Education & Training

Chorus America provides administrative, board, and artistic leadership development and peer networking through quality training programs, conferences, masterclasses, management institutes, online learning, technical assistance, and personal consultations. We advance the skills of singers and support the development of choral music education programs for children and adults.

Articles

Lessons Learned from Successful School Education Programs

Lessons Learned from Successful School Education Programs

Kelsey Menehan |

Consider these insights and cautionary tales gleaned from the experience of four choruses about how to establish and maintain a strong, school-based education outreach program. Read more

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“We Wrote That!” LA Students Become Composers, with a Little Help from Their Friends

“We Wrote That!” LA Students Become Composers, with a Little Help from Their Friends

Kelsey Menehan | Children/Youth, Civic Engagement, Community Outreach, Repertoire

The Los Angeles Master Chorale’s Voices Within artist residency program teaches public school students how to tap their creative voices to compose and perform their own original songs. Read more

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Kids in Pennsylvania Learn Why Bach Is an “Awesome Dude”

Kids in Pennsylvania Learn Why Bach Is an “Awesome Dude”

Kelsey Menehan | Children/Youth, Civic Engagement, Community Outreach, Schools

The Bach Choir of Bethlehem’s Bach to School program helps students see the parallels between the music of the master and their own lives.   Read more

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VocalEssence's WITNESS: Celebrating Cultural Diversity through Music

VocalEssence's WITNESS: Celebrating Cultural Diversity through Music

Kelsey Menehan | Children/Youth, Civic Engagement, Community Outreach, Impact/Value, Schools, Singing, Volunteer

Shining the spotlight on VocalEssence and its remarkable education outreach program serving thousands of students in and around the Twin Cities. Read more

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Welcome to Chorus America's New Website

Welcome to Chorus America's New Website

Chorus America Staff | CA News

Chorus America's new website is now open for business! The new site offers hundreds of articles and resources for the choral music community, tools for easier access and sharing, and more visibility for our members. Read more

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A Winning Formula for Music Education in the Windy City

A Winning Formula for Music Education in the Windy City

Kelsey Menehan | Children/Youth, Civic Engagement, Community Outreach, Education, Schools

What are the essential elements of an education outreach program? We take a look at Music of the Baroque’s Strong Voices program, supporting promising young students and choral music in Chicago’s public high schools. Read more

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Singing in the Schools: Putting Education in Chorus DNA

Singing in the Schools: Putting Education in Chorus DNA

Kelsey Menehan | Children/Youth, Community Outreach, Education, Schools

Winner of Chorus America’s 2010 Education Outreach Award, Chanticleer demonstrates how to grow an education program that touches the lives of the next generation of singers Read more

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Choral Consortiums and the Local Advantage

Choral Consortiums and the Local Advantage

Kelsey Menehan | Innovation, Networking, Operations

Chorus America contacted representatives from about a dozen choral consortiums—umbrella groups that promote regional information sharing and collaboration among choruses. Those who manage these consortiums were eager to tell us about the advantages of collaboration, how they got started and why, and lessons they've learned along the way. Read more

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Choral Consortium Alternatives

Choral Consortium Alternatives

Choral Information Clearinghouses

Ann Meier Baker | Community Outreach, Networking, Operations

Several groups function primarily as repositories of information about the choruses in their area. They hesitate to call themselves consortiums because the staff of choruses do not regularly meet or collaborate. These are labors of love where one person or a small cadre of people saw an information gap and set out to fill it. Read more

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Making the Case for School Choirs

Making the Case for School Choirs

A Free Resource from Chorus America Can Help

Ann Meier Baker | Children/Youth, Civic Engagement, Education, Impact/Value, Schools, Technique/Tool

There is plenty of evidence that singing in a choir helps students succeed in school, work, and life. And yet, today choral programs are under siege—competition for school dollars, time in the school day, and a narrow focus on just a few subjects covered on standardized tests all pose significant challenges to the future of school choirs. Read more

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Resources

The Feldenkrais Method for Singers—Relaxing the Tongue

The Feldenkrais Method for Singers—Relaxing the Tongue

Karen R Clark | Health, Singing, Technique/Tool

The practice of Feldenkrais can help singers perform with minimum effort and maximum efficiency. In this video, Feldenkrais practitioner Karen Clark demonstrates how to train the powerful tongue muscle to cooperate with rather than hinder the singing process. Read more

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The Feldenkrais Method for Singers—Achieving Relaxed Alertness

The Feldenkrais Method for Singers—Achieving Relaxed Alertness

Karen R Clark | Health, Singing, Technique/Tool

The practice of Feldenkrais can help singers perform with minimum effort and maximum efficiency. In this video, Feldenkrais practitioner Karen Clark demonstrates how being both relaxed and alert can bring greater freedom in singing. Read more

