The Chorister
Fall Issue 2012
TABLE OF CONTENTS: 1. The Chorister: Cover Page 2. McIntyre: Surround the State in Song 3. Surround the State in Song Pictures 5. Bronfman: So You Want to Be... 6. What’s in the Folder? 8. Wolter: Tips for 1st Year of Teaching 10. Nelson: Creating the Chemistry 13. Miller: Method for Harmony
15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23.
Boechler: Breathe. Just Breathe. Sherwood: Choral Truths NDACDA Newsflash! Hanson: Googley About Google Seil: Vocal Jazz Auditions Popejoy: My Vocal Journey Zinke: Reasons to Join NDACDA Conference Conductors Conference Presenters
Surround the State in Song Cheryl McIntyre, Children & Community Youth Choirs R & S This year Surround the State in Song took place in 5 locations in North Dakota. 344 fifth and sixth graders shared the joy of music in Surround the State in song in Dickinson, Rugby, Bismarck, Jamestown, and Grand Forks. Selections included "Bonse Aba" By Victor C. Johnson, "Hold Fast Your Dreams" by David Brunner, "Hashivenu" by Ruth Dwyer and Martin Ellis, "Something" by Sheldon Rose, and "Pick Yourself Up" by Jerome Kern and Dorothy Fields, arranged by Steve Zegree. Teachers provided additional percussion accompaniment to Bonse Aba in some sites. A young student from Casselton told her teacher that her Surround the State in Song was "the best day of her whole life." Dr. Charlotte Moe selected soloists to scat sing for "Pick Yourself Up", as well as movement for that piece and Bonse Aba. In Jamestown, the "JHS Blue Jazz" performed for the students to encourage students to continue their singing as they get older. “Cantabile of the Central Dakota Children’s Choir sang two selections during the concert.” Peggy Bartunik, site manager in Grand Forks, reported that "The children responded VERY well to Christopher Redfearn." Mary Svenvold directed in Dickinson on the campus of Dickinson State University. Chris Redfearn directed in Grand Forks at the United Lutheran Church. Vicky B o e c h l e r d i r e c te d a t th e University of Mary campus. Charlotte Moe directed at Tilman Hovland Auditorium at Rugby High School. Brian Saylor directed at Jamestown High School. Each director brings their own interpretation of the music and energy to the students. Vicky Boechler noted The students were focused and attentive throughout the entire day. The teachers prepared them well. In Bismarck one little girl told her teacher "My brain hurts from all the information our director has given us!" Brian Saylor shared with the teachers, "It was so awesome to see the spark of
music in each of their (students) eyes. I am ever mindful in these types of situations where that spark comes from, YOU. The work you do daily with your students lights a spark that will burn in them for many years." Teachers all around the state spent the early part of the school year preparing students for this event, practicing together and with the help of practice sound files. ACDA would like to thank the teachers for providing this opportunity for the young musicians. Many of my students remind me with great pride that they were once members of the ACDA Surround the State in Song. New teacher, Jessica Blair, reported that "It was a great day. The kids got a taste of real music-making and I was very proud of all of them." We are very grateful to our site managers Bruce Southard in Dickinson, Andee Mattson in Rugby, Peggy Bartunek and Melanie Popejoy in Grand Forks, Cheryl McIntyre in Jamestown, and Celia Schmaltz in Bismarck, as well as Don Pochmara in Fargo. The site managers take the responsibility for securing locations and directors, ordering T shirts, organizing rehearsals, and setting up plans for lunch. North Dakota ACDA would like to thank Pam Burns for selecting music and preparing the information for the festival as the R&S Chair for Children's Choirs. She has accepted an appointment as the North Central R&S for Children's and Community Youth Choirs and has now turned over the duties for Surround the State in Song and R & S duties to Cheryl McIntyre from Jamestown. Please contact Cheryl at cheryl.mcintyre@sendit.nodak.edu with suggestions for next year's Surround the State in Song including musical suggestions and suggestions for conductors.
Surround the St ate in Song Jamestown
Grand Forks
Rugby
So you Want to be a Music Major... Joshua Bronfman, Men’s Choir R & S Chair Every summer, I meet with all the incoming freshman music majors for Orientation at UND. I help them set up their schedule, register for classes, and generally guide their first few days on campus. I have found, over the past seven years, that there are a number of things that incoming students and their parents haven’t thought about or didn’t know, and so I set out to write this basic guide. If you have a student who is interested in becoming a music teacher, please share this article with them. Take Piano Lessons Now! You are already taking singing lessons almost every day (in choir), and more than likely you are already taking the occasional one-on-one voice lesson. Myself, and all of the excellent voice teachers in the state can teach you to sing when you get to college. The piano classes you will take in college are not enough if they are the only lessons you’ve ever taken, especially if you are planning on being a choir director. Unless you have taken piano for 10+ years, your current piano skills are not enough. Period. Do Live Auditions and Solo Contest ND All-State Choir, UND Honor Choir, etc. There is nothing like singing in front of a real person who is rating you. It will prepare you for scholarship auditions, placement hearings/auditions to get into the college music department, auditions for the top ensemble at that college, and juries (your final exam for your private lessons when you are in college). The more you do the auditions, regardless of the outcome, the better you will get and the less nervous you will be. Visit College Music Departments Get to know the “Me” in the department. Have a meeting with the Director of Choral Activities. You will spend almost every weekday with this person. You must like, respect, and have a strong desire to learn from them. You should also visit with the Choral Music Education Person (in UND’s case, Melanie Popejoy), as well as the voice teachers. Try to get a voice lesson from one of the voice teachers. Sit in with the choir. Watch a conducting class. If you like and respect these people, you will be fine. Pay no attention to the facilities or the size of the university or the dorms and all the peripheral stuff…it is the voice and choral faculty that you will spend all your time with, and they will set the tone for your entire time in school. Know Which Music Degree You Really Want Be sure to find out what types of degrees are offered at the college you plan on attending, and what those degrees will prepare you for. For example, at UND, we have Music Education (Choral, Instrumental and Dual
Certification), Vocal Performance, Music Therapy, Musical Theatre, and a Bachelor of Arts in Music. Not all degrees are offered at all universities, and you don’t want to wind up at some place that doesn’t offer the degree plan you really wanted. Audition for a Scholarship Even if you don’t get one, it’s important to try. You never know, plus you are putting yourself on the radar of the voice faculty, which is a good thing. College Credit or Dual Credit Courses Don’t take too many college credit or dual credit courses in high school. This one is a little weird, but trust me. They won’t really help you graduate from college earlier, as most music degrees are a minimum of four years. If you take music courses, they often won’t transfer cleanly. You also might wind up taking a class that doesn’t count toward your “General Studies” requirements at the school you are planning on attending. It’s a little confusing, but trust me: focus on musicianship skills, not coming in with 24 college credits in English, Psychology, Calculus, etc. Play in Band or Orchestra It will make you a better, well-rounded musician, which will help you be a better music major. Get Good Grades Duh, right? Still, in my experience, kids who come in as music majors with a 3.5 or higher tend to be very successful, as they have developed the discipline to study and do homework when they don’t want to. This is key, as you will need to be very disciplined to practice on a regular basis. And you don’t just arrive at college, having never been very disciplined, and then suddenly wake up a disciplined person. It takes time and practice to b e c o m e disciplined. Start now. I hope this list helps you out. These are not necessarily hard and fast rules, but I do think that if potential music majors at least think about these issues before arriving on campus, they will be better equipped to survive that first year.
