Month: July 2024

Often in choral instruction, we utilize the word “family” to describe the cohesiveness of our ensembles. But what about the students who don’t view choir as their family? Can we be ok with the idea that singers come to us for many different reasons?

But what happens when students DON’T want to be in the family? What if you have students that truly just want to treat it like a class? Or what if they are a talented student who is an introvert? What about a choral director whose MAIN reason for doing the job is the love of the music? (gasps, clutches pearls.)

We can over personalize the rejection.

Jason Dungee joins me to add some nuance to what is often a very misunderstood and oversimplified concept in education more broadly, as well as in choral music. If we are honest, aren’t we a bit offended when a singer doesn’t LOVE singing for us? Don’t we take it a little personally? What if you have students that are really talented, but you don’t like THEM? Sometimes we unintentionally marginalize or isolate the students who have rejected us. For many choir directors, our definition of success includes “making our kids FEEL what we felt as kids.”

I also ran some of my ideas about belonging in groups by Jason. Those episodes are linked below.

Tune in, and have your thinking stimulated and challenged. Then, weigh in yourself with your related ideas and experiences on Facebook in the Choralosophers group or over on choralosophy.substack.com.

Be Sure to Find Choralosophy on TikTok!

For future rehearsal clips, find me on TikTok, Insta and FB!

@choralosophypodca

Conductor, tenor, and music educator, Dr. Jason A. Dungee, is the Director of Choral Activities at The University of North Carolina at Charlotte. He has earned degrees from the University of Arizona, Westminster Choir College and Hampton University.

Since arriving in the Charlotte region in 2021, Dungee has come in demand as a clinician and as guest conductor for several All-County Choral events, as well as serving as clinician for the NCMEA Eastern All-State Choir in the Fall of 2023.
Dungee’s article “A Pedagogy for Living: Applying Restorative, Anti-Racist Pedagogy to the Choral Classroom” was published in The Choral Journal and has led to him being in demand as a presenter for organizations and Universities across the U.S. In March of 2020, Dungee was Co-Conductor of the first HBCU Tribute Choir for the Southern Division ACDA Conference.

Dr. Dungee has found success in popular music and entertainment as well. He was selected for 2 consecutive years to prepare choirs for the southeast leg of HBO’s internationally acclaimed touring production of The Game of Thrones Live Experience, featuring music from the hit TV program. In February of 2022 and April of 2023, Dungee was asked to prepare an ensemble for the rock band the Eagles for their performances in Charlotte and Greensboro, respectively. In 2024 he served as choirmaster for the AWR Productions presentation of Distant Worlds: Music from Final Fantasy during their tour stop in Charlotte. He conducted sold out, critically acclaimed performances as guest conductor of the Charleston Gospel Choir and sang the tenor solo with the London Symphony Orchestra as they premiered Andre Thomas’ Mass.
His pride and joy, however, is found in his wife Crysta, and their three children, Jordan, Andrew and Langston.
Youtube: Find Jason’s channel!
Facebook/Instagram: @clt.universitychorale

More on Belonging in groups from Choralosophy

     

       

View this profile on Instagram

Choralosophy Podcast (@choralosophy) • Instagram photos and videos

I frequently engage in and read discussions with young music educators about the ways in which the music education profession is or is not “adapting with the times.” As always, the answer to that is yes. And no…

Mak Barton is a second year teacher in Maryland who I found on her wildly entertaining TikTok account that is fast approaching 100k followers! Recently I was tagged in one of her videos in which she addresses the question of whether or not we are adequately responding to the needs of the next generation in our music classrooms.

“Is there a place in our programs for a Soundcloud rapper?” Mak’s initial take was no, but I say yes! I think like many things, it depends on our perspectives. I think you will really enjoy this conversation just like I did, especially if you value the voices of the next generation of students and educators. Mak and I discussed what it is like to subject herself to social media vulnerability, the traditions of music education that can and should evolve, as well as ways to champion those tried and true elements of curriculum that have endured for good reason.

Tune in, and have your thinking stimulated and challenged. Then, weigh in yourself with your related ideas and experiences on Facebook in the Choralosophers group or over on choralosophy.substack.com.

Be Sure to Find Choralosophy on TikTok!

For future rehearsal clips, find me on TikTok, Insta and FB!

@choralosophypodca

Makynzie Barton is a High School Music Educator in Maryland, teaching and directing Choirs, Piano, Theatre, and Foundations of Music. She grew up singing in church with her family, then self-learning how to play the guitar, piano, and write like her favorite artists. After high school, she attended University of Delaware to study Music Education and eventually combined it with a Music Management degree to create a more vernacular-music-focused degree plan, currently working towards her Master’s in Music Education at Berklee College of Music.