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The Feldenkrais Method for Singers—Vocalizing To Release Tension

The Feldenkrais Method for Singers—Vocalizing To Release Tension

Karen R Clark | Health, Singing, Technique/Tool

Through a self-discovery process using movement, the practice of Feldenkrais can help singers perform with minimum effort and maximum efficiency. In this video, Feldenkrais practitioner Karen Clark guides a singer to notice and then release tension while vocalizing. Read more

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The Feldenkrais Method for Singers—Releasing Eye Tension

The Feldenkrais Method for Singers—Releasing Eye Tension

Karen R Clark | Health, Singing, Technique/Tool

The practice of Feldenkrais can help singers perform with minimum effort and maximum efficiency. In this video, Feldenkrais practitioner Karen Clark demonstrates how releasing tension around the eyes contributes to less effortful singing. Read more

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The Feldenkrais Method for Singers—Opening the Throat

The Feldenkrais Method for Singers—Opening the Throat

Karen R Clark | Health, Singing, Technique/Tool

The practice of Feldenkrais can help singers perform with minimum effort and maximum efficiency. In this video, Feldenkrais practitioner Karen Clark demonstrates how opening the throat releases tension and allows for greater freedom in singing. Read more

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The Feldenkrais Method for Singers—Centering with the Breath

The Feldenkrais Method for Singers—Centering with the Breath

Karen R Clark | Health, Singing, Technique/Tool

The practice of Feldenkrais can help singers perform with minimum effort and maximum efficiency. In this video, Feldenkrais practitioner Karen Clark demonstrates the use of breath to center and stabilize the singing process. Read more

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The Feldenkrais Method for Singers—Introduction

The Feldenkrais Method for Singers—Introduction

Karen R Clark | Health, Singing, Technique/Tool

You know that freed-up feeling where it seems your body is singing itself? Singers yearn for more of that, but myriad stresses, tensions, confusions, and vocal issues can get in the way. Through a self-discovery process using movement, the practice of Feldenkrais can help singers perform with minimum effort and maximum efficiency. In this video series, Feldenkrais practitioner Karen Clark describes and demonstrates how this approach has helped her—and the singers she works with—release tension and find greater freedom in their singing. Read more

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Choral Conductors Today: A Study

Choral Conductors Today: A Study

Chorus America Staff | Careers, Conducting, Management/Leadership, Recruitment, Research/Data

Chorus America interviewed more than 700 conductors about their career paths, levels of education, salary, job satisfaction, and more in 2005. The resulting data provides a profile of the "typical" choral conductor that may be surprising. Read more

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28 American Master Choral Composers

28 American Master Choral Composers

A Repertoire and Recording Listing to Support NEA's American Masterpieces

Chorus America Staff | Composing/Commissioning, Conducting, Government/Policy, Repertoire

Celebrating America's greatest choral composers, this publication provides repertoire and recording lists for 28 composers from Billings to Whitacre. Read more

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Events

Breath of Inspiration: An evening of Gospel, Classical, Jazz and More!

Breath of Inspiration: An evening of Gospel, Classical, Jazz and More!

111 S Grand Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90012

iris@DCINY.org | Adults/Seniors, Audiences, Children/Youth, Composing/Commissioning, Conducting, Diversity, Education, Families, General, Marketing/Public Relations, Participation, Performance, Repertoire, Schools, Singing, Symphonic, Venue

An evening of triumphant music! Members of Toronto Youth Wind Orchestra, Atlanta Youth Wind Symphony and Gwen Wyatt Chorale (CA) provide an entertaining palette of unique genre-bending sounds. From Gospel to Classical, these passionate, energetic artists perform with a supreme gusto and enthusiasm that is sure to delight and entertain audiences of all ages and tastes.   Read more

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Choral Journey to the East

Choral Journey to the East

5 Thomas Circle, NW Washington, DC 20005

Children's Chor... | Audiences, Children/Youth, Families, Performance, Repertoire, Venue

Join Children's Chorus of Washington, the finest children's chorus in our nation's capital, on its "Choral Journey to the East" on Sunday, May 12 at 4:00pm at National City Christian Church. The concert will feature all CCW's ensembles joined by Erhu and Guzheng players, for a program of songs from various countries in East Asia. Read more

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Symposium: The American Choral Tradition

Symposium: The American Choral Tradition

7 Vendeventer Street, Princeton, NJ

Princeton Pro Musica | Adults/Seniors, Community Outreach, Education, General

  Symposium panel discussion: Marjorie Herman of WWFM’s “Sounds Choral” and Dr. Amanda Quist of Westminster Choir College and Dr. Ryan Brandau, discuss American Choral Tradition – its roots and its future – including some of the repertoire on the upcoming program. Read more