What’s in the Folder ?
Fall, 2012
Geoff Mercer
Trudy Fraase
Grand Forks Central
Zeeland Public School If Music Be the Food of Love Shakespeare - Andrew Miller Elijah Rock arranged - Jester Hairston Bonse Aba arranged - Andrew Fischer Hold Me, Rock Me - Brian Tate Dust in the Wind - arr. Roger Emerson
9th Grade Choir Mairi's Wedding - arr. Chilcott Non, Nobis Domine - Byrd Follow the Drinking Gourd - arr. Davison Sure on this Shining Night - Barber True Light - Hampton Obey the Spirit of the Lord - arr. Walth Down By the Salley Garden's - arr. Lantz Stand Together - Papoulis Vom Himmel Hoch - Praetorius The Turtle Dove - Vaughan Williams Sleepytime Bach - arr. Williams
Melanie Popejoy University of North Dakota Sara Lichtblau How Can I Keep From Singing? - Gwenyth Walker Aure Volanti - Francesca Caccini Angel In Eternal Flight - Valerie Webdell Widmung - Robert Schumann/James Mulholland No Time - Susan Brumfield Libertango - Astor Piazzola/Oscar Escalada
Andrew Miller Bismarck State College Concert Choir Alleluia – Eric Whitacre Angel’s Carol – John Rutter Circle of Life – arr. Andrew Miller Elijah Rock – arr. Moses Hogan Musick’s Empire – Lloyd Pfautsch The Ground – Ola Gjeilo Blow, blow thou Winter Wind – John Rutter Not one Sparrow – arr. William Hawley
Jo Ann Miller NDSU Concert Choir
Lamentations of Jeremiah - Ginastera Say to Them - Fissinger The Brook - McDowell Let Us Cheer the Weary Traveler - Dett My Soul's Been Anchored - Barnett Adios Nonino - Piazzolla El Guyaboso - Lopez-Galivan
Fargo South High School Rest - Timothy Jon Tharaldson Psalm 42 - Andrew Bleckner Alleluia - Ralph Manuel Hush! Somebody's Callin' My Name - arr. Mark Hayes The William Tell Overture - arr. Philip Lawson Two Brahms Folk Songs - arr. Jerome Knight
Andee Mattson Rugby Schools
Dustin Moe
5th and 6th grade choir Inscription of Hope - Z. Randall Stroope Holiday Hoedown - David Eddleman Whisper - Greg Gilpin The Chanukah Song - Stephen Schwartz
Washburn School Fanfare and Gloria - arr. Mark Brymer Lean On Me - arr. Alan Billinglsey Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da - arr. Mark Brymer Song of the River - Mark Patterson Didn't My Lord Deliver Daniel - Greg Gilpin and a few early christmas tunes.
Mike Seil Bismarck High School Concert Choir Cry Out and Shout - Knut Nystedt Hark, I Hear the Harps Eternal - Alice Parker Water Night - Eric Whitacre Zum Gali - arr. Maurice Goldman Hallelujah - Ludwig Van Beethoven The Ground - Ola Gjeilo Elijah Rock - arr. Moses Hogan
James McMahon Simle Middle School Jabula Jesu – Stephen Hatfield Farvel – Daniel Peterson Praise His Holy Name – Keith Hampton Hark, I Hear The Harps Eternal - Parker Earth Song – Ticheli Kusimama – Jim Papoulis Wynken, Blynken and Nod – Field, Schultz The Arrow and the Song – Lon Beery
Kodály Music Education
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Institute dates: June 17-28, 2013 For registration information: Dr. Kathy Rolsten, 218.477.4091 kathy.rolsten@mnstate.edu
mnstate.edu/music Minnesota State University Moorhead is an equal opportunity educator and employer and is a member of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system.
Five Tips for New Choral Teachers: aka Five Lessons I Learned the Hard Way from that Pesky First Year of Teaching
James Wolter, Fargo Public Schools: Guest Column I will confess that the first year of teaching did not proceed as smoothly as I had envisioned. Fresh out college, I was ready to share the wonders of choral music with the next generation. Unfortunately, reality more or less smacked me square in the face. I am not confident there is a way to make that first year of teaching entirely peaceful. When I would call the educator in the family, Grandma, to share the horror stories, she would laugh and remind me that everyone’s first year since at least 40 years ago when she started teaching seemed to be overly rough. Whether that is due to the constant barrage of forms with titles such as MISO3 or the first parental conflict over the phone, the first year will present challenges. However, if there was a do-over button, here are five pieces advice I would have underscored to myself to make that first year more enjoyable. Ask for help, lots of help, and from multiple sources! I took a few weeks before asking anyone to help me probably because I did not want my ego to be hurt. Put the ego aside, and talk to colleagues for advice. College cannot possible prepare you for every facet of the education system that you will encounter. For me, I never had the experience of teaching
a 6th grade general music class –a class which is composed of students who must take a music class but have elected to forgo band, choir, and orchestra. I made about three lengthy phone calls to a wonderful teacher who is successful with such a cliental. I probably should have made ten calls and taken her out for coffee throughout the year. I was reminded of how little we know when I listened to legend Dr. Axel Theimer’s acceptance speech of the FMC Lifetime Achievement Award at Minnesota’s 2012 ACDA Summer Dialogue. He stated it bluntly with the bitterness of truth. “No matter how much we know, we are still on a certain level of ignorance, and what we accomplish today or tomorrow or the next day,
allows us to move from this level of ignorance to another level of ignorance and allows us to look forward to experience many more different levels of ignorance.” Choose literature that your students will sound spectacular. Duh! The pitfall here is choosing
selections that are too difficult. While I still love to throw out a challenge to my singers, there were too many pieces that I had selected because I wanted the singers to expand their potential. I was warned that beginning teachers tend to pick too hard of music, and I did not heed that advice. Luckily someone I trust kindly reminded me to reexamine my choices. Choose literature that of course does not bore them, but also neither overwhelms them. A challengepiece per concert is my new maximum. You are NOT a medical student, so stop spending 70-80 hours a week at school. One of my principles checked up on me in October of my first year when this was still my norm and said, “You know we didn’t hire you so you could just burn out in three years.” That made sense, so I stopped going to school on both weekend days and choice either Saturday or Sunday to do an extra day of work. Do not be afraid to hit the easy-button. A lot of my problems were created because of that perfectionistic trait that runs in many musicians. We do not want to continue until that passage is perfect! While it is important to have high standards of musical execution, there is no need to carry those perfectionist traits to other areas of your teaching career. Let students file, stamp and sort music.
Yes, the music will not be in your control, but then you do not have to stay until 6:00 bottled up in that ‘alluring’ music library. Forgot to bring brownies for a potluck and now you will have to miss your period three prep time to speed to the nearest Target? How about you just skip the brownies and do your prep work. There are always leftover brownies anyway. Be a do-er. Complaining about a problem or presenting a lengthy list of difficulties involved with a solution is wasted energy. It is useless and counterproductive to spend your time ranting about an uncooperative administrator who is forcing
you to redo a goal sheet. Since time is limited, be like the Nike Corporation and just do it. Take the five minutes to fill out the goal sheet instead of the
twenty minute group therapy session you would spend with your band colleague. Fellow teachers will appreciate your can-do effort. If they do not,
they might be the ones that rather go to the twenty minute therapy session. In those cases, perhaps you would be better off conserving your your time and energy by avoiding that negativity. These are some mistakes that my fellow teacher friends and I had made in common. Hopefully these tips can iron out some of those first year teaching wrinkles. If this seems obnoxiously obvious to you, I apologize. I must be on a lower plane of ignorance than you are. Happy teaching, and yes, year two is unbelievably less stressful than year one.
