February 10, 2011

District Vertical Concerts: A Great Recruiting Tool
by Josh Viles – Repertoire and Standards Chair for Men’s Choirs

It seems that every year that passes makes our jobs busier. We all know that it is important to find the time to visit our feeder elementary and middle schools and talk up our programs. Better still, is the chance to bring our choirs to those schools and let them perform. These performances are powerful tools in getting younger kids excited about their future in choir at their local high school.

The problem is who has the time? An even better question would be who has the money for a bus and a substitute to travel to these various locations?

A vertical concert is a possible solution to this problem. Vertical concerts not only allow you to recruit and perform for your feeder schools, they will also be a special event for your community and a possible platform for advocacy.

Our vertical concerts are set up by high school service areas. Each of these service areas includes five elementary schools, one middle school, and one high school. The concert consists of a performance from a massed fifth grade choir, made up of students from the general music classes at the elementary schools, the middle school’s most advanced ensemble, and both a training choir and an advanced choir from the high school.

These concerts always close with a finale with all of the students performing one piece as a huge, massed choir. The literature for this is usually something simple to accommodate the various voice levels, but sophisticated enough to keep the older kids engaged (think a two part Down by the Sally Gardens or Simple Gifts.) This format allows for the fifth graders to see and hear exactly what exciting opportunities await them in middle and high school. It also gives the eighth graders a chance to get excited about high school and can often change minds that were “on the fence” about joining choir.

Recruiting aside, this format also allows you to really sell your music program, K-12! Think of the impression this would make on district level administrators and local politicians to see huge numbers of students participating in choir at all levels. This is made even stronger in our district as the band and orchestra programs do this as well. It also gives you a platform for advocacy, fundraising, and community education. More importantly, it will get your community excited about your choir program and ignite a huge sense of pride! Parents love to see their kids involved in healthy, high quality, and well organized activities. The many benefits of doing a vertical concert really justify the work that goes into it.

This may seem like a huge undertaking, but some good communication and esprit des corps with your elementary and middle school teachers makes this an easy, and yes, fun process.

The following is how we have divided this up over the last few years, of course you could re-jig this to fit your needs. The elementary teachers select the finale music. If it is not something in our library (which it usually is) they are responsible for pooling the money to purchase copies for everyone.

The elementary teachers also take care of accompanist duties, by either providing it themselves, or hiring the necessary staff.

The middle school takes care of the site management by reserving the space, filling out the district paper work, and arranging for movement of risers and custodians.

The high school runs the massed rehearsals, acts as the master of ceremonies, and provides the program. It may take some practice, but running an event this large is truly made much easier by dividing up the duties.

I would like to leave you with a personal experience I had at one of these events. I brought my Men’s Ensemble to one event and they performed the “Hunter’s Chorus” from Der Freischutz and a lovely setting of O Mistress Mine arr. By Neil Ginsberg. Naturally, they were a hit and the audience loved them. However, the really powerful moment came a little later as we were cleaning up. A handful of 5th grade boys came up to me and said, in so many words; “we used to not like music class so much, but now we want to stay in choir so we can be in the Man Choir in high school…..that was awesome!”  I took down all of their names and told them I would be checking in on them in middle school and looked forward to working with them. The full effect of the vertical concert was felt when each of those boys walked into my Concert Choir the first day of their freshman year. They stayed with it, and they do indeed sing in my Men’s Choir as we speak!

This really is a powerful format that will make your recruiting life a lot easier and more joyful. It is also a fantastic way to show your community how strong vocal music is and what a difference it makes in the lives of our children. I encourage you to attempt a Vertical Concert in your district.

If you have any questions or want to learn more, please feel free to contact me, my information is below. Have a great rest of the year!

Josh Viles
Director of Choirs
Hazen High School
(425) 204-4258
josh.viles@rentonschools.us

Five Easy, Non-Musical Ways to Streamline Your Rehearsals:
By Josh Viles – WA ACDA Rep. and Standards Chair for Male Choirs

Recently, I was asked by our colleagues at WMEA to give a presentation at their upcoming workshop for new teachers. My topic is the old chestnut, classroom management and discipline. As I prepared, I couldn’t help but turn my presentation into an article for UNISON. As we enter the second full week of school, students are comfortable in their routines and the “honeymoon” period is slowly coming to an end.  I thought this to be a timely topic for those who see the peaceful first weeks slipping away.

