A NOTE FROM THE PRESIDENT
Leslie Guelker-Cone

I joined ACDA as a student member in 1976; as a senior music education major who would student teach the following fall, I knew I needed all the help I could get as I began to prepare for a career as a music teacher. I began to attend ACDA-sponsored conventions and workshops, to read the Choral Journal and state and division newsletters, and to get to know other educators in the organization—people who freely shared their ideas and expertise with me. Nearly 30 years later, ACDA continues to be my professional lifeline and I am grateful for the knowledge and understanding I’ve gained over the years because of my association with this wonderful organization.

Our own state ACDA chapter provides this same kind of support for conductors of all ages and experience levels working in school, church, and community settings. Our annual WA-ACDA Summer Institute provides an opportunity for us to gather together as a “choral community” to share ideas and provide encouragement to each other in a relaxed and informal setting. In addition, renowned headliners and a variety of outstanding reading sessions provide opportunities for us to continue to learn and grow as conductors and teachers. I strongly encourage each of you to join us for this year’s Summer Institute, to be held in Kilworth Chapel on the University of Puget Sound campus in Tacoma on Wed.-Fri., July 27-29 and featuring the extraordinary Dale Warland as our headliner. (Additional information about the Institute and on-line registration may be found in this issue of UNISON.) I look forward to seeing all of you in Tacoma in July!

As my term as WA-ACDA president comes to a close, I would like to express my thanks to the many people who have worked and continue to work to make this organization run so successfully in our state. Thanks to past presidents Richard Nance and Judy Herrington who continue to share their wisdom and experience and to president-elect Linda Hamilton who has been my “partner in crime” over the last two years; WA-ACDA will be in good hands with her in the lead. Thanks also Howard Meharg for his amazing work on our webpage and Northwest Notes (and countless other things) and to Ken Pendergrass for his work on UNISON. Many thanks also to Rob Dennis, our faithful treasurer, and to all of the Membership and Repertoire and Standards chairs who have served with me over the length of my term. It takes a “whole village” to run an organization like ACDA; thanks to all of you for your countless hours of work, support, and good cheer. It has truly been my pleasure to work with you in service to ACDA.

One of the most important resources a choral conductor has in facilitating the choral rehearsal is the choral accompanist. A good choral accompanist can facilitate the learning of music, help the choir hear the choral score more fully, provide accompaniment in a vast array of styles and genres, and provide an extra level of musical artistry that moves the choir to a new level. Yet few choral conductors ever receive training about how to work with the person that often turns out to be their most important musical colleague.

The first task of working with a choral accompanist is selecting the person who will be your musical right hand. Now each choir and each conductor is different and each has different needs from the accompanist. Your job as conductor at this point is to identify those needs particular to your style and the needs of the choir that you conduct. Do you expect your accompanist to play parts from open score? Do you work primarily without a keyboard while learning music? Perhaps you like to have your accompanist improvise an accompaniment to provide harmonic support while the choir reads on numbers or solfege. Perhaps you would like your accompanist to be able to run sectionals, or coach soloists, or read from a choral-orchestral score. Or maybe, you would prefer your accompanist to be able to play organ or gospel or jazz. Not all accompanists can do everything. Now is the time to prioritize those needs.

The accompanist position in your organization may already have a certain intrinsic structure. Does the accompanist play for each rehearsal or do they come in a few rehearsals before the concert and add the accompaniment at the end of the rehearsal process? Does your organization pay for a professional accompanist or do you rely on volunteers? Perhaps your organization depends on student accompanists or, if you work in a church, perhaps your organist is your de facto accompanist. Whatever your situation, whether professional, volunteer, student, or a mix of accompanists, this will tell you a lot about the types of skills you can expect your accompanist to possess. Your volunteer accompanist who only plays a few rehearsals before the concert will not necessarily need the rehearsal skills a regular full-time accompanist will need to possess. If you work with student accompanists you must budget time outside of choir rehearsal to help them develop their rehearsal, score-reading, and performance skills. Many organists are fine choral accompanists but some may not feel as comfortable playing the piano as they do the organ. You may have to work within this structure but then again this may be the time to envision a new one.