Educating the next generation of outstanding musicians. Tour Performance Thursday, Nov. 1 at 7:30 p.m. Saints Anne & Joachim Church Fargo, ND Check us out on Youtube “Prairie Storm” by Dr. Tom Porter University of Mary Concert Choir
Dr. Tom Porter Director of Choral Activities Katherine Henjum Associate Professor of Music, Voice Contact the U-Mary Music Department to learn more: music@umary.edu www.umary.edu/music 800-288-6279, ext. 8301
The University of Mary Music Department is defined by a commitment to excellence. Vocal music students have the opportunity to study Concert Choir, Vocal Jazz, Vocal Arts Ensemble, Chamber Choir, Musical Theater, and Private and Class Voice Lessons. Scholarships are available for music majors as well as students majoring in other areas who participate in music ensembles. Audition dates for 2012–2013 are December 1, January 26, and February 18. Students may contact the music department to arrange a campus visit and scholarship audition on a different date. Students living more than 250 miles from campus may send a recorded audition.
Creating the Chemistry Dr. Lee Nelson, Guest Column Director of Choral Activities, Wartbug College It is obvious from the downbeat. The eyes of the choir light up, they sing with sincere emotion and musicality, and there is an intense synergy that connects all the singers. The conductor barely has to conduct; she simply smiles at the singers and conducts more with her eyes than her hands. The music is electric, the singers completely draw in the audience and the entire experience is overwhelming. The chemistry is apparent. We have all experienced this in some fashion, whether it has been as a conductor, a singer, an audience member, or all three! For many, it is life changing. It is the reason we chose this career, it is the reason our singers joined the choir. We all want to experience the magic of making great music. But how does it happen? Obviously, choirs that sing with great “chemistry” don’t just magically appear on the concert stage. Something takes place within the preparation, rehearsals and performance that allow for a critical connection to take place. So how do we create this chemistry within our ensembles? In Kennon L. Callahan’s article “The New Reality in Motivation,” he outlines five “motivational fuels” that energize and connect people. 1. Compassion: sharing, caring, giving loving, serving 2. Community: roots, place, belonging, family, friends 3. Challenge: attain, accomplish, achieve 4. Reasonability: data, logic, analysis, good sense 5. Commitment: loyalty, duty, obligation I believe these “motivational fuels” are the major components of creating an enduring chemistry within our choirs. Compassion Compassion is an essential element in our interaction with students. We must show them sincere respect, care and love (as difficult as that can be at times!) When students sense compassion from you, they begin to trust and respect you. This mutual respect fosters an environment that nurtures great rehearsals and even greater performances. When students feel as though they can trust you, they allow themselves to open their hearts and mind to the music. In his book The Perfect Rehearsal, Timothy Seelig states: They trust you to teach them, direct them, protect them and lead them in doing something they could never do on their own. They trust that you will respect them and the gift of their time and talent and use it wisely. They trust that you will not embarrass, humiliate or abuse them when they open themselves up to you.
If our students don’t feel as though they are cared for and respected, they will never allow themselves to be open to the music. They will connect at a very superficial level and just “sing the notes.” The music will be lifeless. If we model this openness in our rehearsals, it will be reflected in the singers. I know many great conductors who share personal stories and experiences with their choirs. When this happens, the singers begin to see themselves in the conductor. The students think, “I’ve felt that way! That same thing happened to me!” and they begin to feel connected to the conductor and to the music. They gain a greater understanding of the music and they develop a personal connection to it’s meaning. When conductors give of themselves and the student’s reciprocate, a mutual respect, trust and compassion develops and manifests itself into the music, creating incredible musical experiences. Community How many of us refer to our choirs as a musical family? Most of us! The singers look to and interact with each other as siblings in a family, and we are the parent. When our singers sense this relationship, they are more likely to give of their time and energy. They will feel as though they are an integral part of the ensemble and without them, the choir would be incomplete. Great conductors foster this attitude into their program and the students respond accordingly. The students come to rehearsals at 6:30 am to get ready for the madrigal dinner. They stay until 11:00 pm after the concert to take down the risers and come to the dress rehearsal the Saturday morning after prom. If the students feel a sense of belonging, they will do anything for the music and for the program. It is a place where they feel deeply rooted with their friends, their mentors and the music. Sadly, there are many students for which choir is the only place they receive this “fuel.” The choir family keeps them going. It changes their life. Challenge I have a dear friend who frequently tells his choir “It’s more fun to be good!” How true! Our students WANT to work hard (even if some don’t admit it!) They want to be pushed beyond their limit. They want to achieve something they thought they never could. They want you to be honest with them. If they sing a passage sub-par and you tell them “great work”, they will not trust you. They want you to have high expectations and follow through with the consequences if they are not upholding them. Successfully accomplishing a challenge is very rewarding and empowering to the singers and the conductor! Everyone has more fun when they know they have individually and collectively given 100% to accomplish the requisite task. The singers have seen a mountaintop, and from there, they see the next one to climb and go forth renewed and empowered by the
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experience. The attitude becomes contagious. They press each other to work even harder, dedicate themselves even more, and to open up their minds and hearts to music they never thought they could perform. All of a sudden, attendance and classroom management isn’t a problem. Their learning and music making jumps to the next level. Challenge them. It IS more fun to be good! Reasonability Reasonability needs to guide our decisions in all aspects of teaching. It keeps our “challenges” attainable. We want and need to have high standards for our choirs but we also need to make sure we have provided students with the tools they need to accomplish them. We have all over programmed for our choirs and have suffered the consequences. Be logical and systematic with your curriculum. Know what your students are capable of and what needs to be covered next to further their musical education. Be well prepared for each rehearsal. We quickly become at ease with “winging it” in rehearsals but we are doing a disservice to ourselves and to our students. Plan ahead, use good sense and the challenges we give to our students will be successfully achieved. Commitment We ask our students to give 110% everyday, so we must do the same. Our students must know that we are committed to them and their education. If we are not committed to the ensemble and their musical journey, the students will never be fully committed. We must also be
North Dakota School
Scholarship Auditions February 18, 2013 April 8, 2013
Choir Day November 30, 2012 To find out more, contact us at 1-800-336-2554 or admissions@jc.edu.
www.jc.edu
fully committed to the music, including the preparation of it. If the choir witnesses the conductor coming to rehearsals well prepared, enjoying the music and passionate about teaching it, the singers will enjoy it and be passionate too. In many ways, the choir is simply a reflection of the conductor. Rodney Eichenberger coined the phrase, “What THEY see is what YOU get!” If we instill loyalty and commitment within our students, they will begin to take ownership of the whole experience and all of the other “motivational fuels” will become even stronger. You can tell when an entire choir has committed to the learning process. It is evident in how they carry themselves in the classroom and out. They have a sense of confidence, pride, and self-confidence. They show respect and compassion toward others. Their performances are filled with a magical chemistry that overwhelms the performers and the audience. They have committed to excellence. We have chosen a wonderful career that holds great responsibility. There are few other jobs that impact people the way music education does. Singing in a good choir is a tremendously formative experience and we have the good fortune of being the tour guide. If we are compassionate, we will build community among the singers. This community will want to be challenged as long as they trust we are being reasonable about our expectations and are committed to the entire experience. When we carefully measure and balance out these elements, we create an intense chemistry within our choirs and all are changed for the better.
