tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5244014424535464612.post8352348740669251345..comments2023-08-06T05:22:33.610-07:00Comments on Richard Sparks - Music, Conducting, Choirs: The Ensemble Concert at PLU—One-on-a-Part SingingRichardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14910774133392443899noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5244014424535464612.post-20935208628517121802008-01-19T14:09:00.000-08:002008-01-19T14:09:00.000-08:00Hi Crista!"My former director would assign a eithe...Hi Crista!<BR/><BR/>"My former director would assign a either a smaller piece we were performing or a section of a larger work and ask for that in quartets or octets, depending on the voicing. We would have sing in front of the whole choir in rehearsal. It was always a very comfortable environment because of the history of her and her singers."<BR/><BR/>Yes, I did similar things with my University choir as well, more often for checking memorization, but also part-checking (and singers knowing they had to be responsible for their part!). I think we had a generally comfortable atmosphere around this--but a few of my singers might disagree!<BR/><BR/>My choir also sat in quartets in rehearsal 60% to 75% of the time (somewhat dependent on repertoire), often from the first rehearsal, so they also knew they had to be independent all the time. Of course, this was an advanced college choir at the "top of the pyramid" at our school, so they also knew expectations going in.<BR/><BR/>To your next comment:<BR/>"At my new University, our director had assigned only a section of a piece to be sung 2 on a part. we had time to prepare it, and only a handful of us did. The results were terrifying. Sitting there watching so many students stand up to sing and not have a clue as to what their part was. The most horrifying part was singing next to some of them and having the most difficult time holding your own part. What do you say or do for a choir who just does not care about coming prepared."<BR/><BR/>This has everything to do with expectations. Had the director ever done this before? If it was a new assignment, were resources provided to help (sectionals, pairing with students with strong musical/piano skills, part-recordings)? I don't think people LIKE to fail--so we have to find ways to help them succeed.<BR/><BR/>If I became choral conductor at a school where expectations were low (and skill, too), I'd have to find ways to set reasonable expectations (not easy, but achievable), get the choir to meet those, then gradually raise the bar.<BR/><BR/>If they truly "don't care," that's another question! That goes into an area I won't take the time with now (maybe later in a new blog), but you have to find ways to build pride in what your ensemble does (and, of course, the individual choir members' pride in their own performance).<BR/><BR/>As to your being student conductor later, I have to say it's always difficult for a peer to set new standards if their teacher has not. I used to deal with this with my student teachers: it was difficult for them to ask for a higher level of classroom discipline than their supervising teacher demanded. <BR/><BR/>This didn't mean they couldn't do some things: if they paced rehearsal well, kept great eye contact, gave "the eye" to those not keeping on task (without stopping rehearsal), and used a few good classroom control techniques, they could make a big difference (and sometimes have better control than their supervising teacher!). But they could NOT give out punishments for behavior that the supervising teacher let go. And the students knew, of course, that this teacher was only temporary.<BR/><BR/>Back to your situation: I think you need to think of choosing repertoire (assuming your teacher gives you a choice) that you're passionate about; that you feel will be interesting to your peers; that is challenging, but possible for them; etc. If you can get them excited about the music, it's much easier to motivate them to work. <BR/><BR/>You can also create ways to help them learn their parts (record parts for them--post them as mp3s, perhaps, for download); offer sectionals outside of choir (voluntary, I'd think) where you'll help with parts; just for a couple examples.<BR/><BR/>I don't know if any of this helps, but let me know how it goes!Richardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14910774133392443899noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5244014424535464612.post-77135218872064476682008-01-19T12:24:00.000-08:002008-01-19T12:24:00.000-08:00Mr Sparks,I greatly admire this method you have ta...Mr Sparks,<BR/><BR/>I greatly admire this method you have taken to build dependency within your choir. I have certainly experienced similar methods. My former director would assign a either a smaller piece we were performing or a sectin of a larger work and ask for that in quartets or octets, depending on the voicing. We would have sing in front of the whole choir in rehearsal. It was always a very comfortable environment because of the history of her and her singers. I have never ecxperienced this 'assignment' in performance. I think it is a great idea. At my new University, our director had assigned only a section of a piece to be sung 2 on a part. we had time to prepare it, and only a handful of us did. The results were terrifying. Sitting there watching so many students stand up to sing and not have a clue as to what their part was. The most horrifying part was singing next to some of them and having the most difficult time holding your own part. What do you say or do for a choir who just does not care about coming prepared. I am a student of choral conducting and will have the opportunity to conduct a piece for that same choir this Spring. I am sort of known for mebing this ambitious choral nut around campus, and I would like to use tactics like part singing, but do not feel I will get the respect to do so, nor will anyone follow through. Hard to 'punish' or be dissapointed in a choir when they are your peers.<BR/>Any advice?Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07326481794953648303noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5244014424535464612.post-62693655627431056512008-01-18T05:46:00.000-08:002008-01-18T05:46:00.000-08:00Celeste, glad you like the idea. We certainly had ...Celeste, glad you like the idea. We certainly had fun with it.<BR/><BR/>On the other hand, giving opportunities for your most talented singers to do special repertoire (and the Berio certainly qualifies! great piece) is a great idea, too.<BR/><BR/>I understand the morale problems it can create, as well, though. When I conducted the Seattle Symphony Chorale for four years, we sometimes needed smaller choruses, and I didn't anticipate how much angst it would create for those not chosen for a particular project. It was tricky.<BR/><BR/>With my PLU choirs it was more often hurt feelings about choice of soloists--but you simply can't make everyone happy. And the job as conductor is still to present excellent concerts (even given the educational needs of school ensembles).Richardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14910774133392443899noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5244014424535464612.post-63361542599718311072008-01-17T15:54:00.000-08:002008-01-17T15:54:00.000-08:00Wow- what a cool idea!I can relate my experience f...Wow- what a cool idea!<BR/><BR/>I can relate my experience from the point of view of a chorus member back when I was in my University's chamber chorus. My director also felt the need to assign certain rep. to one-voice-on-a-part ensembles. We had tried one season to sing Monteverdi madrigals with the 30+ voice ensemble and it wasn't the most satisfying experience!<BR/><BR/>But, her experiments didn't work as well as yours, but perhaps because she wasn't trying to be as systematic. First, only a small fraction of the group (less than 20%) ever got this chance, and these people were the same hand-picked bunch that got to do solos (I was lucky enough to be in this batch of people by the end of my tenure with the group). <BR/><BR/>(I guess that her handpicking alleviated the need for the complex "draft" that you instigated for your chorus- on the other hand, it was inevitable that some people's feelings got hurt! I guess that this is a lesson in real life...).<BR/><BR/>I don't think that she felt like she had the time to give everyone the experience of one voice on a part singing. I think that she was driven more out of a desire to occasionally program solo-ensemble music, in order to make concerts more varied and interesting, rather than a desire to give all of her students a broader experience.<BR/><BR/>...but having said that, I got to sing some cool stuff- the coolest of which was Luciano Berio's "Cries of London".Celeste Winanthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05001942118903647741noreply@blogger.com