I specify non-musical ways in the title. I feel it would be a little too obvious for me to write and tell you that quality literature and high standards go a long way in your management life. Rather, I wanted to focus on specific classroom habits and routines that you can put in place to help manage your students. Often we are faced with large numbers of excited, exuberant and chatty students. Mostly, they are not being malicious in their excessive talking; it’s just the nature of the beast when you have 50 + kids in one room. The tips below should help you get better organized and let your students know exactly what is expected of them from the first bell to the last. If the ideas don’t seem like they will work for you, or you have something that works especially well, please feel free to write and tell me. A compilation of ideas can only help! Remember, I am including only management ideas below. The thought is that if you run a well managed rehearsal, you will very rarely, if ever, need to employ discipline techniques. Save those for guitar class!!

Attendance/Starting Class:
This tip is one that has saved me (and many colleagues) hours of time. Obviously, what the students do in the first few moments will have a great impact on the rest of the rehearsal. They need something to grab their attention immediately so that they can begin to focus and you can lead them through a successful rehearsal. I offer two suggestions. First, we must take attendance. The one thing you must not do is let them sit and talk while you methodically mark in your grade book or computer. It will be horrible trying to get them back on track after a solid 2-3 minutes of talk. Instead, assign each student a number. As soon as the bell rings have them recite their numbers in order. This quiets them down, gives them an easy task to focus on, and, allows you to get attendance. I have had 75 kids do this in under a minute. The other option is a “do now”. This is not a new idea, but one that bears repeating. Use an over head (or indeed a white board) and provide the students with an easy musical task (beaming notes, identifying key signatures, IPA) that needs to be done and turned in for a grade in the first 5 minutes of class. Again, this allows you to get attendance done while they focus their attention. Either of these will work. I feel it is imperative to do this before you warm up. The warm up is probably the most important part of the rehearsal and requires their absolute focus and attention. The above tasks are great ways to ensure that you have their attention before instruction begins.

Map Your Rehearsal:
Kids crave direction and consistency. Often times, their lack of focus is really because they only have a vague idea of what it is they are supposed to be doing. A lot of teachers think they are clear, but their student’s behavior would suggest otherwise. It may seem a bit OCD, but I make a model of my rehearsals and break it down into time intervals. I give copies of this to the students in their syllabus. I go through it with them and let them know it will be written on the board each day. This way, they always know what class will look like, when to expect transitions and what music they will be working on. A sample model is written below. I know the time intervals seem short, but trust me; in the long run you will get more done that you ever thought possible.
Part 1 (5 min.) – Do Now and Attendance.

Part 2 (10 min.) – Vocal Warm Ups and Sight Singing.

Part 3 (10 min.) – Rehearsal of Literature. This portion is devoted to polishing previously learned material.

Part 4 (20 min.) – Rehearsal of Literature. This portion, the bulk of rehearsal, will focus on tackling new material. Sectional rehearsals can also go here.

Part 5 (15 min.) Rehearsal of Literature. This portion is used to perform works that are more polished and help end the rehearsal on a positive and fun note. Musicianship testing and announcements can also go hear.

Practice Transitions:
Transitions are where most rehearsals fall apart. Moving from one piece to another or from sectionals back to a larger rehearsal can take forever if the students don’t know how it should look and sound. Just as we guide kids through practice in their scores, they need guided practice through rehearsal transitions. Obviously, everyone’s tastes are different. You decide what you want your transitions to be and then make your kids practice it. After a few times, it will be programmed into them and it just becomes a way of life. If they begin to get off task during a transition, make them do it again. Insist on it being they way that you want. A few “standing and sitting” practices will make them beg to rehearse actual music in a quiet and structured way.

