MUSE 344

Music 344
MUSC 344: Teaching Choral Music

Prerequisites: Completion of MUSC 354 with minimum grades of “C”

Credit Hours: (2)

Techniques for developing K-12 school choral music programs. Curriculum, pedagogy, materials, and program administration. Clinical experience in schools required.

 

Content

1. The Meaning and Value of Choral Music
   
   1. What do you believe?
   2. Creating your philosophy of choral music education
   3. Communicating the value of music education
2. Designing and Managing Your Choral Program
   
   1. Which choirs should be offered?
   2. Recruiting and retaining singers
   3. Programming and producing concerts
3. Choral Curriculum and Assessment
   
   1. Developing a Choral Curriculum
   2. Grading
   3. Selection of repertoire
   4. Adapting and arranging music
4. Group Vocal Techniques
   
   1. The choir director as group vocal instructor
   2. The vocal warm-up
   3. The changing voice
   4. Building musicianship skills
5. Planning the rehearsal
   
   1. Score Analysis
   2. Mind-mapping
   3. Shaping the rehearsal
   4. Rehearsal plans
6. Rehearsing the choir
   
   1. The step-by-step rehearsal
   2. Effective rehearsal techniques
7. Administering the Choral Program
   
   1. Parent organizations
   2. Student leadership
   3. Budget
   4. Choral library
   5. Technology and equipment
   6. Attire
   7. Tours and travel
   8. Fund-raising

 

Detailed Description of Conduct of Course

Techniques for developing choral music programs. Curriculum, pedagogy, materials, and program administration. Clinical experiences in schools required.

 

Student Learning outcomes

By the conclusion of the course, students will:

1.  identify and demonstrate philosophical values for conducting/teaching in the secondary choral classroom;
2. explore and demonstrate teaching as imagination: the art of planning instruction based on a system of score analysis and acquired teaching strategies;  
3. analyze the intersection of sociocultural factors (e.g., race/ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity, and expression, religion) with the practice and pedagogy of choral music.
4. Develop and demonstrate a working knowledge of arranging/adaptation/re-voicing for the pragmatic needs of the secondary classroom;
5. Explore concepts of choral tone including diction, vowels, and voice-building techniques;
6. experiment with and demonstrate various teaching tasks including vocal warm-ups, sight-reading, teaching from the keyboard, and rehearsal of repertoire.
7. demonstrate proficiency in choral error detection

 

Assessment Measures

Grade will be based on writing assignments, arranging project, and conducting-teaching demonstrations.

 

Review and Approval

February, 2021

January, 2022