in and get to do women’s music, and then never get to go back to that again.” There are many girls in the school that love women’s music because it’s so different. So I talked about putting in a women’s choir and then having all freshmen receive the same introductory lessons, learn the theory, learn the music reading, and learn what it’s like to sing at a high school before they get into a real high school choir so that the high school choirs could be at an advanced level and there would be a good feeder program to go into our program. CD: How are the students organized as the year begins?

“Between the different sight reading courses and the music theory courses that are out there, over the last six years I’ve been fine-tuning what they need to know by the time they leave freshman year so they’re ready for any choir.”

Choral Director, November 2011 23

BN: We do a screening before course selection is supposed to take place for the next year and we evaluate all the kids in the choral program on a section of a madrigal that we have them prepare. We listen for all the usual things – breath support, tone quality, diction, articulation, and so on. We evaluate and place them not unlike how you would place students in Honors Calculus or Calculus or Math II, where we think their developmental level stands. Of course we also have to take into consideration balance and blend, so it’s a combination of the two things. But we do screen them together, which has worked very well. CD: Do you have specific goals each year that you want the kids to accomplish, or does it change from group to group? BN: Certainly the literature changes from year to year. I can specifically talk about the a cappella choir for this – every year you have a different group, a different sound. Some of the goals are the same. Obviously, at the beginning of the year, you want the group to gel. You want there to be a balance and blend. Then you take off from there and branch out into the different styles of literature. CD: Has there been many longterm planning developments insofar as you getting students that Michael’s been working with for years? Is there a feedback system there that you have worked out for once you start working with those students? BN: Yeah, for sure. We talk about that quite a bit in terms of the literacy piece. I don’ thtink we spent much time with at all early and then we saw that they need to have a better understanding of what’s on the page. Michael really latched onto that and has been diligently creating much more literate singers for sure. So that’s one place where that’s definitely been true. CD: Did it take awhile to get on the same page as far as what the end goal for music literacy would be? 24 Choral Director, November 2011

BN: I don’t think so. I think we’ve always been on the same wavelength. Like I said, part of that might be that this was really Michael’s first job, teaching here at Shrewsbury, so we kind of morphed into a unit. It would be a lot different if someone were teaching for eight or ten years somewhere else, had developed their own total style, and then came into this system. CD: Shrewsbury has been hosting the Massachusetts All-State and your program always has several students on the choir. What do you do to prepare students for auditions? BN: I listen to them all again individually and assess who’s ready to go and I take as many as we can take. I actually have to post the list about who’s approved for Central District Audition, because there’s a waiting list. Then what we do is we have some master classes after school and we go over a lot of the things that will occur in the audition like the interval matching, the piece – I run those sessions like a master class. Each individual student goes up and sings his or her piece and the other students who are there will give some constructive criticism or support. I think both things are

at a glance

Shrewsbury High School Location: 64 Holden Street Shrewsbury, MA On the Web: www.schools.shrewsbury-ma.gov Students in the SHS Choral Program: 125 Students Enrolled at SHS: 1636 Choral Ensembles: A Cappella Choir Women’s Choir Mixed Choir Freshman Choir

supportive, frankly, and it’s a good atmosphere. The whole approach has kind of morphed. You try various things and end up centering on what works so you have that key to success. I think that we definitely have become more successful with that whole aspect since we do take time to extend individual attention to the kids. I’m a big proponent of listening, also, so I think it’s also important that, as singers, they become discriminating listeners. And that’s not just in the district workshop piece – that’s in the classroom, too. I frequently

have the kids comment on what was good about takes or what they think we can improve on. “Why do you think this chord is out of tune?” “Oh, perhaps our vowels aren’t matching.” “Yes, that could be it!” CD: The actual gatherings must give you a great opportunity to mingle with all types of other programs. ML: Since we host the All-State auditions, the majority of the schools come to us and walk in and see our kids and they’ve all commented about our parents and our kids and how enthusiastic they are. We don’t care who comes in that door – we’ll take them as one of our own. Outside of that event, I just try to do everything that I can and be in more spaces than just my own because I know how powerful that is. I know how important it is to be out there and to see other schools that are in our area or in our district. CD: Just in terms of getting face time with other students or seeing other programs? ML: Everything. When I’m out other schools – I actually have a lot of students now that are out and working in other schools now. I see other theater programs maybe doing a show that I just want to see. And I’m always interested to see other programs to think about how to tweak ours. I’m always thinking that we’re not the end-all be-all. There’s always going to be a school that’s better than us, so how can we make this better for the kids? I’m not ever the person that will be comfortable and sit at one place and say “This is how it is and it will never change.” I’m always looking for change and always telling the kids to go out and look and see what’s around you because you’d be surprised where you fall on the spectrum. No high school is the same as the next one. It’s just not that way.