Once you have decided upon what type of accompanist you need and you have prioritized what skills they should have then you must go out and look for one. If you are advertising for a formal position you may want to ask for resumes and references. This may be impracticable if you are relying upon volunteers. You may have to rely on the local word of mouth. Do not be afraid to ask around among your choral colleagues in town. They will probably know who to approach. You may want to ask your choir – especially if you are looking for a volunteer. Often times a parent or an administrator can be a very fine accompanist and you can build many bridges by working with this type of accompanist. Figure out a way to audition your accompanists. The best way of auditioning your accompanist is to actually have them play a rehearsal. This experience tells you, and them, a lot about each other. From the conductor’s point you will want to know if your candidate can play the score. Can they read from open score? Can they improvise? Can they anticipate the needs of the conductor? Can they follow my gesture? Conversely, the accompanist will want to know whether or not it is possible to follow the conductor. Does the conductor anticipate the accompanist’s needs? Does the conductor treat the accompanist as choral colleague or just someone to help teach parts?

If you cannot invite an accompanist to play a rehearsal you will probably want to invite them in to audition with you privately. Have them play a solo for you so you can gauge their level of artistry. Is this someone you and your choir would want to work with. This is where your prioritized list of skills comes in. Devise ways to check on the skills you and your choir need. Maybe you have them sight read or improvise a gospel accompaniment. I always have my prospective accompanists play through a piece to see if we can communicate musically with each other. Whatever your procedures, you will be glad of the time you spent checking your applicants skill set. Beware of hiring accompanists who have a lot of accompanying experience but have not accompanied many choral ensembles. Not all accompanists are choral accompanists. The skill set for a choral accompanist can be slightly different for a choral accompanist than it would be for, say, accompanying a musical. The only way to be sure is to test their skills.

Finally, there is the matter of working with the choral accompanist during the rehearsal process. Here is where a little preparation and planning can help immensely. Plan on getting your accompanist the music in advance of the first rehearsal they play. Most accompanists do not want to sight read in rehearsal and will want to have the scores a few weeks ahead of time so that they can practice. Schedule a rehearsal alone with your accompanist before the first accompanied choral rehearsal to work out specific issues with articulation, phrasing, dynamics, tempo, and other musical details. This rehearsal will save you both tremendous rehearsal time with the choir and allow the accompanist and you to come together about musical and rehearsal details. Try not to use choir rehearsal time to work out details with the accompanist but instead work them out beforehand. Treat your accompanist well in rehearsal. Establish a collegial environment. Give clear directions directly to them and tell them exactly what you want played. Expect them to play musically. Try to handle any corrections or mistakes during breaks or after rehearsal. If you must correct the accompanist do so respectfully and never, ever, criticize or embarrass your accompanist in front of the choir. I have gotten into the habit of thanking the accompanist publicly at the end of every rehearsal. This lets the choir and the accompanist know that you value their expertise. Make sure your accompanist is playing on a decent piano that has been serviced recently. No accompanist likes to play an out-of tune instrument that makes him or her sound unmusical. Finally, ask your accompanist for musical feedback. Oftentimes, the accompanist can hear things the conductor can miss or they may let you know that your gesture needs to be clearer in a certain section. I remember a certain time when after a particularly frustrating rehearsal when I felt the accompanist, the choir, and I were not on the same page, the accompanist gently let me know that every time I gave directions I faced in a different direction away from the piano and they could not hear me.

Your accompanist can be one of your choir’s greatest musical allies if you take the time to choose wisely, rehearse separately, and treat your accompanist with the respect they deserve. Whether you work with a volunteer, a student, or a professional, your accompanist can aid in both rehearsal and performance and can oftentimes make or break your choral rehearsal. A good choral accompanist is an artist and a colleague. Treat them well and you and your choir will reap the rewards.