A Method for Teaching Harmony Andrew Miller, Youth & Student Activities R & S Learning how to sing choral harmony at a young age requires mental discipline and theoretical understanding. In our society, children of newer generations generally are not disciplined to actively listen in their daily lives. It's especially evident in music; where active listening is crucial. Contrary to some popular theories, the ability of a young person to sing harmony has very little to do with human developmental stages. Students in junior high/middle school in our society often struggle with harmony because they were not trained in music theory and harmony from 2nd or 3rd grade on up. In many schools in England (as well as some other countries in Europe), especially private schools, the tradition of children singing intricate harmonies with other children and grown men still thrives, becoming a well-oiled skill by the ages of 9-12. These children, with the guidance of their music educators and/or church choral directors, begin their musical training around the age of six. There is no g e n e t i c difference between the children in t h e i r s o c i e t y a n d ours. The difference is in the approach to music education. While teaching K-12 music back in 2007-08, I spent a semester crafting an exercise
that guides the young choral s i n g e r t h r o u g h a n e n t i r e sequence of music theory and harmony singing. The exercise incorporates solfège as well as numbers, taking students through a gradual theoretical eight-step process that imitates the progression of vocal music through the Ancient – Medieval periods. This method produced incredible results for my choir, and has caused me to believe that humans’ most natural path to understanding harmony is a reflection of how harmony developed in our history. Case and point: My 6th grade mixed choir of 57 students struggled with unison singing when I first started teaching. Harmony was simply out of the question. By the first month of implementing this exercise they were able to successfully sing in two-part a cappella harmony. By the end of the Fall semester; three part. In April, Spring semester, we performed William Byrd's "Non Nobis, Domine". I had to rearrange a few measures to fit their ranges, and transpose the bass up an octave with some slight rearrangements there as well, as none of my students’ voices had changed yet. The flabbergasted looks on the audience and teachers faces provided all the assurance my choir and I needed; It really worked, and we were on to something big. These days, most elementary/middle school music curriculums use partner songs and rounds as
p r i m a r y methods for t e a c h i n g harmony. While these are very useful and enjoyable at early ages, we as educators may want to reconsider whether they should be used as ‘primary’ methods for teaching harmony. Partner songs and rounds are based on independent (and often common sounding) melodies that arrive at “incidental” harmonic junctures, whereas methods like the one in this article would serve to provide a theoretical foundation for approaching choral music written with “intentional” harmonies. Since America became an independent nation, our society – of course with some exceptions has loosened its commitment to educating our youth in music theory and training them to be proficient sight singers. This level of musical training is now mostly reserved for the high school graduate who wants a career in music. Of course, in an age when the arts are already struggling for territory with liberal education and athletics, we must continue to make the arts an enjoyable experience so as not to alienate our students and risk placing ourselves any further off the map of “necessary” school subjects. Nevertheless, if we can accompany a new direction like this with our creativity and passion as great music educators, I believe together we can re-define a part of what music education means in America. For more information on this method of teaching harmony singing, or to obtain the booklet for your own classroom, feel free to contact Andrew Miller a t : andrew.j.miller. 4@bismarckstate.edu
Breathe. Just Breathe. Vicky Boechler, Music in Worship R & S Last summer I attended a Sacred Music Colloquium with 250 musicians from all over the world. It was a weeklong experience at Duquesne University, Pittsburgh, PA. My first exercise in breathing was during the initial reception because I knew no one and no one knew me. Breathe. Just breathe. We tell our choirs when to breathe, how to breathe, and why to breathe. Here I am, a choir director and I need to help myself breathe. We were sorted into choral ensembles. I was placed in an advanced mixed polyphony choir conducted by Wilko Brouwers from Belgium and an intermediate women’s chant schola conducted by David Hughes from Connecticut. Growing up in the Catholic Church, I have always had an appreciation for chant and thought I understood it. However, I was not ready for this experience. Vickroy Hall was my assigned dorm for the week. Each morning we walked through campus to Duquesne chapel for Morning Prayer and we ended each day with compline. We sang psalms in the morning, at Mass, and in the evening. While Dr. William Mahrt was leading, we were expected to read the neumes and by the end of the week we were singing everything in Latin. It was with this group of people I discovered that I was too busy trying to lead with my voice. I needed to slow down and breathe to experience the impact of the music and I was to trust that everyone around me would do the same. On June 15th, my birthday, I participated in a full Requiem Mass sung in Latin, extraordinary form, in the inspiring setting of the Church of the Epiphany. The beauty of singing the Dies Irae in its original intent was a bit overwhelming. Throughout the week I began to slow down and let go of control. It took focus and practice. By studying the neumes and spending time on the psalms, I began to understand that we were praying over the text. When chanting the psalms, there is a definite long inhale that happens after the first line before beginning the second line of chant. It is in this space that the magic happens. The entire community breathes together. No one enters first. No one staggers in late. I realized that we came to the Colloquium as strangers; however, when we were going the same direction, toward music in worship, staying true to the liturgy, a community was formed. We sang, we prayed, and we ate together. I came home and spent more time on my knees in prayer and worship. This is a result of my experience. “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.” Philippians 4:8
IN THE PAST SIXTEEN MONTHS I HAVE SEEN THE FOLLOWING CHANGES IN MY HIGH SCHOOL & ADULT CHOIRS: • Intellectual stimulation • An absence of fear • Breathing together • They are more aware of each other • Trusting each other • By practicing the neumes they have begun spending more time praying over the psalms • They read the chant more fluently • Chanting the liturgy takes them out of their daily stresses • They fill up their tanks when they are in our rehearsals and they leave fulfilled and refreshed • Choir members realize the sacred texts of the church are important and worthy of their time • Text in all of our music has been given more attention • Breathing makes the difference between listeners receiving the message or missing it • The singers enjoy Latin Like most instructors, there is a joy in seeing singers progress. I think spending more time with sacred music and learning to breathe is a worthy practice. It makes the journey a bit more joy filled. WHAT AM I DOING NOW? Last week I auditioned for an a cappella vocal group that has been in existence for two months. I was an hour late the evening of the audition, because I was attending Mass. I entered the rehearsal space in the middle of an unfamiliar Bach piece. The conductor greeted me and he slid his music between us as the ensemble continued to sing. I was sight reading the German polyphony up tempo from the middle of the score. We worked a bit then moved on. The next piece was Eric Barnum’s “Hic Est Martinus”. I was handed a score so I quickly notated the groupings in pencil. The singer next to me asked what I was doing. I told her I was grouping the chant in twos and threes to read it easier. She asked how I knew what to do. That’s when I began to feel a bit more comfortable in the audition process. I smiled and told her I learned it at Duquesne last summer. I was OK with the read through. When we were done rehearsing the piece, the conductor thanked me for coming and singing with them. I thought well, maybe he would call me in a couple days and explain that I didn’t really fit. But to my delight, in front of everyone, he welcomed me. I am excited to sing with this group. I know I will learn and will also give back to the ensemble. I am more comfortable with polyphony and chant thanks to the Colloquium. The name of the vocal group, “Inspirare”, means... to breathe.