Her platform on social media has grown as she arranges music we listen to today for/with her choirs, facilitating a space for them to create their own and be active participants in music-making. Music-lovers all over the world have been able to come, get a good giggle from choir kids and their chaotic director, and hear some incredible music.

@makbarton

     

       

View this profile on Instagram

Choralosophy Podcast (@choralosophy) • Instagram photos and videos

As teachers, we often try to build culture and foster a sense of belonging by seeking out the “right checklist” of games, ice breakers, fun warm-ups, and even classroom wall art. However, these are just the frosting, not the cake.

In this episode, I am joined by Dr. Kari Adams from the University of Missouri to discuss the essential ingredients for creating a genuine classroom culture.

Dr. Adams joined me in my home studio, allowing for an excellently paced discussion. In our conversation, we discuss why “ice breakers are not enough,” the concept of vulnerability for teachers and how it is often misunderstood or misused, effective teacher verbiage and word choices, action-oriented feedback, and brainstorming stories and ideas that illustrate how teachers can build developmentally appropriate, authentic, and individualized relationships with students, even in a group setting.

Tune in, and have your thinking stimulated and challenged. Then, weigh in yourself with your related ideas and experiences on Facebook in the Choralosophers group or over on choralosophy.substack.com.

Be Sure to Find Choralosophy on TikTok!

For future rehearsal clips, find me on TikTok, Insta and FB!

@choralosophypodca

Kari Adams is Assistant Professor of Choral Music Education and conductor of Concert Chorale at the University of Missouri. She holds a PhD in music education from the University of North Texas as well as degrees from the University of Central Missouri and Freed-Hardeman University. Prior to her appointment at Mizzou, Adams served as Assistant Professor of Choral Music Education and director of Levana at Florida State University. In 2023, she received the Outstanding Teaching in the Major (Undergraduate) award from FSU. Before working in higher education, she taught middle school choral and general music in Knob Noster, Missouri, where she was named Teacher of the Year in 2015. She is a passionate educator, conductor, and researcher.

Adams engages in guest conductor, clinician, and adjudicator opportunities regularly. She has conducted All State and regional honor choirs in Florida, Kansas, Louisiana, Missouri, Tennessee, and Virginia. She has also presented at state practitioner conferences in Alabama, Arkansas, Kansas, Florida, Missouri, and Texas as well as at national ACDA and NAfME conventions. Her articles focused on research-based strategies for practitioners have been published in Music Educators Journal, Update: Applications of Research in Music Education, Florida Music Director, and Choral Journal.

Adams’s research has been published in leading journals in the field including Journal of Research in Music Education, Journal of Music Teacher Education, Bulletin of the Council for Research in Music Education, Update: Applications of Research in Music Education, and International Journal of Research in Choral Singing. Her research interests include music teacher education, teacher identity construction, aesthetic response to music performance, and implicit theories of musical ability. In addition to her publications, she has presented on these topics at regional, national, and international conferences.  

     

       

View this profile on Instagram

Choralosophy Podcast (@choralosophy) • Instagram photos and videos

“If you don’t learn what listening is, your choirs will never sing in tune.” James Jordan is one of the most prolific choral conductors in the modern era. Not just in terms of performance and recordings, but also in scholarship and pedagogy.

Introducing, the NEW GIA/Walton Series on Choralosophy!

I recently had the privilege of attending two sessions given by Professor Jordan at my home convention in Missouri. I was coming out of my chair with excitement anticipating this conversation. The presentations were about choral intonation in our rehearsals, and the often forgotten relationship between intonation and vocal pedagogy. The ideas presented were exciting, revolutionary and even outside the box.

In this conversation we discuss the often missed elements that impact a choir’s ability to sing in tune. Tongue position, vocal registration, the conductor’s breath, Music Learning Theory, and even rhythm! We also discuss the importance of harmonic context and the ability for the singer to be flexible and tune as they go.  “When there is a problem with a note, don’t just teach the note. Fix the notes around the note.” 

Tune in, and have your thinking stimulated and challenged. Then, weigh in yourself on Facebook in the Choralosophers group or over on choralosophy.substack.com.

Be Sure to Find Choralosophy on TikTok!

For future rehearsal clips, find me on TikTok, Insta and FB!