AN INTERVIEW WITH DALE WARLAND
WA ACDA Summer Institute Headliner, July 27-29, 2005
By Karen P. Thomas
Washington State ACDA R & S Chair Community Choirs

KPT: Let’s begin with a little background information. Everyone is well aware of your work as founder and music director of the Dale Warland Singers. Tell us a little about your early musical training. Were there particular conductors or teachers who were especially important in your life?  

DW: I grew up on a farm in Iowa where music was a central part of everyone in the community. We sang every day in the one-room country school that I attended. However, the most important musical influence and inspiration came from the organist and choir conductor in the village church that my family attended. Her name was Anne Siverson, a dynamic talented woman who had received her training from St. Olaf College and had been strongly influenced by F. Melius Christiansen. Both my band and choir conductors in high school were also very influential in my training and helped point me towards a career in music. I played trombone sang tenor in high school. Other important conductors after high school included Olaf Christiansen and Ken Jennings at St. Olaf College, James Alliferris at the University of Minnesota, and Charles Hirt at USC. In addition to Hirt at USC, Gwendolyn Koldowsky and William Vennard were extremely influential. Professional conducting mentors were Eric Ericson, David Willcocks, Robert Shaw, and Norman Luboff.

KPT: I know that everyone is very interested to hear about your current activities, now that the Dale Warland singers are no longer performing.

DW: My life is a happy balance of guest conducting, composing/arranging, teaching and spending time with my new grandson.

KPT: What interests and excites you in your current work?

DW: To draw on my past experience in both my teaching and guest conducting has been very rewarding. To have sufficient time to accept commissions for original works and arrangements has also been very enjoyable. Presenting seminars and classes in choral conducting has likewise been stimulating.

KPT: You are very much in-demand as a conductor in the US and internationally. What significant workshops/clinics/performances will you be leading in the next few months, and to what interesting locations will your travels take you this year?

DW: I am basically committed as guest conductor for the next two years. I am currently in residence for 2.5 months at Westminster Choir College in Princeton, New Jersey, and concurrently Distinguished Visiting Professor in Choral Conducting at the University of Minnesota for the 2004-05 academic year.

Recently I’ve presented workshops at Westminster Choir College, Temple University in Philadelphia. I am also artist in residence for Cantus, a professional male vocal ensemble.

KPT: The world of choral music owes you a tremendous debt for the 270 new works you have commissioned over the years. What is it that drives your interest in new music?

DW: I have an instinctive interest in “the new” (new sounds, creative ways of setting text, unusual sonorities, etc.) I also feel an important mission to encourage established and emerging composers to write for choirs.

KPT: I know you’re also planning to allow yourself more time for composing in the next few years. Can you tell us what you’re currently working on, and what might be in the works for the near future?

DW: Most recently I completed a Christmas arrangement “Baloo Lammy” (flute and children’s voices) for the Glenn Ellyn Children’s Choir; a setting of William Blake’s “Never Seek To Tell Thy Love” for SATB and TBB soli; and last, “Pied Beauty” (SSAATBB), text by Gerard Manley Hopkins and written for the Rochester Vocal Arts Ensemble (Minnesota). The next project is a Christmas arrangement for the Cheyenne Chamber Singers.

KPT: What are some of the new choral works you’ve recently encountered or commissioned which are especially interesting to you? Any gems that you’d like to share with us?

DW: Here’s a list of recent commissions that have been especially effective:

Carol Barnett “McKay” from “An American Thanksgiving” (SATB)

Martha Sullivan “In-Thanksgiving” (SATB)

Frank Ferko “Lord, Let At Last Thine Angels Sing” (SATB, cello)

Frank Ferko “A Festival of Carols” (SATB, harp)

Aaron Jay Kernis “Dorma, Ador” (SATB, handbells)

Jeffrey Van “ Shiloh” - (SATB)

New finds:

Vytautus Miskínis ( Lithuania) - O sacrum convivium (SATB)
David Hamilton ( New Zealand) – “The Moon is Silently Singing” (SATB, 2 horns)

Rudi Tas ( Belgium) - “Miserere” (SATB, cello)

Vincent Persichetti – “Flower Songs” (SATB, strings)

Alfred Schnittke - “Complete This Work” from “Choral Concerto” (SATB)

Howard Hanson – “A Prayer of the Middle Ages” (SATB)

KPT: Could you please give us a preview of the sessions you’ll be leading at our summer institute? What topics will you cover? What works might we study or sing in your sessions?