Choral Truths as I See Them Brad Sherwood, Guest Column While struggling to find a topic, my friend and colleague Joshua Bronfman emailed and said “…or maybe “Choral Truths As I See Them”. Having few original thoughts of my own, I seized the idea and made it my own…..sort of. I think this particular title could be a re-occurring article for the newsletter as all of us have our own list of “truths”. The title also allows me to capitalize on my attention deficit issues allowing my brain to flit randomly. So in no particular order; enjoy and then send your own in, I know the editor would love it.
is easier to rehearse when there is an un-reachable finish line. It is about their experience, not mine. Right after Sondheim’s lyrics from “Children will Listen”, this is a regular mantra! No matter my frustrations, and this year I have more than the past five years combined, I have to remember that it is still the best choral experience that these children have. Like an actor performing every night for the very first time, I have to delight in their success’s and keep my frustrations
Singing together is a p l e a s u r a b l e experience. All humans sing. Making beautiful noises together is pleasant and when it happens the participants often choose to repeat the experience. That combined with the relationship between conductor and singer are what makes our world go around. Building a “sound” is the most important aspect of the job. Often the most difficult aspect of the job, our choral pedagogy and how we want the ensemble to sound is our palette and canvas. The delightful challenge is that the path to the sound you want changes with uncontrollable regularity. The right literature can float or sink your boat. There is quality literature available for ALL situations. It makes our lives easier! Quality literature has peel-able layers offering continued discovery for singer, ensemble and conductor. It
out of their process. It does not mean lowering standards or expectations as much as it is recognizing that point A and point B are not static. Find em’ where they are, take them as far as you can! It is about relationships silly; like, respect, revere, endure- call it what you want I am sure, at the collegiate level, the singers will come running if they know that they might get to sing a Renaissance motet. Where I live, it is my job to create the relationship that fosters possibilities. The two greatest student compliments I have ever received are; “….you make boring music fun!.....” and “ ….last night I listened to Palestrina in the
combine….”. A close third, yet far more bizarre quote, from the anesthesiologist right prior to the c-section delivery of my eldest….”…I thought your Brahms piece last night was very ‘Brahmslike’”. I suppose we should have named Ian Johannes? How do we build relationships? , easy, just care. Just recently I heard a group of students playing, what I thought, was a game. One student would say a teachers name and the others would instantly respond; “Cares” or “ Doesn’t Care”. It was nearly 100% unison in their responses! They know if you care by how you teach. They may remember little of what we taught them, they will r e m e m b e r everything of how we treated them.
From the back of my door.- I read it on the good days, and twice on the bad days. Children will Listen, from “Into the Woods” Stephen Sondheim Careful the things you say, Children will Listen Careful the things you do, Children will see, and Learn Children may not obey, But Children will Listen Children will look to you For which way to turn To Learn what to be Careful before you say, Listen to me…. Children will Listen……
New R & S
NEED A MENTOR?
Are you a new teacher, or someone that would like a few fresh ideas to work into your classroom? Contact the NDACDA president to be connected with a veteran teacher to mentor you!
RECRUIT & INVITE
Don’t forget to recruit new members to our organization! We want to make our organization a vital and living resource to all of our state’s teachers.! If you know someone who should be a NDACDA member, please refer them to the President or Membership Chair.
THANK YOU!
Thank you to all the folks who work together to make NDACDA a supportive and vibrant organization for its members. We appreciate your hard work and dedication!
News Flash!
THANK YOU to all the folks who have finished serving on the NDACDA Board in R & S Positions. Welcome to all the new people that will also volunteer their time and talent to our organization. You are ALL VERY APPRECIATED!
NDACDA
Googley About Google for Choir! Sarah Hanson, Middle School Choirs R & S Co-chair In the Spring, Renae and I brought the idea of electronic submission for Middle Level Honor Choir to ND-ACDA. We’re excited to collect the entries via the free Google Aps account we created for NDACDA Middle Level / Junior High Honor Choirs. Google offers many free applications that help organize so many things with ease. In this article, I’d like to introduce some of these best teacher/ choir-friendly tools to you, and maybe inspire you to start your path to becoming Googley about Google! How We Got to Google Renae and I enjoyed Co-Chairing ND ACDA Honor Choir last year. It was enlightening for us to learn what Desiree had been up to in the previous two years and see the other side of what managing the choirs entailed. (As a side note, we’re on our last year... are you the next ML/JH Honor Choir Chair or Co-Chair?). Our first battle was unpacking dozens of envelopes and boxes, (can you say paper clips, packing tapes, and cases, oh my?) and managing data entry and CDs for 600+ applicants. I had a personal gmail account, and heard that more than one person can work on a single document at a time, so we began a Google Doc Spreadsheet. Four of us pulled out our laptops, divvied up the papers, and joked as we saw each other’s entries appear on the screens with a different colored box following our progress as we went... subs fueled us through the afternoon. This was an aha moment! Renae and I, using Google, could work on things TOGETHER at the SAME TIME without emailing a document back and forth. We could even see each other’s box while we were working on any Google document. We could access it at the same time, or whenever we needed to add something or check something on the spreadsheet. We talked several times on the phone while working with the document... adding applicants, figuring out which alternate to contact next, etc, etc. Next time you need to collaborate on a document (Word, Spreadsheet, Powerpoint... Think GOOGLE) We immediately began discussing what might be done for the next year to the audition process to make this easier. I thought back to the easy employment of
the Google Spreadsheet, and got busy using Google Forms in my classroom. Google Forms allow you to create a questionnaire using several different types of questions, and then compiles the responses into a Google Spreadsheet. I created end of the year surveys using the forms, and found that the kids filled them out easily, and that I could see the results of my survey with one glance at a screen. As long as the student pressed “submit,” the process went smoothly for everyone. Since then, I’ve also learned that you can add a script called “Flubaroo” to your spreadsheet, and Google will correct your student’s submissions for you! Now, the pieces were in place. We could collect data using Google Forms, edit it and access it together using the Spreadsheet, and the next challenge was easing some of the process of judging. These folks are asked to rank all of the singers, and completing this task while managing CDs and papers is difficult. Beyond this, they needed the capacity to play tapes, CDs on music systems, and also used a computer to hear some data CDs that we received. Having all of the files on a USB key would make their job much easier. I researched the free capacity of Gmail, and used my mp3 audition tracks from last year to figure out that Gmail email will indeed, live up to its claim that the storage they offer is huge and growing. It would work to collect 1200+ audition tracks. From there, I could save them onto USB keys for the judges. If everyone labels them Part-LastName-FirstNameSoloORAmerica, they will sort themselves easily for the three judges. Bingo. Now we knew we would rely on Google email to collect tracks, and Google Docs to collect data. I created an account for ndacdamljhhc, and we began. In doing this, we stumbled upon another benefit of Google. We created several Word documents last year instructions, forms, lists, etc. All of these we emailed back and forth to one another several times until we agreed upon the final version. Using Google Docs, we uploaded all of our files that we used last year, and all of those Desiree had created the year before. Google Docs (now called Google DRIVE), allows you to store ANY FILES online, so they are accessible from ANY COMPUTER with internet... not just Google files! This is huge. I can work on
Honor Choir OR my school stuff anywhere - I don’t need to have access to my network drive any more. This Fall, I learned that YouTube is affiliated with Google. I used YouTube to post videos about how to make audition tracks, and explaining the new audition process. It’s handy to have a place to POST large video files where anyone you choose can access them. I’ve posted choreography for my show choir on YouTube before, and, of course, use videos from YouTube to share different singing examples with my students. When our ND ACDA website went down, I had the chance to use one other Google tool... I created a GOOGLE SITE for ndacdamljhhc. I posted the documents about auditions on the site as well as linked in the YouTube videos. Creating a website used to mean that you had to know a lot about computers, but with Google, it’s like creating a Word document. Everything is really easy. The best part is that you can link in videos and documents from your Google account drive just by pressing an insert button. I created a choir site as well this year and have been enjoying posting rehearsal tracks, my calendar, my handbook assignments, and even created a form for students to fill out asking them what song they might like to sing this year in choir! It’s official! I’m Googley about Google! If you have any questions about Middle Level/Junior High electronic submission this year, please let us know by emailing us... ndacdamljhhc@gmail.com. We’re excited for this year’s event, and to see how the audition process will work with our Google tools. See you in Grand Forks! Googling Along…The basics of Google Terminology DRIVE - Create Word Docs, Spreadsheets, Forms, or Presentations Free OR Upload existing document... even CONVERT them into G-Format to edit them online GMAIL - Google Email... attach files, and leave stuff in your box for a long time... huge free storage CONTACTS - create your address book and manage people in groups DASHBOARD - Allows you to manage all of your Google Accounts in one place CALENDAR - Keep track of your dates or reminders very easy to use, and uploadable on your ipod or Outlook SITES - Create a site to post information or files... you decide who gets to see it