Be Specific About Talking in Class:
Just as I outline my rehearsals for students, I also outline the guidelines for talking during class. Too often I have heard teachers say, “OK…quiet down” to no avail. Again, what the kids need (and want) is specific directions as to exactly how and when they are to talk. The trick with this is not to insist on their absolute silence. Rather, encourage appropriate talking; remembering that a good group output requires productive group input. Tell them that when you speak, no other talking is to occur. Questions will only be answered with a raised hand; random blurting out will never be responded to. Explain that the verbal analysis of texts and music adds greatly to the shaping of each piece. Ask guided, specific questions of your kids and do so often. This way they feel they have a role in shaping the music and they are not just taking directions from an all knowing being. This keeps the noise level appropriate and actually gets more kids engaged in the process.

Talk Less and Demonstrate More:
Rod Eichenberger once quipped that “What they see is what you get!” This is the truth sent from above! If you spend all of your time talking about music, kids get the idea that extraneous talking is OK in your rehearsal. After all, they signed up to sing, not be lectured to. Instead of talking when you stop, immediately demonstrate what you heard and then re- demonstrate what you want. This keeps the kids on their toes and provides them with the instant feedback that they need. It also forces you to really delve into each score and glean the essential concepts out of them. It also forces you to be more mindful with your conducting gestures. The more you can show with gesture, the less you will need to stop and fix things. Also, be very mindful of your speaking tone. Keep it calm and measured. Never speak over your students; if you do, you are showing that it is OK for them to talk and that what you have to say is not important. Insist on silence before you speak, no matter how long it takes. If you talk less in rehearsal, and insist on their absolute attention when you do stop for a brief statement, I promise they will hang on your every word.

These are things that I do daily in my classroom and they work like a charm. I have a large amount of students and can honestly say that I haven’t had to write a discipline slip or assign detention in about seven years. On top of that, we get a lot done and are praised for our musicianship and behavior wherever we perform. I attribute this to an organized and clearly defined rehearsal process that allows me to work on music, not on discipline. Please feel free to write with more suggestions. Have a great year!

April 29, 2010
Debunking the Myths of the Urban School District

by Josh Viles, Editor, UNISON, R&S Chair for Male Choirs

This past year, we had a wonderful student teacher working in our district.  She worked in the classrooms at Lindbergh High School and Nelsen Middle School. Though these are both stellar programs, the populations of the schools are a stark contrast to Lake Washington High School, where she graduated high school.

As she gets close to finishing her program and gears up to look for her first job, she is keenly aware of the situation our state finds itself in. She is aware that she will probably be subbing next year.  If she is lucky enough to find an open position, she also realizes it may be in a “hard to serve school.” This is something that she is excited about and that is not as daunting as it once may have seemed, thanks to her overwhelmingly positive experience in Renton.

The above scenario is likely true for a lot of young teachers entering our profession. Jobs are going to be hard to come by, and the only ones that are likely to be available are schools in more urban districts that have been labeled “hard to serve.”

I can’t tell you the number of times people have looked at me in horror when I tell them that my high school is located in the Renton School District. I have had many conversations with people who (though they should know better) easily talk down to more urban schools and wonder how anything positive could possibly go on in these settings. This is, of course, just not true. These schools are filled with kids who are as energized, excited and talented as anywhere else. They just need good and dedicated teachers to help them make it happen!  

I am writing this article with the hope of reaching young teachers and letting them know that these schools and districts are not the scary prospect that most make them out to be. I also hope that it will remind some of our veterans that quality choral music programs don’t look the same in every school. These diverse populations are teaming with talented kids who will work hard for you and are waiting for their talents to be realized!

To help illustrate my point, I did an interview with a colleague of mine, Lizabeth Diaz, who teaches at Renton High School. RHS serves 1,109 students from downtown Renton and into south Seattle and has a 54.6% free and reduced lunch rate. The demographic breakdown is as follows; African American – 35%, Asian – 32%, Hispanic – 15.6%, and White – 14%. These are just numbers, but they are numbers that can easily influence people’s opinions of schools, kids and communities.

The truth is, Renton High School is a great place to attend and Lizabeth Diaz has built a fine choir program there. Her program features three performing ensembles, one of which is audition only. The A Cappella Choir (Renton’s top ensemble) consists of 55 auditioned members that meet every day at zero hour to rehearse. At festivals, Lizabeth’s choirs perform challenging literature in artistic ways, they are also some of the most professional and respectful students I have ever witnessed in any setting. In short, this is not the kind of program one would expect to hear about just by glancing at the numbers above.

