Let’s Get Physical: Singing and Disease-Specific Therapy

Singing has been found to be a potentially potent treatment for a wide variety of conditions, both alleviating symptoms and providing patients with a sense of positivity and community.Read more

Member Spotlight; Melinda Pollack-Harris, Sing to Live Community Chorus, Chicago

When Melinda Pollack-Harris was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2004, she needed music to face the challenge. That was the inspiration for Sing to Live Community Chorus for women, loved ones, and friends touched by cancer.Read more

Singing and Healthy Aging

Whether taking up a new activity or continuing a lifelong practice, older adults who sing are reaping a host of social and health benefits.Read more

Choruses and Community Wellness

How can we share the wellness benefits of choral singing with a broader community? A growing number of choral leaders are looking at ways to extend the group singing experience beyond the concert hall.Read more

Singing at the Threshold

A growing movement to bring singing into hospice and hospital settings eases end-of-life transitions for patients and their families.Read more

For Singers

Chorus America champions the dedicated choral singer by developing online resources and tools to advance skills and promoting connections between singers. We recognize that choral singing is the most popular form of participation in the performing arts, that choral singers are active and engaged citizens, and that children who sing have greater academic success and social skills.

Articles

Why I Love Singing with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra Chorus

...And What I Learned

Meaghan Curry | Impact/Value, Profile, Singing, Symphonic

What does a singer learn after a year-and-a-half and 28 performances with a chorus? Singer Meaghan Curry, an alto with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra Chorus, reflects on just that. Read more

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Ligeti in Winter

Gregory Boals | Audiences, Impact/Value, Rehearsal, Repertoire, Singing, Symphonic

Much in the same way you might stop and get to know your neighbors during a snowstorm, a difficult piece can draw singers together in solidarity amdist the flurry of notes. Read more

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Drink Up!

Michael Shaughnessy | Health, Singing

You might think that, as singers, we'd be much more in tune, so to speak, with the need for regular replenishment of our "precious bodily fluids." But this is not necessarily so. Read more

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Deliberate Practice

Michael Shaughnessy | Education, Participation, Rehearsal, Singing

You might consider any type of practice to be deliberate, but it may take a very specific kind of practice to achieve real proficiency. Read more

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Conquering the B Minor Mass

Chorus America Staff | Composing/Commissioning, History, Rehearsal, Repertoire, Technique/Tool

The Bach B Minor Mass takes Olympian fortitude to learn and perform. In this interview with conductor and historian Dennis Shrock, we take a look at the history of the work and what singers can do to make the performance experience easier on themselves. Read more

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Music Theory Crash Course: The Very Basics

Chorus America Staff | Technique/Tool

What is a staff? Which note goes where? And what does Botox have to do with it? Read more

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Music Theory Crash Course: Scales

Chorus America Staff | Education, Technique/Tool

You can admit it: You have often thought about the many traits that reptiles and musicians share, haven't you? So then you know that, besides exceptional dexterity and slightly odd-looking faces, reptiles and musicians both need scales. Read more

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Music Theory Crash Course: Key Signatures

Chorus America Staff | Education, Technique/Tool

Every once in a while, an invention comes along that changes the game. Like the invention of the light bulb, the washing machine, the Internet, and the garlic press, the development of the key signature was positively monumental—to musicians, at least. Read more

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Music Theory Crash Course: Intervals

Chorus America Staff | Education, Technique/Tool

All you need to know is various combinations of half-steps and whole-steps. Read more

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Music Theory Crash Course: Chords

Chorus America Staff | Education, Technique/Tool

An understanding of chords can also help you to understand the workings of melody. Read more

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Resources

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 Choral Warm-Ups of Robert Shaw

Pamela Elrod | Rehearsal, Singing, Technique/Tool

Believing that the chorus was a corporate entity with a spirit of kinship, famed conductor Robert Shaw used the warm-up period to focus on matters of tuning, tone color, ensemble blend, acoustical conditions, and development of the dynamic palette. We've compiled several of his warm-ups. Read more

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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

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

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

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

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

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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Virtual Voice Lesson: The Farinelli Breath Exercises

Shauna Fallihee | Singing, Technique/Tool

Carlo Broschi, known as Farinelli, was a famous, and wildly popular castrato of the early 1700s. One of the secrets to his magnificent voice was the seemingly unending stream of breath that supported it. Voice teacher Shauna Fallihee demonstrates the breathing exercises Farinelli created to strengthen the intercostal muscles. Read more

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Warm-Ups for What Ails You: Lack of Breath Control

Rebecca Achenbach | Singing, Technique/Tool

Work on your breath control with these exercises from choral conductor and voice teacher Rebecca Achenbach. Read more

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Events

Joy!