Vocal Jazz Auditions Michael Seil, Vocal Seil R & S Welcome back to another school year. I’ve certainly been appreciating the joy that teaching brings and the unpredictable nature of our profession. As your NDACDA Vocal Jazz R & S chair and the NDMEA All-State Jazz Choir coordinator, I would like to encourage you to have your students audition for the AllState Jazz Choir. This audition process has purposefully been created in such a way that it makes preparation very simple for the teacher. Unlike the audition process for the large choral ensembles where we must organize a solo and accompanist for each vocalist, every variable of the All-State Jazz Choir audition has already been determined. This year, the chosen solo is “Time After Time” from the book Jamey Aebersold – Volume 41, “Body & Soul – 17 Jazz Classics.” Included with this book is a CD that has the accompaniment that each student will use during their audition. This audio recording is also provided during the audition at each site. Each vocalist will need to provide an original vocal score. At BHS, when we finish the first round of fall auditions for honor choirs, we then begin our preparation for All-State. As part of our warm-up process, every student in choir, whether or not they are auditioning, will learn “Time after Time.” During this time, I will also play professional recordings for the singers. This provides a valuable opportunity to discuss the differences between singing in a classical vocal style and in a vocal jazz style. Given the wealth of resources available on iTunes and on YouTube, quality examples are both accessible and abundant. The students are quite adept at seeking out examples on the internet. Providing them a basis by which to judge quality in advance of their searches is essential. At this point, every one of your choral students has both been prepared for the first half of the All-State Jazz Choir audition, in addition to being taught a very valuable lesson in singing jazz and the jazz genre in general. Now the fun begins! The second time through “Time after Time,” each student needs to lyrically, melodically, and/or rhythmically embellish the existing material, or use scat syllables or use a combination of the above. Reading
through the gobbledygook, it is time to unlock your singers’ creative potential. In many ways, it is also time to free your singers from the constraints of the black and white on the page. At an age when many of them, whether they would admit to it or not, are seeking out structure and conformity, we need to allow them to return to the joy of singing and creativity that probably hasn’t been enjoyed since kindergarten. At BHS, we accomplish this with a series of what has been termed “scat mornings.” During these sessions, any students are free to gather with me while we all take turns improvising and scatting. While some are initially intimidated, all gather confidence in their abilities as they hear the other singers and me make our way through the progression. We start very simple. Usually, we will begin with rhythmic improvisation. I will usually illustrate by singing through the melody, making slight rhythmic adaptations. These can be as simple as altering the length of longer notes, often remaining slightly behind the beat. For the timid student, an early success in this procedure can lead to the confidence necessary to continue to experiment. We will then move to melodic improvisation. While they are likely unaware, our students are inundated with examples of melodic improvisation. Simply listening to the hideous presentations of the Star-Spangled Banner at any level of sporting or community event is a great way to begin the conversation. At the classical level, we would refer to this process as ornamentation. In a slightly humorous turn of events, you as the teacher get the opportunity to encourage your singers to scoop and slide between notes. In the beginning, the students will simply sing a single phrase with some type of improvisation, handing it off to another student at the conclusion. This keeps the kids singing and actively listening. After several times through, we then together discuss what worked in each other’s improvisations. As opposed to pointing out what went poorly, I will usually sing examples of how NOT to do it, keeping it positive for the students. As
they become more skilled and continue to gain confidence, we lengthen the amount of phrases, until finally improvising through the entire progression. Of course, no scat morning would be complete without some scatting. The students are generally hesitant to begin this process, however no more hesitant than any of us are when trying something that seems so new, unusual or foreign. Again, we start simple. I will establish that all of the singers will use the same syllables, usually “doovah.” Then we will sing through the progression, using simple two or three note repeated patterns, often formed from pieces of a pentatonic scale. The students greatly enjoy this presentation in a call and response format. Initially, I will provide the “call” for 2-4 measures, which will elicit a response of the same length, using a similar collection of rhythm and pitches. Eventually the students provide the calls and responses, while we also expand the length of each. Similar to the improvisation procedure, the students start scatting for an expanding length of measures and phrases. The inclusion of the group in this process allows us to teach an individual skill in a group format, saving time for all involved and expanding teacher availability. Finally, at the end of this procedure, success can be measured in a multitude of ways. Considering that most of the singers entered this process at the novice level, everyone in the classroom has benefited. For the slightly more skilled jazz vocalist, they will still improve by hearing others improvise and scat, possibly “borrowing” a phrase or vocal styling that was presented in the session. Eventually, these procedures will hopefully lead to a confident and successful audition for the All-State Jazz Choir and possibly other jazz ensembles throughout their singing careers. Remember, none of this is possible if we don’t provide the opportunity. Take the chance for the expansion of your own knowledge and skills and for the betterment of those involved in your program. Good luck!
My Vocal Journey Melanie Popejoy, Guest Column I wish I could tell you that I didn’t ignore the signs, but in fact I did. I thought the signs would be more noticeable and that I wasn’t doing too much damage. I wish I could tell you that even when I felt the pain that I stopped using my voice, but in fact I didn’t. How can you be a teacher and not use your voice? And, I wish I could tell you that I never sang with my middle school boys, but in fact I did. Even with everything I had heard, read, and learned which indicated the opposite affect, I thought I was providing the leadership they needed as their ears were adjusting to the new changes in their voice. After a year and a half of losing the flexibility in my voice and not being able to make a pleasing sound on any note above F4, my journey began with an emotional visit to my medical doctor. Fighting back the tears, I explained to her what I had been experiencing. I told her that I just had to find out what was wrong, because I am not just a teacher, but also a teacher of singing. When I made the comment, “I NEED my voice to teach,” the doctor surprised me by saying, “NO!” She continued, “You need your voice back so that you are not denied one of life’s most joyous pleasures…to sing.” Simply stated. Profoundly understood! My journey continued with a referral to the ENT department where we found a small callous on my vocal chords, tension knots in the surrounding muscles, and a bad case of acid reflux (of which I am one of the many who had no prior symptoms to indicate so). Armed with orders for as much vocal rest as possible, a reflux medication, an appointment with a speech therapist, and “colorful” picture of my callus, I kept moving forward. With the greatest speech therapist in the world, I learned to talk all over again. He looked at me and said the most wonderful words to my ears, “I can help you to be better.” His high expectations to do the daily assignments and the people pleaser in me that doesn’t want to let anyone down were a great combination. After six sessions my speaking voice was clearer than it had been in a long time. The
therapist suggested that I seek out singing experts to work on extended phonation. Upon considering several options, my journey took me to the McClosky Institute of Voice in Boston, MA. This workshop included four days of group and individual instruction with teachers trained in the techniques originated by David Blair McClosky. The technique focuses on six areas of relaxation. For an introduction to these techniques I highly recommend McClosky’s book Your Voice At Its Best: Enhancement of the Healthy Voice, Help for the Troubled Voice. The relaxation techniques have become a part of my own personal daily ritual, as well as part of my choral warm-ups. My journey currently continues with guidance from Dr. Anne Christopherson, Associate Professor of Voice at the University of North Dakota, who is working with me to retrain my muscles and hold me accountable for the use of my voice. I believe these lessons have been crucial not only for the physical act of phonation, but to regain my confidence as a singer. I have learned so much from this journey. I have learned that once you have had vocal health issues, you are more sensitive to hearing vocal health issues in others, which is making me a more effective voice teacher. When I couldn’t use my voice effectively I learned how to communicate with words and analogies (definitely more difficult, but I it pushed me to be more creative). I learned that taking care of me and taking time for me, in turn helps me take care of my voice. Finally, I have learned that I will never, ever take for granted one of life’s most joyous pleasures… to sing!