The interview below will highlight Lizabeth’s experience at Renton High School and tell how she built her current program. It will also give a few helpful tips and tricks for being successful with these types of populations. If you have any questions or would like to learn more, please feel free to contact me, and I can put you in touch with Lizabeth.

Josh Viles inteviews Lizabeth Diaz

How long have you taught at Renton High School?  
This is my 15th year at RHS.

What was the program like when you started?  
Choir had been eliminated from the curriculum.  I had to re-start the program.

How is your program set up now – what choirs do you offer?  
We have three choirs:  Mixed Chorus (beginning non-select); Vocal Ensemble (intermediate non-select); and A Cappella (as select and advanced as possible).  I also offer two sections of Musical Techniques, which is a high school entry level music course.  I frequently recruit students from these classes.

What do you think is the key thing that helped you turn it around?  
I have a very strong relationship with the students at Renton High School.  We “get” each other.  I have also been well supported by my administrative team at the building level.  I must admit, that I am also very willful.  I desperately wanted to resuscitate the program and see it thrive.  I work very hard towards this end. 

How would you describe the RHS population?  
Diverse.  Transitory.  Challenging.  Creative.  Natural performers.  Right now, 1109 students attend RHS.  As of last year, 32.9% identify themselves as Asian/Pacific Islander, 35.8% as Black, 15.6% as Hispanic, 1.2% as Native American, 14.6% as White.  As of March 138 students are enrolled in our English as a Second Language Program.  62.85% receive free and reduced lunch.  We also experience a 48.4% Student Mobility Rate.  There are approximately 28 languages spoken at RHS.

What is the greatest challenge you face teaching at RHS?  
Time.  Because of scheduling issues, like single course offerings, my advanced choir meets during zero period.  This means that we start at 6:25 AM most days.  It also means that when the daily schedule changes zero periods tend to get cancelled.  Also, because of the need to improve test scores, many students must take additional math support and reading classes, and lose the opportunity to take electives like the entry level choir. 

What are your greatest joys teaching at RHS?  
The students of RHS are talented, expressive and highly energetic human beings who continually show me their appreciation.  We play a lot.  We laugh a lot.  We work really hard.  My life is much more meaningful and just plain full because of my relationships with them.  I love the diversity of Renton High School.  I love to see them bloom from freshmen into seniors.  I love collaborating with them.  I love the sound of their voices. 

What advice would you give teachers starting new jobs in an urban school?   Be open to new ways of doing things.  Reflect continuously on your beliefs and your teaching techniques.  Allow students to teach you.  Be patient and celebrate little victories.  Real growth does not happen quickly.  Work hard, but take time to laugh – laughter is key.  Be patient and kind, but strong  – relationship is key.  Show respect, even if you don’t feel terribly respected at first.  Show your students that you appreciate their music.  Choose culturally relevant music, but also make time to highlight music that your students are creating and/or listening to.  My students and I have grown immensely through the production of talent and multicultural shows.

Do you think there is unfair opinions of urban schools in Washington State? 
Yes.  Since our test scores aren’t always stellar, it is sometimes assumed that our students are not academically capable.  The truth is that we do serve students with learning issues.  There are many reasons for the gaps in their knowledge.  They have moved from school to school to school.  They don’t speak, read or write well in English.  They have issues at home.  However, we are becoming more and more successful in helping these students to succeed.  We believe in them.  Also, we DO have many average students who perform remarkably well - just like other schools do. 

Many people see our schools as dangerous places, full of thuggish gang affiliated students.  Dangerous situations can happen in any school.  RHS is a safe school.  We all look out for each other.  Our students can be loud (I actually revel is the shock value of our VOLUME), but our students are generally well-mannered and thoughtful.

What would you say to those people who carry these opinions? 
I would encourage them to rethink their assumptions.  Their opinions are based in fear and ignorance. 