DW: The main emphasis will be “developing choral sound.” The sessions will include demonstration and discussion of the importance of fundamental concepts plus attention to detail in approaching all choral music. The repertoire will serve two purposes: 1) appealing and practical music that can be programmed by most every choir and, 2) effective repertoire for developing conducting technique.

Some of the works we will experience are: Miskínis “O sacrum convivium;” Barnett’s “McKay,” Kernis’ “Dorma Ador,” Van’s “ Shiloh,” and Howard Hanson’s “A Prayer of the Middle Ages.”

DALE WARLAND

Dale Warland, celebrated American musician, has made an indelible impression on the landscape of contemporary choral music both nationally and internationally. During his time with the Dale Warland Singers, he shaped a vocal ensemble known for its exquisite sound, technical finesse, and stylistic range. From that platform, Warland not only mastered the traditional repertoire, but also commissioned over 270 new choral works.

The music world has responded by bestowing its highest honors on Warland, including a Distinguished Master Artist Award from the University of South Florida (2004), a Grammy nomination of Walden Pond for best choral performance (2003), the prestigious ASCAP (American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers) Victor Herbert Award (2003) in recognition of Warland’s artistic contributions, the Sally Irvine Ordway Award for Vision (2003), and a special award from Chorus America and ASCAP for Warland’s “pioneering vision, leadership and commitment to commissioning and performing new choral works at the highest level of artistry” (2002). Other awards and recognition include the 2001 Louis Botto Award for Innovative Action and Entrepreneurial Zeal; the 2001 McKnight Distinguished Artist Award in recognition of his lifetime achievements as a choral conductor and his continued contribution to the arts in Minnesota; and the 1995 Michael Korn Founder’s Award, the highest honor for a choral conductor in the United States, previously awarded to Robert Shaw, Margaret Hillis, and Roger Wagner, among others.

Warland’s appearances as a guest conductor have taken him to the podiums of the Swedish Radio Choir, Danish Radio Choir, Mormon Tabernacle Choir, Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir, Opus 7 Vocal Ensemble, the Utah Chamber Artists, the Grant Park Music Festival and Israel’s Cameran Singers, to name a few. Warland has also rehearsed and prepared choirs for performances of major works in collaboration with notable conductors and composers including Robert Shaw, Edo de Waart, Leonard Slatkin, Stanislaw Skrowaczewski, Sir Neville Marriner, Kryzstof Penderecki, Roger Norrington, James Conlon, Hugh Wolff, and Bobby McFerrin.

Warland is committed to sharing his knowledge about the choral arts and has served on the jury for the Eric Ericson Award (an international choral conducting competition held in Sweden); was a faculty member for the All-Japan Chorus League National Competition in Fukuoka, Japan; has lectured on American music at the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki; served on the artistic staff of the Tolosa Choral Festival in Spain; acted as co-chair of both the choral and recording panels of the National Endowment for the Arts; and completed a 19 year tenure as Director of Choral Music at Macalester College in St. Paul, Minnesota.

Recordings by Dale and the Dale Warland Singers can be found at www.gothicrecords.com

WHY AM I DOING THIS AGAIN?
Ken Pendergrass
Washington State ACDA Newsletter Editor

After a particularly difficult rehearsal with my choir the other day, I asked myself, my wife and anyone else who was unfortunate enough to hear me complain, “Why am I doing this again?” This was the short, sarcastic, remark to several fundamental questions I have often asked myself after a rehearsal where my choristers seemed uninvolved, uncommitted and uninspired by the music, and my direction.

These fundamental questions typically spiral into the following depression:

“Why am I doing this again? Do my singers even care? Why should I try so hard when they don’t even care? Why do they even belong to this group when they don’t give their best? What’s my problem? Why can’t my choir sound like (insert name of respected colleague here) choir…?”