@choralosophypodca

One of the world’s leading choral conductors, music pedagogy authors, and recording artist’s with over 60 books and publications calls Westminster Choir College home. Dr. James Jordan leads the largest and most respected graduate programs in choral conducting in the country. As a Grammy-nominated conductor he is recognized and praised throughout the musical world as one of America’s preeminent conductors, recording artists, writers, music psychologists and innovators in choral music. His innovations in both choral pedagogy and conducting pedagogy have been lauded worldwide, and he has effectively led changes in choral conducting and pedagogy that have impacted choral music around the world. He was described as a “visionary” by the Choral Journal, which cited his book Evoking Sound as a “must read.” His more than 60 books explore both the philosophical and spiritual basis of musicianship, as well as aspects of choral rehearsal teaching and learning, and they are considered to be essential references in the conducting profession. He is Professor Director of Choral Studies at Westminster Choir College, holds the Scheide Chair in Conducting, and serves as the 7th conductor of the 103-year old Westminster Choir and the world renowned Westminster Symphonic Choir. Prior to these conducting responsibilities, he conducted both the Chapel Choir and the Schola Cantorum. His 12 years conducting the Westminster Williamson Voices established that choir as one of the most admired and reviewed choral ensembles in the world, with 10 CD’s to its credit. The choir, under his direction, was called “the Rolls Royce of Choirs” by King’s College Conductor Daniel Hyde. Their Grammy-nominated recording of James Whitbourn’s portraiture seminal work, Annelies (Naxos) is one of the most performed choral works in the world. He was also director of the Westminster Conducting Institute. He is artistic director and conductor of the professional choral ensemble, The Same Stream.

His recordings with the Westminster Williamson Voices have garnered wide critical acclaim on both sides of the Atlantic. Choir and Organ wrote about their Grammy-nominated recording Annelies, “Jordan’s instinctive understanding of the score makes this a profound and emotionally charged experience.” 2023-24 will mark the release of 3 significant CD’s under his direction; The 30th Anniversary Recording of the Westminster Evening of Readings and Carols, a unique recording of the Mozart Requiem with the Pittsburgh Symphony, Manfred Hoenig conductor, and the 100th Anniversary recording of the Westminster Choir, A Serenity of Soul. The 15 CD’s under his direction are available through iTunes and Amazon. His work with The Same Stream Choir can also be seen in a video documentary and profile released by J.W. Pepper and available for viewing at thesamestreamchoir.com. He has premiered over 60 works in his time at Westminster, featuring the works of Ames, Mealor, Hill, Duckworth, Forrest, Whitbourn, Waldenby, Mantyjarvi, Lavoy, Scheibe and Relph. Passionately advocating for the mentoring and supporting of composers, especially young composers, has also been a focus of his career. He is Executive Editor of both the Evoking Sound Choral Series and The Music from Westminster Choral series which has over 300 published editions. He has also assembled one of the most completed online resources for Conducting Pedagogy and Choral Pedagogy on the Giamusic.com website: The Virtual Classroom. His philosophies and teachings are documented on the popular podcast, Luminous, and he serves as one of the hosts on the Nationally syndicated radio programs, Sounds Choral on WWFM, The Classical Network.

As a music psychologist specializing in music teaching and learning, Dr. Jordan’s career and publications have been devoted to innovative educational changes in the choral art, which have been embraced around the world. His seminal work, Inside the Choral Rehearsal is a landmark book applying the Music Learning Theory of Edwin Gordon to the choral rehearsal. 2023 will see the release of two innovative books advocating pedagogical change in the pedagogy of the choral rehearsal: Intonational Solfege and The Essential Choral Warm-Up (GIA).

Seminars and workshops have taken him throughout the United States, Canada, Europe and Australia at Institutions from The Curtis Institute of Music, The University of Arizona, The University of Utah to residencies at the country’s major choral programs. He made his Carnegie Hall debut in 2015, conducting the New York premiere of Paul Mealor’s Stabat Mater. In November 2015, Dr. Jordan conducted the world premiere of Paul Mealor’s First Symphony: Passiontide, in Scotland. In 2016, he conducted the Westminster Williamson Voices, the first college choir to appear in the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s MetLiveArts series, in a performance of the virtuosic Kanon Pokajanen by Arvo Pärt.

James Jordan has been honored as a distinguished alumnus of Temple University, where he has been inducted into the University’s Hall of Fame. In 2016, he received the distinguished alumni medal from Susquehanna University. He was awarded the distinguished Doctor of Music degree by the University of Aberdeen in Scotland in 2014 to honor his artistry and contributions to choral music throughout the world. The University, established in 1485, has awarded degrees throughout its history to only two Americans: Dr. Jordan and Morten Lauridsen. He shares this honor with Gustav Holst, Benjamin Britten and Dame Joan Sutherland.

       

 

       

View this profile on Instagram

Choralosophy Podcast (@choralosophy) • Instagram photos and videos