friend that works there. It’s a very small school and a lot of the kids are involved in music. It’s not the best space – it’s kind of run-down, it’s old – but you walk in and they’re up there performing and loving it. I always think to myself, “These kids have nothing but they’re enjoying this. What am I missing? When I go into my school, these kids have everything at their fingertips. They have a beautiful performance space, up-to-date technology, but what is lacking?” The thing that’s lacking in our

kids are doing it and love it and that I know these kids love doing it, too. CD: Going along with the idea of making students aware of different contexts for this music, the Shrewsbury a cappella group seems to happily work in several different environments. BN: There’s a five-star restaurant in town, The Beachwood, and during holiday time they have these brunches with Santa. We usually have quite an extended holiday repertoire and I assign different octets to go sing for those different Sun-

“I think that’s one of the highest levels you can bring students to – when they’re comfortable just performing independently.” students is sometimes the true appreciation for what you’re doing. It doesn’t matter what you’re doing – as long as you’re enjoying what you’re doing, it doesn’t matter where you are. That’s something I see in other places and it’s a problem in myself sometimes when I get lost in this world. But I love seeing other kids when they’re out there just having a great time. When my kids aren’t having a good time because it’s a belaboring job, I try to bring it in check with them. I say that I’ve been out and these other

days. They circulate throughout the various rooms of the restaurant and there’s an adult there – sometimes it’s me, sometimes it’s a parental chaperone – and a student leader with a pitch pipe and they do their thing. CD: That’s really cool. BN: Yeah, and I think that’s one of the highest levels you can bring students to, when they’re comfortable just performing independently. Certainly, I would never do that if they weren’t ready. But that also happens

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CD: What’s an example of something you picked up from another school? ML: There’s a school that I go to every year to see one of their theatre productions because I have a

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at the football games. They sing a four-part version of the national anthem and different quartets go on their own with a student leader with a pitch pipe and they just sing. CD: That autonomy seems really important to the program. ML: I don’t shape my program towards one person. I

don’t send them down a track since, in my eyes, they’re my kids and if I were to drop dead and someone else had to come in, they’d be able to continue because I laid a good foundation. That’s how I approach it. I give them all kinds of background information on why it’s important to sing and what it is we’re singing about. I always talk about how it’s more than just the black and white on the page. Because that’s not what music is – music is much more than just these notes and words on a page.

26 Choral Director, November 2011

Our school motto is to make these students become real independent individuals. They have to be responsible for everything that they do. We are always trying to find a way to give leadership and make that happen. CD: That’s great to have these little units that can run themselves like that. BN: I think the great thing about that is that when they leave here – I definitely don’t look at it like it’s the end of their choral experience at Shrewsbury High School. I think that collectively we prepare them to be successful at performing at college and out in the community. I mean, we get so many notes back from kids that they’re really excited that they have been accepted to this group or that group this a cappella ensemble or that large chorus. I post those things on the board to show that there is life after Shrewsbury High School.

CDSurvey: Classroom Tools

Tools

of the Trade

ne of the greatest aspects of choral music is that its primary instrument is one we are born with and effortlessly carry with us everywhere we go. Still, there have been tremendous technological advances of late in music education software,

tools, and equipment – from risers to digital recorders to classroom management software. For a better understanding of how these helpers are being utilized by vocal music educators, Choral Director elicited reader feedback in this recent survey. “I love all the cool equipment, but nothing replaces or substitutes for a talented, enthusiastic, and dedicated Choral Music instructor,” replied educator Denis Mullins, summing up a common theme among respondents. And, certainly, that is true. On the other hand, a significant number of readers also indicated that technology and new resources and tools have “revolutionized” the field of music education. Read on for the latest trends on the tools of the trade being used by vocal music educators in classrooms nationwide.

Choral Director, November 2011 27

Yes No

How big is your annual budget for choral equipment or tools (not including music)?

33% 94% 7%

Yes

No 12% $0 $250-$500 17%33% $1-$250 12% 19% $500-$1000 $250-$500 17% 74% $1,000-$5,000 14% 19% $500-$1000 More than $5,000 5% $1,000-$5,000 14% More than $5,000 5% $1-$250

(I don’t think that would work well with my groups)

19% Yes (but I would like to)

(I don’t think that would Which of the following does your program regularly work well with my groups) use?