We’ve all had these days and thoughts at some time or another in our career. In the words of Dr. Edith Copley, our headliner at the 2004 Summer Institute, “after a refreshing beverage of choice,” our perspective usually returns and we continue with our work. But lately, I have felt that my work as a choral conductor and music educator of children and adolescents is driving me to this sarcastic place more often than I remember.

Now before this article turns into an Oprah or Dr. Phil episode, and I start crying as I pour my heart out to the audience, I hope that you’ll consider with me the original question I asked; not in a sarcastic, ironic response to momentary feelings of inadequacy after a bad rehearsal, but as a real question to confirm some core beliefs about our work as choral conductors and music educators: “Why am I doing this again?” These core beliefs are usually not inline with what my young choristers are typically exposed to each day outside of my rehearsal. The influence of pop culture on our singers and audience can be the catalyst that makes our work seem unimportant or misunderstood by many.

I do believe there are some core values we share as choral conductors that can be expressed as a response to popular culture. Kenneth A. Myers, former producer and editor for Morning Edition and All Things Considered on National Public Radio, has a chart from his book All God’s Children and Blue Suede Shoes , contrasting popular culture with traditional and high culture:

POPULAR CULTURE VS. TRADITIONAL AND HIGH CULTURE

I have found this chart to be invaluable when I ask the question “Why am I doing this again?” It forces me to remember that I hope I am teaching my choristers and students to love and appreciate music that is indicative of the characteristics listed in the right hand column. Some key thoughts on this from Myers below:

“Asserting that traditional or high culture has a greater potential for establishing a sensibility that is beneficial and constructive is not to say that all aspects of traditional or high culture are superior to all aspects of popular culture… Our principal concern is with the sensibilities encouraged by popular culture versus those encouraged by high culture (as well as traditional culture). We aren’t prescribing a list of preferred cultural experiences for the sake of some crusade of cultural literacy. It is important rather that the advantage of high culture’s sensibility consists in its ability to provide some transcendent perspective, while popular culture’s liability consists in its tendency to encourage a self-centered perspective.”

I believe pop-culture’s “tendency to encourage a self-centered perspective” is what I see in my young singers today. This causes me to say, “Why am I doing this again?” in a defeated way. Thankfully I’ve chosen a career for “its ability to provide some transcendent perspective” on life. This I must remember, so I can say, “That is why I am doing this…”

Excerpts from pp. 120-122 All God’s Children and Blue Suede Shoes, Kenneth A. Myers, Crossway Books, Wheaton, Ill. © 1989.

The Annual ACDA Summer Institute held on the beautiful University of Puget Sound campus offers unique opportunities for choir directors in the Northwest. The two and a half days in July are packed with reading sessions run by dedicated professionals in each repertoire area. The presenters of each session have been selected by the Washington state ACDA boards’ R & S chair in that area.

This year we are featuring a brand new twist on Wednesday evening, Jazz Interaction Night. Come experience Jazz with a live combo band with demonstrations and effective teaching techniques from some of the best Jazz instructors around, Janet Reiter and Judy Filibeck. You will not want to miss out on this rare opportunity!

Another great reason to attend the ACDA Summer Institute is to connect, share and renew relationships, experiences and opportunities with other choir directors from all levels and many states. What other time during the year do we get to do that?! Don’t miss out on Dale Warland (see interview with Dale in this issue of UNISON), our headliner this year for the Institute. He will be running a Conducting Masterclass on Thursday evening. If you would like to be considered to participate in the Masterclass, please indicate that on your registration form.

For the first time ever we are going to be giving every director who registers before the deadline the entire packet to keep when they pay in full! This is a very exciting and great opportunity for you as a director to use this music provided by JW Pepper in Tacoma all year long. Dorm housing (with meals included) is available on campus if you are coming from out of town and this year we are featuring credits and clock hours for your convenience. As you can see, this year’s Washington ACDA Summer Institute has so much to offer. Come enjoy, sing, get connected and get involved in ACDA.

