“Just an elementary music teacher”….
by Jenny Price, R & S Chair for Elementary Music
 If I had a dime for every time I’ve heard that statement, I’d be a rich woman.
Just this weekend, I attended the WA ACDA Winter Training Choir Workshop. While people were signing into the workshop, I asked someone what they teach. The words “I’m just an elementary music teacher” came from her mouth.
Me too….I’m just an elementary music teacher. Even worse – I have the title “General Music” attached to my job description. How boring. What exactly does that subject title mean anyway? Music teaching for the general school population? A smattering of musical topics?
I like the title “Music Specialist.” W hy? Music is special. What I teach is extremely special. What I do for a living plants a seed in a child’s mind. I am a child’s first dose of music learning… his or her first school program….a first introduction to the greatest gift you and I chose to make our livelihood – our hobby – our source of joy. I am the first choir teacher – the first play director – the first instrumental teacher – and most recently, the first string teacher. I will never think of my subject being “general.”
In this day and age of budget cuts, I think elementary music specialists need to focus their energies on getting away from being just that – general music. What can you do to spice up your program so that your district sees your subject matter as a living, breathing art form that your community would die without?
You are in ACDA…I am assuming you have a love of choral music. What is your choral program like? Is it authentic? Can you teach nearly every EALR through your choir program except fingerings on a hand -held instrument?
Elementary Music Specialists – you are not just an elementary music teacher. You are who gives a junior high/middle school choir director or band director their job. You helped plant the seed for those kids to want to go onto furthering themselves in music in high school, college and into community choirs of all levels. Remember that every day as you go about your “general music” job and turn it into a visual, thriving program for your community to embrace and rave about.
You are the reason parents buy cameras to see their little darlings light up the stage for the first time. That memory lies in your hands. And for those children – they will remember you for a lifetime if you give them the most special gift of all- the gift of music.
Do you remember your elementary music teacher’s name? I do. I’m thankful for her seed-planting in me. Now if I could just find her to tell her so……… |
Partnerships with community-based children’s choirs and school choirs
Jenny Price, WA-ACDA R&S Chair Children’s Choirs
August, 2009
When I think about the number of students at my elementary school who are involved in after school sports, it’s a pretty staggering number.
I don’t know what it costs to put a child through select soccer, but from what I hear, it’s quite a commitment both time-wise and financially.
For some of our students, sports just might not be their thing, and music is. Those are the kids that might need an extra-special something that is after school and that makes them feel needed, wanted, part of a team and nurtures their soul and creative spirit.
We are so blessed to have so many wonderful community choirs in our state. All are different and have their own unique sound, style and in all cases, fabulous artistic directors.
Unfortunately, the number of kids in my school that are in a community-based children’s choir program is 0%. And I would like to see that change.
Getting kids involved in these organizations is something that we school teachers should encourage. Get to know the directors of local choirs in your area. Find out what group would best fit the needs of your music students. Contact parents and let them know that their child could benefit from this extra musical experience.
Community choir directors – you can help form this partnership as well. Is it part of your policy that a student must be in a school music ensemble in order to be in your choir? Kids need to give of their talents where they chose, but their school program is such a great place for them to give back.
Are you the director getting out there into the schools and getting to know the music teachers? Do you bring your choirs to perform at any local schools? Do you offer any events to involve local schools in your choir’s activities? Visibility will help your program grow and keep music more alive inside of your community. The more you get out there, promote music in schools, partner yourselves with other directors, the more those schools will recommend your program; not just because your program has a good name, but because you have made a partnership and personal connection with that director.
I am providing you with a list of community choirs that I am aware of throughout the state. Check them out! Your kids are worth it! If you choir has been left off of the list, please let me know and I will add your choir.
It is important to note that some school districts may not want you “selling” a particular program in order to promote their business. Make sure that you check with the district on how to introduce this idea to your school parents so that it doesn’t seem like you are promoting a business, but instead are advocating for music growth for your students.