91% Speakers/PA system 79% 91% Risers/stage equipment 74% Binders/folio books No 74% 79% Speakers/PA system 56% Tuner/Recording device 74% Binders/folio books 52% Music stands 66% Tuner/Recording device 56% Classroom management software 19% 52% Music stands Smart board 15% Classroom management software 19% Other 7% Smart board 15% Other 7%

Risers/stage equipment (Multiple answers (but I would allowed like to) in this question)

19% Yes 34%

Yes

43% “Due to shortage of accompanists, I use a laptop with No Digital audio/MIDI sequencer with a digital key25% CD Performer Player/Sound system/iPod board for rehearsal and performance. I also use this set up 43% Computer/iPad Recorder 12% to make rehearsal CDs for my students to practice at home.” 25% Dan Meredith CD Player/Sound system/iPod 66% Overhead Prjector 8% Southern Fulton High School 12% Recorder Warfordsburg, Pa. Black/White board 5% Overhead Prjector 8% Risers “Recording your4% choir is extremely important. It allows Black/White board 5% immediate feedback to you and your students.” Smart board 2% Brent Coleman Risers 4% Tuning fork 1% Vestavia Hills, Ala. Smart board 2% “Mp3 recorders are so much easier to use now. They are Tuning fork 1% affordable and simpler to operate than their predecessors, Computer/iPad

34% Yes

making them a valuable tool in assessment and evaluation.” Deanna Amend La Cueva High School Albuquerque, N.M.

43% No

28 Choral Director, November 2011

79% 74% Binders/folio books 56% Tuner/Recording Other than a pianodevice or a keyboard, what is the most helpful tool you use throughout the workday? 52% Music stands 43% Classroom management software 19% 25% Smart board 15% 12% Other 7% 8% 7%

Other Speakers/PA system

Computer/iPad

CD Player/Sound system/iPod Recorder

Overhead Prjector

5% 4% 2% 1%

Black/White board Risers Smart board Tuning fork

43% 25% 12% 8% 5% to a projector. I run my Black/White board connected “I have my computer announcements No and class objectives for the day on a PowerRisers 4%57% Point slide, along with some music factoids for the day – it saves my voice!” Smart board 2% Dawn Kranz Norway-Vulcan Area Schools Tuning fork 1% Norway, Mich. Computer/iPad “I have an iPad that I am allowed to connect to the school CD Player/Sound network with and onsystem/iPod that have the ability to track attendance and grades.” Recorder Matthew Coverstone Brownsburg West Middle School Overhead Prjector Brownsburg, Ind.

43% Yes

Have you noticed any progress in the development and evolution of helpful tools and equipment for vocal music educators and their choral groups?

31%

43% 69% Yes NoNo 57% Yes “The digital recorder has revolutionized my teaching! I record all kinds of parts or do testing with them. I can easily copy the files to my website, and my students can practice their parts from home. It has been fantastic and I haven’t had to burn a CD for four years now!” Ben Luginbuhl Normal Community High School Normal, Ill.

31%

69% Yes

“Technology has completely revolutionized teaching in the 27 years that I have been in the profession.” Chris Fowler Buford High School Buford, Ga.

43% No 57% Yes

“Due to shortage of accompanists, I use a laptop with Digital Performer audio/MIDI sequencer with a digital keyboard for rehearsal and performance. I also use this set up to make rehearsal CDs for my students to practice at home.” Dan Meredith Southern Fulton High School Warfordsburg, Pa.

David Hodgkins Commonwealth School Boston, Mass. “The technology being created today is amazing, but my program does not have the resources to purchase or employ it in the classroom.” Skip Morris Eastern Wayne Middle School Goldsboro, N.C.

Are there any new/fun tools or equipment you use with your choral groups?

31%

69% Yes No

“We use Garage Band to record classroom performances. Also, via MIDI/USB interface, we create choir parts, convert them to MP3’s and place them in drop-box for students to sing/learn/study at home.” Denis Mullins Rutherford High School Rutherford, N.J. “Choral shells have really helped us to get the sound out as well as helping the students hear themselves.” Phil Boehr Lincoln Christian School Lincoln, Neb.

“I use recordings to motivate and teach. I also have a great sight-reading DVD.” Donna Crisler Madison Middle School Madison, Miss.

Additional thoughts? “I feel as if we in the choral world are more interested in bells and whistles than acoustic sound. The basics – stands, risers – are great. Sound systems, lights, and smart boards are fun, but not really necessary.”

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