The time is fast approaching for large group choir festivals and contests. I have the fortunate opportunity each year to adjudicate around the state and also in some neighboring states. It’s always gratifying to listen to and work with young people and their conductors in these situations. It’s a time when you see the culmination of a lot of hard work, and also the strength of the bonds that have been developed between the singers in the choirs and their conductors. I must also mention the general camaraderie shown at these festivals between conductors and among all the students from various schools. In most cases all the students listen to the other choirs, and I have found them to be respectful and very supportive, no matter which group is on the stage.

If there is a predominant area that it seems I always address on the contest evaluation form and in the brief clinic following a performance, it is depth of sound. I thought it might be valuable to share some ideas on this topic in this venue. Another problem area is phrase direction, but that will have to wait for another column.

Over the years I have noticed that many choirs do not create as much resonance as they are capable of. This is due to some things that are in my mind rather easily addressed. In order for a singer of any age to produce good resonance, there must be a relaxed singing posture, followed by the proper intake allowing the maximum amount of air to flow into the body. The proper space for the vowel is set as the air is brought in. As the air flows back out, the diaphragmatic muscle gradually controls the flow, and the placement of the vowel is felt with both space in the back of the mouth and vibration in the forward mask of the face. That’s it in a nutshell-sounds like one of those boring music education texts, doesn’t it!

Perhaps there is a better way to remember these things. I prefer lists of helpful ideas to boring discourse anyway:

• Good vocal tone from a choir begins with the proper intake of air and all the elements associated with that.
• For proper resonance to occur, the soft palate has to be in a raised position, with the tongue down and the throat open and relaxed as the air is brought in. As the air flows back out, the back of the mouth remains high and the sound is brought forward so it is not swallowed.
• Vowels have to be thought of as being close together, as in a logical progression. I prefer to practice them this way: ee-eh-ah-oh-oo. For all vowels, there must be a feeling of space in the back of the mouth. The changes from one vowel to another take place with small changes in the tongue position, the teeth and the lips.
• Always vocalize from the head voice down-never from the chest voice up. This is the most important rule for building beautiful tone and lack of tension in the voice.
• Provide enough space between singers so they can breathe and their bodies can resonate. It’s amazing to me how choirs cram together when there is usually plenty of space on the risers.
• Conductors must constantly monitor and work on tone quality. Making the choir sound good gives them something constant and builds confidence and integrity. Watch the singers as they breathe, make sure they are taking in the air correctly, setting a good position for resonance. Their faces must be animated, as must yours-they emulate they way you breathe. Be sure you listen for good easy focus, not airiness or tension in the sound. Use students who are good examples for modeling. When cuing entrances the conductor must show the singers how to breathe with his/her face and gesture. Mark breath preparations in the score, prior to entrances. By the time the entrance comes it is too late!
• Listen. Turn your ears on. Tape the choir regularly and play it back for them. Ask for their input about how the group sounds-always with a positive spin on the good things that they hear and how things can be improved.
• Bring in another conductor to work with the choir early in the rehearsal process-as soon as notes are learned well enough that the singers can concentrate on sound. This allows you to step away and listen, and provides fresh input for the students. Waiting until the week before contest is less useful.
• Instill this thought in your singers-the quality of your sound matters above all else!

Here are some things from my “bag of tricks” that always seem to work for building tone. For relaxation and finding the breathing mechanism:

• Have the singers reach for the ceiling, going up on their toes and stretching the fingers. Then have them fall loosely over, hanging like a rag doll from their waists. Their arms should be relaxed and should dangle loosely. Ask them to concentrate on the feeling of the blood running to the fingertips. Once they have been in this position for about 10 seconds, have them rebuild their spines, one vertebrate at a time until they are back in a relaxed, upright position. Ask them to center their heads on top of their spines.
• Have singers lay flat on their backs, with their arms at their sides and bodies relaxed. Dim the light in the room, and possibly play something quiet and meditative for them, putting them in a relaxed state. Their eyes should be closed, and they should concentrate on the flow of their breath. Have them inhale through the nose for four counts while raising the back of the throat, then opening their mouths so the air gradually flows out. While in this position, have them lightly rest one hand below their sternum, allowing them to feel the natural expansion of diaphragmatic breathing. Or, have them stack a short pile of books in the same spot, allowing them to see the books move up and down as they breathe. It is important for the singers to know that they don’t have to push the stomach out for this breathing to occur.
• Back in a standing position, have the students imagine holding a small basketball in front of them, with their hands just resting on the outside. As they breathe in (palates up, faces animated!) the ball expands, and their hands just go along for the ride. Have them watch their hands, not you. After the hands reach a horizontal position in relation to the body (thus expanding the rib cage), collapse the ball back in, air flowing out with pressure, gradually. The students must monitor their hands as they gradually go back to the first position. You can either have them hiss or sing a tone during this while you count out loud or snap a beat. You can build their endurance by gradually adding more counts and by adding crescendos and decrescendos. While rehearsing pieces, you can use this exercise if the students need help making it through phrases.
• For finding the intercostals muscles, have the students lightly point the fingers into the area just below their sternum, then have them do staccato hiss pulses. They can also “dog pant.” Make sure to have them take a deep, cleansing breath after short periods of this. Always be sure they are taking in the air properly, with good space inside the mouth.
• For creating “active” air, hold the hands out down at waist level, and pump them in small circles with great energy.
• Shoulder massages or back rubs are always good-or just have the singers “shake loose” once in a while.

For finding proper mouth position here are some useful visualizations:

1. Holding a very fragrant rose under your nose, breath in deeply for eight counts. Can you feel the soft palate go up and the tongue go down? Be sure to savor the scent in your mouth.
2. Attach a rubber band to the top of your head above the soft palate. As you breath in, stretch the rubber band up. Be sure to keep it up until you take the next breath and then stretch it again.
3. Poke a spoon of hot, steaming mashed potatoes into your mouth. Be careful not to burn your tongue!
4. Sip air in through a straw, and then blow the air out of the straw into a balloon.
5. Hold your right hand in a cupped position next to your ear, emulating the position of the soft palate inside the head. You can arc it slightly forward and back for an enhanced feeling of this.
6. Hold the hands in front of you, one on top of the other in an open cupped, position. As you breath in, open them apart.
7. For singing, with ease, energy and good support in the upper range, shoot imaginary hoops or throw a baseball. This only works if the mouth is set in the proper position when breathing. Make sure to follow through!

For developing better resonance:

1. Hug an imaginary tree for a fatter sound (stolen from Pat Michel, who stole it from Ed Harmic).
2. Bring the sound forward to the back of the teeth.
3. If you look dead, you sound dead!
4. Draw a five-inch round "hole" on the chalkboard, or cut one out of black construction paper and put it on the wall. After a "mashed potato breath," have the singers sing an "oo" through the hole, and tell them that the sound won't get through if there is any extra air around it. Again the key is the breath and the visualization.
5. Have the students make a small circle with their fingers at arm's length in front of their faces. Start with an "oo," but then modify it gradually to other vowels. The sound should be sung through the circle.
6. Sing the sound on the tip of your nose.
7. Nya, Nya, Nya, Nya, Nya. (5 tone descending scale). Don't be afraid to let it be brassy or ugly. Next, feel the sound in the same place, but warm it up.
8. Put ten years on that sound. Sing it like an opera singer. You weigh 300 pounds and have been singing at the MET for many years!
9. Vocalize females on "vee" or "veh" in the lower range. These vowels place with more resonance than "ah." For males, it's just the opposite. Vocalize females on "ah" or "oh" in the upper range for easier placement, and on "ee" or "eh." Think "ah," but sing "ee."
10. Rehearse passages on a single, unified vowel. I like to use "oo" or "o". Then use the words, but tell singers to feel the single vowel.
11. Have you noticed how a lot of students talk within a limited low range? Have your singers talk and chatter in the head voice, moving around throughout the full range. Have them do a yawn sigh way above the pitch you want to resonate, gradually coming back down to the pitch in the head voice.
12. Vocalize all women as sopranos, carrying the head voice down as far as possible, gradually blending it with the chest voice.
13. Have the men sing an "oo" vowel in the lower female register while the women sing the same pitch. Move the men down the scale while the women go up, and then have them come back together.