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Symposium: The American Choral Tradition

Symposium: The American Choral Tradition

7 Vendeventer Street, Princeton, NJ

Princeton Pro Musica | Adults/Seniors, Community Outreach, Education, General

  Symposium panel discussion: Marjorie Herman of WWFM’s “Sounds Choral” and Dr. Amanda Quist of Westminster Choir College and Dr. Ryan Brandau, discuss American Choral Tradition – its roots and its future – including some of the repertoire on the upcoming program. Read more

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CHORAL CHAMELEON SUMMER INSTITUTE for Composers & Conductors

CHORAL CHAMELEON SUMMER INSTITUTE for Composers & Conductors

New York City

JefferyThyer | Adults/Seniors, Composing/Commissioning, Conducting, Education, Innovation, Networking, Participation, Performance, Professional, Rehearsal, Repertoire, Singing

The Choral Chameleon Institute is an eight-day intensive workshop in New York City, designed to immerse emerging composers and conductors of choral music in the intricacies of the choral idiom in a nurturing environment surrounded by respected professionals. It gives students an opportunity to explore and experiment with writing and conducting techniques in a "best-case scenario". During the course of the institute, many new pieces of choral music are cultivated and ultimately publicly performed, with live recording of the concert. Standards of the choral repertoire serve as a springboard for young conductors to work on challenging matters of gesture, musicianship, and rehearsal technique. Generous lab and podium time is given to all participants to ensure maximum practical and hands-on experience. The Choral Chameleon Institute also places heavy emphasis on ear training and analysis as means of deep, joyful discovery and informed, innovative interpretation.   Read more

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Heritage Presents: 13th Annual Concert Sing On!

Heritage Presents: 13th Annual Concert Sing On!

4101 Nebraska Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20016

Miriam Dixon | Adults/Seniors, Audiences, CA News, Children/Youth, Civic Engagement, Community Outreach, Composing/Commissioning, Conducting, Diversity, Education, Families, Fundraising, General, Impact/Value, Innovation, Management/Leadership, Marketing/Public Relations, Networking, Participation, Performance, Professional, Recruitment, Schools, Singing, Social Media, Symphonic, Venue, Volunteer

We Preserve the Past. We Inspire the Community. We Sing On. Join Heritage Signature Chorale for our annual concert which promises to stir your soul. Tickets may be purchased at www.heritagesignaturechorale.org or by phone (202) 808-0583. Read more

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Essence of Joy Alumni Singers Concert

Essence of Joy Alumni Singers Concert

22nd and Spruce St.

bluelyric7 | Adults/Seniors, Audiences, Community Outreach

For one night only, we've got a choir of over 70 singers who are traveling in from all over the country, some straight from Broadway, Off-Broadway and National Tours for a special evening celebrating inspiring choral works and gospel music!  Tickets cost $15 and can be purchased here: http://eojas.eventbrite.com/ or at the door.For more information about our mission, visit eojas.org Read more

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Toronto Mendelssohn Choir concert webcast

Toronto Mendelssohn Choir concert webcast

Toronto, Ontario

Toronto Mendels... | Audiences, Community Outreach

For choral music lovers across Canada, the U.S. and around the world, the TMC will webcast their performance of Rossini’s Petite Messe Solennelle live at www.tmchoir.org as part of its outreach program.  Register online with an email and enjoy the concert from anywhere on Sat, Feb 9 at 3 pm ET, UTC -5. TMC webcasts are now flash and iPhone and iPad compatible.  Read more

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Mark Hayes Workshop

Mark Hayes Workshop

Sonoma, California

Sally Hilliard |

Mark Hayes will be in Sonoma the weekend of March 22-24. On Saturday afternoon, 3/23, he will be conducting a workshop from 1 to 4 p.m. for choir directors and music teachers in the area. Registration information can be found at www.sonomavalleychorale.org. Read more

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Mark Hayes Workshop

Mark Hayes Workshop

Sonoma, California

Sally Hilliard |

Mark Hayes will be in Sonoma the weekend of March 22-24. On Saturday afternoon, 3/23, he will be conducting a worrkshop from 1 to 4 p.m. for choir directors and music teachers in the area. Registration information can be found at www.sonomavalleychorale.org. Read more

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Dialogue

Measuring Education Program Impact

Measuring Education Program Impact

Anonymous | Education, Impact/Value

  We know intrinsically that chorus education programs provide great benefit to those involved—but actual data would help. Can anyone offer some specific examples of the impact of their programs? Read more

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