Seattle Children’s Chorus http://www.seattlechildrenschorus.org/
Northwest Girlchoir http://www.northwestgirlchoir.org/
Seattle Girl’s Choir http://www.singers.com/choral/seattlegirls.html
Northwest Choirs http://www.nwchoirs.org/
Rainier Youth Choirs http://www.rainieryouthchoirs.org/Rainier_Youth_Choirs/Rainier_Youth_Choirs_Home.html
Columbia Choirs of Metropolitan Seattle http://www.columbiachoirs.com/
Olympia Youth Chorus http://www.olympiayouthchorus.org/
Tacoma Youth Chorus http://www.tacomayouthchorus.org/
Tahoma Choirs http://www.tahomachoirs.org/index.html
Northern Sound Choirs http://www.northernsound.org/
Spokane Area Children’s Chorus http://www.saccsings.org/
Pacifica Choirs http://www.pacificachoirs.org/
Three Rivers Children’s Chorus http://www.trcchorus.org/
Endolyne Children’s Choir http://www.endolynechoir.org/
Renegade Opera Children’s Chorus http://rocchorus.com/default.aspx
Eastside Girls Choir & Youth Ensemble http://eastsidegirlschoir.com/
Vivace! Choral Program http://vivacechoral.com/
Dolcissima www.bellinghamsings.com
Mount Baker Youth Choir http://www.mbys.org/
Snohomish Children’s Choir http://www.snohomishchildrenschoir.com
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by Jennifer Price, R & S Chair, Elementary Choirs, WA ACDA,
For many years, I was a secondary choir director. My subject matter was easily understood by the titles: seventh grade choir, eighth grade choir and ninth grade girl’s ensemble. When I became an elementary music specialist, I was at a loss as to my focus. The title “general  music” titled suggested a smattering of every musical topic and I felt “all over the place” with my focus.
I took classes in instrument making, and hand drumming and utilized the Orff instruments that filled my classroom. But no matter what I did with the kids, I would hit a wall. I wasn’t proficient with or inspired by the musical topics I was covering and I was never as good as the presenters from which I learned. I grew tired of trying to be someone I wasn’t and this caused me to reflect back to my early education….back to what my first love of music was. It finally hit me - I am a choral musician! Choral music is what I chose to do with my free time and if I really had to put a label on what I’m good at, it would be a choral singer. So, why not teach it? Why not make it part of the general music curriculum? There is so much that you can teach kids through choral music. Just take a long look at an octavo. There are lesson plans galore from any piece of choral literature. Think about how much you can get into vocal production, ear training, music history and theory. There are so many possibilities!
I became obsessed once choral music became my new focus. I knew I could get kids to sing well since that was happening in my general music classes, but how I start a choir program was a mystery. Pulling kids from recess was not a good plan. This would not provide a solid amount of quality time and I am a firm believer that kids need recess. How would I fit a choral music program into my jam-packed schedule?
My first idea was to start a third grade after school choir program. I started with 30 kids. I knew nothing about quality children’s literature, had no money for choral music, and basically just knew I wanted this to work. That first year was a major flop. And why shouldn’t it have been? I wasn’t prepared - and my kids had no concept of a “choir”. I hadn’t taught them what it was, so why would they want to stay after for it? Sadly, I had them dancing around and singing a Disney medley. This wasn’t what I wanted at all!
That next year, I went to my principal and told her that I wanted to start a choir program but I needed some money to do it right. I told her that I would build a quality program that would feed into the middle school. Part of my excitement was to be a feeder for someone else. W hen I taught middle school, I never had an elementary feeder which kept my program back from being what it could be. I had convinced my principal of the idea and was thankful for her excitement. She went to the district administrators and was able to get me some money to buy some octavos - $200.00.
My goal was to have the entire third grade become my choir. I wasn’t going to do a general music program for that year, and instead taught as much musical knowledge through those octavos as possible. What I discovered teaching choral music that year now drives my current curriculum and gives me focus. I’m finally bringing my musical gift to my students. I also discovered that third grade is the magical year for vocal growth. It’s amazing how third graders transition from sounding like little shouty children to sounding like angels. Their beautiful, angelic voices can make you cry for all of the right reasons. What a great opportunity to nurture voices and to teach boys, for example, that their voice is a child’s voice and their man voice is yet to come! They think it's cool that they can sing as high as the girls - and think it's cooler that they get to take that high voice with them after their voice changes.
My third graders meet twice a week. I usually have four classes that I split up – two classes sing part-1, the others sing part-2 (I switch the part they sing half way through the year). I usually do two-part music or unison music. Each week I work with one class at a time – this is my first session with the students. The second time, they are combined with the other class who sing the same part they do. This way, students get the idea of what it is like to sing with big numbers and it makes it less shocking when we combine all four classes together.
I always rehearse my kids in unison. Kids cannot master harmony unless they master unison. After a few weeks, I start singing the harmony part so that they get used to hearing it. Very early in rehearsals, kids know that the other classes sing something different. All kids learn to look at the other part while they sing theirs. All of our work is done using an octavo. I never allow myself to use a typed word sheet – even if the kids think it would be easier. Eventually, they grow to love looking at the score. To them, it’s like an “I Spy” game.