13601 Saratoga Avenue, Saratoga, CA

San Jose Sympho... | Performance

Experience the power and timeliness of Friedrich Schiller's immortal poem Ode To Joy through the majestic music of Beethoven's Symphony No. 9 ("Choral"), sung in German, and the Western U.S. premiere of Tchaikovsky's Ode To Joy Cantata, sung in Russian. Featured soloists: Milena Georgieva, Soprano, Cassandra Cardenas, Mezzo Soprano, Woojeong Lee, Tenor and Joshua Hollister, Baritone. This is a free concert, a gift to our community. For more information contact www.saratogasymphony.com or info@sanjosesymphonicchoir.org. Read more

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Helena Choral Week (9th!)

Helena, Montana

Musikanten | Singing

Morning lessons and classes, lunchtime mini recitals, evening chorus rehearsals, final concert Saturday evening, Sunday morning liturgy at St. Peter's. Guest Artists Evanne Browne (soprano), Jay White (countertenor). Thomas Gregg (tenor), Bobb Robinson (baritone), Robert Tudor (baritone). Jean Browne (piano). See www.musikantenmt.org for more info. Read more

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NEW MUSIC FOR NEW YORK

450 West 37th Street, between 9th and 10th Avenues New York NY

Manhattan Chora... | Adults/Seniors, General, Singing

The Manhattan Choral Ensemble will premiere three newly-commissioned works about New York City, followed by favorite folksongs, partsongs and madrigals. At intermission the audience will select its favorite piece, to receive the grand prize and an encore performance. Read more

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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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Auditions for Piedmont Chamber Singers

501 Miller St, Winston-Salem, NC

piedmontchamber... | Volunteer

Piedmont Chamber Singers will be holding open call auditions on 14 May 2013 and 20 August 2013 for its 36th Season. Positions for all voice parts are open. Tenors especially needed. Positions volunteer. If interested, contact PCS by calling (336) 722-4022 or by emailing audition@piedmontchambersingers.org. Or, contact our artistic director, Dr. Wendy Looker, directly by emailing director@piedmontchambersingers.org. You may also let us know you're interested by filling out our online audition form here: http://piedmontchambersingers.org/audition.php Read more

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The Great American Sing

4310 County Road 137, St. Cloud, MN 56301

Great River Chorale | Adults/Seniors, Audiences, Children/Youth, Community Outreach, Education, Families, General, Marketing/Public Relations, Participation, Performance, Repertoire, Schools, Singing

Music by the people and for the people! Read more

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The Rhinebeck Choral Club

Rhinebeck, New York/ Poughkeepsie, New York

Rhinebeck Chora... | Performance

The Rhinebeck Choral Club will be performing it Spring 2013 concert series. Saturday, May 18 ~ 7:30pm Rhinebeck Reform Church 6368 Mill Street, Rhinebeck Sunday, May 19 ~ 3:00pm New Beginnings Church 35 DeGarmo Road, Poughkeepsie General Admission is $10 Student Admission is $8 Our Guest Artist, The Strawberry Hill Fiddlers Raspberries will join us on Saturday May 18 only. There will be a small tribute to the United States Armed Services. There will also be an optional basket collection to benefit Hudson Valley Community Services. The Rhinebeck Choral Club invites all adult voices to join us in September 2013. On September 11 and 18 new members are encouraged to come join us for our fall/winter holiday season. We will be holding informal vocal placements at the the Ferncliff Nursing Home in Rhinebeck, New York at 7:30 pm For more information call (845) 849-5865 Read more

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Concert: The American Choral Tradition

545 Meadow Road, W. Windsor, NJ

Princeton Pro Musica | Adults/Seniors, Audiences, General, Performance, Repertoire

Princeton Pro Musica closes its 34th concert season with a celebration of The American Choral Trandition on Sunday, May 19, 2013 at 3pm in the Princeton Meadow Event Center. Read more