Reasons to Join NDACDA Sheila Zinke, Membership R & S 5. Networking/ Career Advancement There are many colleagues in a similar situation as your current job. This is an organization willing to reach out to help or be helped. The professional growth is amazing when you join our organization. If you are interested in furthering your teaching career, join a professional organization that specializes in what you do! 4. Clinics/Sessions North Dakota State Convention The North Dakota chapter of ACDA hosts a 2 day state convention every year with sessions and clinics dealing with pertinent information about choral singing, conducting, pedagogy, management and music vendors. 3. North Central Regional Convention Every other year our six regional states (North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin and Nebraska) takes a turn at hosting a convention complete with Honor Choirs for our students, auditioned choirs from our region, headliner choirs to hear in concert, sessions by outstanding directors and people in our field as well as a vendor area to shop. Next Regional convention will be held in Des Moines, March 19-22, 2014 2. National ACDA Convention On the odd numbered years, our national organization holds a convention in a large city complete with National Honor Choirs for our students, auditioned choir from all over the nation and world renowned headliner choirs, directors, sessions, clinics, music exhibits and vendors and numerous opportunities to grow professionally. Our next national convention is in Dallas, TX, March 13 -16, 2013. The theme is: Choral Art – advocate, remember, teach 1. Choral Opportunities The number one reason we must encourage our colleagues to join ND ACDA is to give our musical students and choir members the best instruction we can. ND ACDA hones best practice for choral music teachers and choir directors. We have opportunities for elementary choirs, junior high/middle school, high school and collegiate level students to sing in honor choirs with students from our state. Opportunity exists to showcase your choirs by auditioning them for the North Dakota Showcase of Choirs Concert held every year the evening of the first day of our state conference in February. Opportunities also exist to audition to perform on a regional and national level.
Conf er ence Conductors David L. Brunner is one of today’s most active and versatile conductors and composers. He is Professor of Music and Director of Choral Activities at the University of Central Florida in Orlando where he conducts the University Chorus and Chamber Singers, and teaches courses in undergraduate and graduate conducting. In both 1995 and 2000 he received a College of Arts and Sciences Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching Award and in 1995 the University Excellence in Teaching Award, UCF's highest teaching honor. He is also the recipient of the College of Arts and Sciences Distinguished Researcher Award (2005), two Research Incentive Awards (2009, 2002) and three Teaching Incentive Awards (2005, 1996 and 1993). In 1996 he received a National Award for College Teaching from the Center for the Advancement of Teaching and Learning. In 2011 he was the recipient of Florida ACDA's prestigious Wayne Hugoboom Distinguished Service Award for "dedicated service, leadership and consistent examples of excellence in choral music in Florida". Dr. Brunner is well known for his compelling work with singers of all ages, conducting women’s, men’s and mixed All-State and regional honor choirs throughout the United States at the elementary, middle and high school levels. An inspired teacher, he is also a popular clinician at choral festivals and educational workshops throughout thirty-four U.S. states, Canada, the U.K., Europe, Japan and Australia, including the American Choral Directors Association, Music Educators National Conference and American Guild of Organists, the Association of British Choral Directors and the Kodaly Societies of Canada and Australia, the Asian Pacific Activities Conference Honor Choir, the International Cathedral Music Festival at Salisbury and Canterbury, the International Honor Band and Choir Festival at the Hague and Brussels, and the Choral Music Experience International Institute for Choral Teacher Education in England, Scotland and Wales. Brunner is an imaginative composer who has received annual ASCAP awards since 1997 and in 2000 joined a prestigious group of American composers when he was named the Raymond W. Brock Commissioned Composer by the American Choral Directors Association. The New York Times has noted him as a “prolific choral writer whose name figures prominently on national repertory lists”, his work having been performed and recorded worldwide in venues such as Royal Festival and Queen Elizabeth Halls in London, Canterbury Cathedral, Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles, EPCOT and Carnegie Hall and at national conventions of ACDA and the Fellowship of United Methodists in Music and Worship Arts. He is published by Boosey & Hawkes, with over one hundred compositions in print. Brunner holds degrees from Illinois Wesleyan University and Northwestern University in choral music education and conducting and the Doctor of Musical Arts in Choral Literature and Conducting from the University of Illinois. In addition he has studied with Robert Shaw, and with Helmuth Rilling in conducting master classes at the Oregon Bach Festival. Dr. Brunner is a Past-President of the Florida chapter of the American Choral Directors Association. A complete resource of Dr. Brunner’s work can be found at www.davidbrunner.com.
A native of Buffalo, North Dakota, Deb Wald is currently a vocal music teacher for Fargo Public Schools, Fargo, North Dakota where she has taught for the past 17 years. Mrs. Wald teaches choral music at Fargo Davies High School. Prior to teaching in Fargo, Mrs. Wald taught music vocal and instrumental music 5-12 at Hillsboro, ND from 1991-1996 and K-12 vocal and instrumental music at Dakota (Arthur-Hunter, ND) from 1985-1991. From 1999 to 2003, Mrs. Wald served as Repertoire and Standards chairperson for Jr. High/Middle School Choirs for the American Choral Directors Association for the state of North Dakota. In 2002 to 2004 she served as Repertoire and Standards chairperson for Jr. High/Middle School Choirs for the North Central Region of the American Choral Directors Association. Mrs. Wald is a member of the North Dakota Music Educators Association/MENC, has served as manager for the Eastern Dakota Conference Vocal Sub Region solo and ensemble contest from 2000 to 2007, currently serves on the NDHSAA Music Advisory Committee, is the NDMEA Senior High All-State Chairperson and was named the 2009 North Dakota American Choral Director Outstanding Choral Director of the year. Mrs. Wald is also a music contest/festival adjudicator and clinician. Deb was married to Tom Wald for 20 years prior to his passing in July 2012. She has 4 grown children; Brady Wald and his family, Andrea, Vincent , Carson and Baby W.(due in April, 2013) Tempe, AZ., Kara Jorvig and her family, Brian, Kiah Jo and Baby J. (due in October, 2012) Fargo, ND., Adrienn Halland, Pueblo CO. and Samantha Bachmeier and her husband Chris, Fargo, ND. Mrs. Wald holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Vocal Music Education from North Dakota State University where she studied with Dr. Edwin Fissinger and Dr. Robert Olson.