When I get a score, I will go through it and make a list of musical concepts to be taught. I also make a list of vocal teaching points. I also always allow students to look through a score before we start it and ask anything they want about what they see. They are always fascinated by the piano music. They love to talk to a partner about the score together and make discoveries together. I love hearing things like “What do you think that is??” Or “WHOA!” when students see something like a glissando. Then, I’ll play a glissando on the piano and they say “Oh! I know what that means!” and then they explain it to me.
When kids enter the room, the chairs are set up in curved rows like a real choir rehearsal. Each chair has a folder on it. I always start out rehearsals with a full body stretch warm-up and ear warm-up at the same time. While the kids are stretching, I always play a recording of a choir I want them to become familiar with. At the end of that listening, I have the kids tell me what they have heard. I only let them list musical facts and not their opinion. This is where we get a major portion of their choral music vocabulary words – like soprano, alto, tenor, bass, blend, unison, harmony, mixed choir, women’s choir, head voice and chest voice. I list all of the words that they learn on my classroom cabinet doors. By the end of the year, they will have a vocabulary of over 50 new words, and can also identify the different sounds of several children’s and adult choirs from all around the world. They love listening - and they love showing what they have learned. After sharing, we go into a vocal warm up, sight reading, and then rehearse our pieces for our concert. 
I do two concerts a year with my third grade students. Our attendance is always excellent. Kids and parents are always excited. Everyone has bought into the program because I have taken the time to make it a quality experience for everyone. And boy do the kids love showing their parents how much their voices have grown!
So where do I go from here? The next year is spent on instrumental reading. I do a full year of fourth grade recorder and Orff ensembles. This preps them for fifth grade band. But what about my choral program? Do I just let it go? Never -
I have an auditioned third – sixth grade after school choir. In the beginning of the year, I do not have third graders in choir. I need them to have a full four months of choral reading before they are ready to audition for the advanced after school choir. I will only allow third graders in if I feel their voice is mature enough to blend in with older voices. My sixth graders do not go to my school anymore since they are in middle school; however, they know they are welcome to join us for choir after school – as long as they are a member of the middle school band or choir program. Many of them enjoy walking back over to their old elementary and being role models for the younger singers.
This past year was incredible. After school choir grew to 90 kids who are willing to stay after twice a week for an hour and half each r ehearsal. We have no after school bus, but instead have dedicated parents who are willing to pick their kids up. The kids are 100% proud of their choir - because they know it’s quality - and they know they have made it that way. It is my hope that they continue to grow in their choral education and keep that skill growing for the rest of their lives - like I have chosen to do with mine.
The choir teacher that I feed at the middle school is also a part of our world. I love to have her come over, listen to the kids, accompany them, combine concerts with the middle school, and then do a combined piece at the end. It starts a connection with the middle school choir director at an early age and prepares students for a smooth transition to the middle school.
I have also mentored and team taught with our other music specialist at the other elementary in our district. She too, has developed a choir program which is thriving. Together our efforts have boosted our middle school choir numbers. The middle school choirs usually score superior at ensemble festival.
My challenge to you is to start an elementary choir program at your school. Teach the concepts you were going to teach through your general music curriculum through a quality choral program. Can you put off instrumental playing for one year for the sake of giving kids an opportunity to really nurture their voices? Can you teach the subject matter that you truly love – choral music? Of course you can! Give it a try and see if you have a new and revived love for your job. You will be giving your students a bit of yourself - the gift of ensemble singing - and concert memories to last them a lifetime.
Jennifer Price has been teaching music in public schools for 19 years. She has spent the past 11 years at Mountain Way Elementary in Granite Falls teaching general music and has a thriving elementary choral program. Previously, she taught high school and middle school choirs in New York. She has also had the pleasure of conducting several elementary honor choirs in New York and Washington.
Jenny received her Bachelor of Music degree from SUNY at Fredonia and her Master’s in Liberal Studies from SUNY at Stonybrook. Her Master’s thesis was on the performance of sacred music in the public school, which she has successfully defended to many principals throughout her career.
Jenny has sung with some of the finest choirs in America, including Voices of Ascension and the New York Choral Society, which performs regularly at Lincoln Center and Carnegie Hall. She currently enjoys singing in all three choral ensembles of Seattle Pro Musica. She also serves on the board of the Seattle Children’s Chorus. |