I hope you find something here that you can use in your teaching. In retrospect, I wish I had written about this in the fall, when it would be easier to implement these ideas and build on them. I feel, however, this material may still serve as a valuable reminder as conductors move toward final preparations for festival. Best wishes for a successful spring!

WHAT IS A “DO-NOW”?
Leora Schwitters
Washington State ACDA R & S Chair Junior High/Middle School
And recently elected WA ACDA President elect for 2007-2009

When our new principal showed up and declared that every teacher in our building would begin class with a “Do Now”, many of us old-timers figured it was just another fad. Education research promised this would increase productivity by starting each period with kids immediately getting on task while allowing the teacher time to do the routine attendance, signing of absence slips, etc., that inevitably start each period, and that the consistent use of “Do Nows” by ALL teachers throughout the day would benefit everyone. For two years, I convinced my principal that choir was different and that my “Do Now” was to begin warm-ups immediately so as to use every precious minute of rehearsal. I would furiously multitask that time to include roll taking, etc., but eventually came to realize that in my zeal to keep students totally on task from beginning to end (and I was very good at that!) I was not allowing myself any breathing time. I emerged each day, after five concurrent rehearsals, totally exhausted, knowing that I hadn’t wasted a minute of rehearsal time, but wishing I had something left for myself at the end of the day.

This fall, I decided to give “Do Nows” a try, and find myself wondering why I waited 25 years to discover the benefits! I am less stressed and my students are better at music theory and notation than ever before. The “Do Now” is always in the same place everyday as they come in, in my case, on an overhead projector. A recent January “Do Now” for my 8 th grade singers: On staff paper, draw a treble clef, F major key signature, a meter of common time, then write out this phrase using quarter notes, and draw in bar lines: D R M S S R F M D R D. (Correct stem placement is expected by now.) Exercises for 7 th grade singers at the end of first semester included having them copy a rhythm and then write in the counting below, or reversing that and having them copy the counting then write in the notes and rests above.

In order for “Do Nows” to work in a music class, the students need a notebook. I call ours a “journal” and have our Music Boosters purchase a “peechee” for each student that has a three prong spine and side pockets. I have kids add several pages of blank, ruled paper of their own, give them several pages of hole-punched staff paper, a blank keyboard sheet (they will fill in white and black keys by October) and a hole-punched copy of our class syllabus and calendar. They are expected to have a daily entry in this “journal”. I collect the journals at the end of each quarter and semester, but don’t spend a lot of time grading them. If entries are sequential and neat, it’s an easy “A”. If there are dates missing, entries are messy or not corrected, points are deducted.

Secondly, but probably more importantly, the learnings need to be properly sequenced. Make sure concepts are broken down into their smallest parts and presented in the proper order. (If you’re not sure how, follow proven music theory workbooks.) Probably the most important class I ever took in this regard was Madeline Hunter’s “Instructional Theories in Practice” or ITIP. I have become convinced that every child CAN learn when these concepts are in place. Proper sequencing with sufficient practice and feedback at each level equals mastery for all kids. I have had many Special Education students that have become fluent music readers and writers because of this practice.

Finally, don’t make the exercise too long. What works best with middle school singers is if they’re given about 3 minutes to do what they can before the solution or explanation is given. Students are expected to make any corrections in their notes as answers are presented. An open journal quiz from time to time encourages them to be diligent in this and to obtain what they miss when absent.

“Do Nows” can take many forms and are easy to create. They can be used to develop musical vocabulary, rhythm, notation, solfege, or they an be paragraphs interpreting a text or reflecting on a performance. Students begin to take pride in their ability to notate music and their understanding of music grows tremendously. Their teacher has a few minutes to sit down and regroup while the class works quietly at the start of each period. Ahhhhh!!