What has been your favorite musical moment with your RHS choir(s)?  
Our performance of West Side Story.  Our performance of Rutter’s Magnificat on stage in Carnegie Hall, under the direction of John Rutter.  Touring in Europe.  All these classic musical moments have been possible with a choir from an urban school…  More true to who we are, a few years ago the A Cappella Choir performed A South African Trilogy at contest.  Performing world music is always a risk at contest.  Sometimes the judges get it.  Sometimes they don’t.  My choir performed the piece really well – everyone was in the zone.  After the performance, we worked with one of the three judges on stage.  We were blessed with a judge who had just returned from South Africa.  She loved what we were doing, and my choir was incredibly responsive to her.  Her final comment made us all very proud.  She said that as she listened to us, she closed her eyes, and felt like she was back in South Africa.  She really got it.

February 2, 2010

Deep Thoughts with Teenage Boys: What Does Choir Mean to Them?

by Josh Viles, Editor, UNISON and R&S Chair for Male Choirs

As we enter the second semester, the time comes to start thinking about recruiting for next year. I know it seems early, but in a lot of districts (mine included) students start signing up for next year’s classes as early as March.

We all face the same problem as we do this job. Even in the smallest of schools, it seems like there is an endless sea of girls enthusiastically vying for spots in our choirs. Boys however seem few and far between. Recruiting boys, for me anyway, has become an art form all its own. Many of us will say just about anything to convince a boy to join our class, and, consider it a great victory when we convince even one or two new ones to join the fold.

There has been a lot written about recruiting in various method books and all seem to have good ideas. With boys, a lot of the ideas seem to be focused on the extrinsic motivators like; key chains, shirts, missing class and the like.

As I was reading through these ideas, I couldn’t help but think that there was more to it than that. I wanted a new way to approach young men about choir that didn’t set me up to be some kind of used car salesman.

During our finals schedule last week, I decided to gather some information. I surveyed every boy in my program (65 in all) and asked them, among other things, what they valued about being in choir. The results were very surprising, and indeed gave me the inspiration I was looking for. Below are a few quotes from that survey.

I am not assuming that this will change your recruiting life or make boys flood to your program. I simply hope that you will read these thoughts and be reminded at how wonderful choral music is and how much our boys need it in their lives.

I hope it will give you a new, and, more thoughtful way to approach boys and talking with them about the benefits of being in choir.

Enjoy the quotes below and happy hunting!

“I’m in 9th grade, I don’t have an ounce of athletic ability, and I’m lucky if I can get a C in most of my classes. I love choir because it automatically gave me a place where I can be good at something.”

“I really enjoy the camaraderie of being in Concert Choir. The class is so huge, I get to meet all sorts of new people that I otherwise would never have associated with. It feels good to be working toward a common goal with nice people.”

“Choir gives me a break. I have it right after Chemistry and AP US History. I love coming to choir and getting to stand up and express myself without worrying about a test.”

“Music is like being in an exclusive club. I love having information that the general population does not have. When my friends are all talking about their latest Calculus assignment and I am totally lost, I start talking about French diction and what a dominant seventh chord is. That usually quiets everyone down.”

“I love the music we sing. I feel like I learn so much more about history and poetry through music than I do sitting in LA or History.”

“The rush of being on stage is unlike anything else. I can’t think of any other class where you get to be a featured performer in a concert hall. It’s also amazing when you get a good rating or win a contest. He feeling is unbeatable.”

“Chicks dig a baritone.”

“I like learning about vocal music that isn’t the pop drivel that we are exposed to on a daily basis. When I hear people talk about American Idol, I just roll my eyes.”

“There is something nice about having choir as a constant in my life. Each year my classes change, but I know that I will always be able to go to choir and have an instant group of friends, a nice teacher (sometimes) and a subject that I like.”

“I like choir because it is a different set of expectations. It’s nice to have a teacher and a classroom full of people that depend on you in a way to help get the work done. It’s like a living breathing project that you are a part of.”

The Nice List
(Men’s Choral Music for your Holiday Concert)

By Josh Viles
WA ACDA Repertoire and Standards Chair – Male Choirs

Greetings from the Renton Highlands! It was wonderful to talk with so many of you this past July at our Summer Institute. It is always so nice to meet new friends and re-connect with those that we haven’t seen in awhile. It is also wonderful to talk with people who understand both the joys and frustrations of our profession.