Matthew Mehaffey is Associate Professor of Music at the University of Minnesota, where he conducts the University Singers and Men's Chorus, and teaches graduate and undergraduate courses in Conducting and Literature. He is also the Artistic Director of the Oratorio Society of Minnesota, a role he assumed in 2008. A native of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Dr. Mehaffey holds degrees from Bucknell University (B.M.), Westminster Choir College (M.M.), and the University of Arizona (D.M.A). Recent engagements include work with Washington National Opera, Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, Minnesota Orchestra, Carnegie Hall, VocalEssence, Minnesota Chorale, and Turner Network Television. He has lectured nationally and internationally on the topic of rehearsal technique and is frequent guest conductor of festival choruses. He is the author of Choral Ensemble Intonationand the editor Teaching Music Through Performance in Choir, both for GIA Publications. He recently co-authored (with colleague Kathy Romey) a chapter on American choral music for the book, The Cambridge Companion to Choral Music. Additionally, Dr. Mehaffey serves as Director of Music at Hamline United Methodist Church in St. Paul. He enjoys golf, baseball, and curling in his spare time. He lives with his wife Libby, daughters Veda, Colette and Summer, and their dog Bettis.
Conf er ence P r esenters Charlette Moe joined the NDSU Music faculty in the fall of 2008. She serves as a coordinator for the Masters of Music in Music Education degree, teaches graduate and undergraduate courses in music and choral education and supervises student teachers. Dr. Moe is also the conductor of Cantemus, the NDSU women's choir, and University Chamber Singers. Dr. Moe received a Bachelor of Music degree in music education magna cum laude from Concordia College, a Master of Science degree in music education from Minnesota State University Moorhead and a Doctorate of Music in conducting from North Dakota State University. She holds a Kodály Mastery Certificate from St. Thomas and in 2012 she was a faculty member at the Kodály Institute at Minnesota State University. Previous to her appointment at NDSU, she was adjunct faculty at Concordia College and Minnesota State University Moorhead. As a choral teacher and classroom music teacher for over 15 years in the Minnesota Public School System, Dr. Moe has had experience teaching all grade levels. She was nominated for Minnesota Teacher of the Year in 1999 and 2004. Dr. Moe’s past guest conducting engagements were with the Fargo-Moorhead Chamber Chorale, International Music Camp, and at high school, elementary and middle-level choral festivals in Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota. She has presented at music conventions in North Dakota and Minnesota. Dr. Moe has served as a section-coach for the Minnesota All-State Choir, a judge for vocal solo/ensemble contests, adjudicator for North Dakota AllState, a member of the planning committe for the 2008 ACDA North Central Convention and is a member of ACDA and OAKE. Presently, she is pastpresident for the Northern Plains Kodály Chapter and R&S chair for women's literature for NDACDA. Dr. Moe, her husband Gordon, and two boys live in Hawley, MN.
Sigrid Johnson is an artist in residence on the music faculty at St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minnesota, where she conducts the Manitou Singers, a 100-voice first-year women’s chorus. She is also the associate conductor of VocalEssence, a Minneapolis choral ensemble that presents both rarely heard and newly commissioned works for chorus and orchestra. Johnson maintains an active schedule as a guest conductor and clinician at workshops, choral festivals, and all-state music festivals around the world. She is a member of the American Choral Directors Association (ACDA), the MENC: National Association for Music Education, the International Federation for Choral Music (IFCM), and Chorus America. She conducted the Manitou Singers in three performances at the ACDA National Convention in San Antonio, Texas, in 2001, and most recently, they performed at the ACDA North Central Convention in Minneapolis in 2010. In 2006, Johnson was awarded the prestigious F. Melius Christiansen Lifetime Achievement Award for her lifelong conducting experience and for providing outstanding contributions and distinguished service to choral music in Minnesota. Johnson was a featured lecturer at both the Eighth World Symposium on Choral Music in Copenhagen, Denmark in 2008 and the Sixth World Symposium on Choral Music in Minneapolis, Minnesota in 2002. She has been invited to lecture on choral tone at the Ninth World Choral Symposium on Choral Music in Argentina in 2011. She was also a member of the esteemed jury for the Béla Bartók International Choral Competition in Debrecen, Hungary in 2006, and she was a featured lecturer and clinician at the 2004 Australian National Choral Association conference. Johnson has served as conductor of the Dale Warland Symphonic Chorus, associate conductor of the Dale Warland Singers, and conductor of the National Lutheran Choir of Minneapolis. She has prepared symphonic choruses for Neemi Jarvi, Sir Neville Marriner, David Zinman, Stanislaw Skrowaczewski, Gerard Schwarz, Edo de Waart, and Leonard Slatkin, among others. In 1999, Johnson was honored with the College of Fine Arts and Humanities Leadership Award from her alma mater, St. Cloud State University. In 1998, Johnson led the renowned St. Olaf Choir while the ensemble’s conductor, Anton Armstrong, was on sabbatical leave. She has also served as associate conductor of the St. Olaf Choir during its tours of Australia and New Zealand, Central Europe, Norway, and the British Isles.
Christopher Redfearn is assistant professor of music and director of choral activities at Valley City State University in Valley City, North Dakota. At VCSU he conducts the Concert Choir and University Singers, teaches choral conducting, vocal methods, diction, and applied voice. Prior to coming to VCSU, Redfearn taught high school vocal music for seven years in Idaho and Michigan. He earned the Bachelor of Music in Choral Music Education from Brigham Young University, the Master of Music in Conducting from Michigan State University, and the Doctor of Arts in Conducting and Music Education from the University of Northern Colorado. His conducting mentors include Jill Burleson, Galen Darrough, David Rayl, Jonathan Reed, Ronald Staheli, Mary Alice Stollak, and Mack Wilberg. Redfearn has wide experience in conducting choirs at all age levels, including elementary choirs, high school and collegiate ensembles, as well as adult community choirs. His high school choirs consistently scored superior ratings at area festivals. His community choirs have also received recognition, as he led the Colorado Mormon Chorale in a juried performance at the Colorado Music Educators Association Conference in January 2012, the only community ensemble invited to perform. In addition, Redfearn is an accomplished tenor soloist and has extensive experience in coaching and conducting musical theatre and opera. His musical theatre credits include conducting performances of Oklahoma, Anything Goes, Footloose, and The Music Man. He also recently prepared opera choruses for performances of Don Giovanni, La Traviata, Fidelio, Die Zauberflöte, Rigoletto, and Manon. He is a member of the American Choral Directors Association, the National Association for Music Education, the National Association of Teachers of Singing, and the National Collegiate Choral Organization. Redfearn resides in Valley City with his wife Jennifer and their children Jonathan, Abigail, Joshua, and Katherine.
HE T R FO R E T L IS REG ATIONA E! N ENC R E C CO N
Practical Teaching Ideas for Today’s Music Educator -Terry Barham, Editor Welcome to ACDA’s online magazine for choral director/music educators who are searching for answers and need fresh ideas or techniques to meet practical needs. The articles below have been gleaned from state ACDA newsletters around the United States. ChorTeach, our name, is derived from the German word for chorus, chor. It is pronounced, as most of you know, like the word, core. I hope ChorTeach’s articles will be a breath of fresh air for you, provide you with a few ideas or techniques that give you a lift and help your singers reach the goals you and they have set. ChorTeach is designed for those of you who work with amateur singers at all levels.
http://acda.org/page.asp?page=chorteach