As I think back on the many men’s choir talks I had with people, I realized that many of us have a difficult time when it comes to selecting literature for holiday concerts. Indeed, it seems that our society has gotten so politically correct that one could probably think of a dozen different names for this concert (winter, lessons and carols, solstice….dare I say Christmas) to name but a few. I have always found that finding good quality men’s choir repertoire a touch more challenging than other voicings. Add to that the challenges of programming in December and you have got yourself a real problem.

Public school teachers seem to have the roughest go of this, often times programming between a school district that has stringent guidelines and communities that want to hear “the hits”.

Fear not, I have compiled a list of 20 go to pieces that are not only high quality and in a variety of voicings, but that will fit in a variety of situations; whether it be a church or community group that embraces the idea of a holiday concert and religious texts, or a finicky public school setting that only wants “winter music”.

My hope is that everyone will find something useable hear and that you will all e-mail me with your own ideas that have worked for you, that way we can gel them into a mega-list that we can use as a yearly resource.

I also hope as we approach the holiday season that we don’t let school district fear get in the way of our job, which is teaching quality music and texts to our singers. I don’t mean to say this in too cavalier a tone. I simply mean that you should do the music you feel is right for your groups and not be afraid to mention Christmas (or any other sacred topic for that matter.) After all, the sacred tradition is where it all began for choral music and some of the finest music and words ever written are available at this time of year. Just remember that it may take some justifying to parents or administrators, but it is worth sticking to your guns if it means performing Es ist ein ros entsprungen instead of Cold and Fugue Season! If you feel you need some strategies or other help with this type of thing, please feel free to contact me and I will do everything I can to assist you!

The list below is alphabetical by title and includes the composer, publisher and voicing. Some contain very religious texts while others are non-typical ways to add interest or levity if you have to steer clear of a holiday theme. I have either performed these with my own groups, or watched them performed by a trusted colleague. Let me know what worked and please send more ideas. Happy Holidays……..

Editor's note: For more information on ACDA policy regarding use of sacred music see this site:

http://acda.org/about_us/policies

Josh Viles - slviles@comcast.net

Choral music for men’s voices; more than just shanties and taverns!

by Josh Viles, Editor, UNISON
September, 2008

We all know that selecting appropriate and challenging repertoire is one of the most important jobs we have as choral directors at any level. In Washington, we are lucky to have a strong ACDA chapter that is committed to helping us find the best and most accessible music for our choirs.  However, outside the ACDA circle the quest for high quality choral music is often a frustrating and lonely one!  Finding high quality men’s choir music is, in my opinion, the hardest thing to ferret out of the banal catalogs we are sent.  We are faced with music that is either deplorable and belongs in a land fill, or music that is passable but doesn’t really inspire kids (or teachers for that matter.)

 How many have been excited when they pull the latest publishing company’s catalog out of their box that boasts of “superb male chorus literature for the discriminating music educator?”  I fall for it every time.  The excitement quickly wears off when I realize that by superb, they mean arrangements of the latest High School Musical installment or some kind of 50’s and 60’s nostalgia package complete with a “show-trax” accompaniment tape.  It’s hard enough to get young men to sing choral music, we certainly don’t need any help from canned music or geeky dance moves!

The other main problem with readily available men’s choir music is the narrow textual focus.  In an attempt to appeal to young men, there seems to be a plethora of pieces in the sea shanty or drinking song vein.  These are fine and many are very good arrangements, but it leaves a glaring hole in our curriculum if we allow all of the emoting to be done by our girls.  Choral music offers a wonderful chance to help our young men tap into a more sensitive side of their psyche that society does not necessarily reinforce all the time.

As the current Repertoire and Standards chair for men’s choirs and as a teacher that has had success with high school men, I feel like I can help with this frustrating problem.  I asked my men’s choir to go through our library with me and we picked out our 20 favorite pieces, seen below.  I believe all of this music not only to be of high quality, but also offers texts that allow men to think, feel, reflect and express.  The music is in multiple voicings and represents many styles and languages.  I hope you find this list useful and I am looking forward to working with you all as we further the cause of superb male choirs in Washington State!