Technique/Tool

Articles

The Art of Strategic Alliances: Best Practices

Matthew Sigman | Composing/Commissioning, Conducting, Governance, Innovation, Professional, Strategic Planning, Technique/Tool

Considering a strategic alliance? You might also want to consider these best practices drawn from the major findings of the Mendelssohn Club's Strategic Alliances study featured in the article "The Art of Strategic Alliances" by Matthew Sigman. Read more

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The Art of Setting Text

A Conversation with Libby Larsen and Dale Warland

Don Lee | Composing/Commissioning, Repertoire, Technique/Tool

A renowned composer and choral artist discuss the challenges of choosing and setting texts—what every composer, conductor, and chorus seeking to commission a new choral work should know. Read more

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You’re Never Too Old To Sing

Leda Scearce | Adults/Seniors, Health, Singing, Technique/Tool

Is your voice, like your body, showing some age? Voice specialist Leda Scearce offers insights and tips for keeping your instrument agile and well tuned. Read more

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Creating a Conducting Video

An Essential Part of a Conductor's Portfolio

David Hayes | Careers, Conducting, Education, Performance, Professional, Technique/Tool, Technology

Videos play a vital role in advancing the careers of conductors today, both as self-evaluation tools and as a way to easily showcase skills to others. We explore two types of conducting videos, the guidelines to create them, and how to use them to enhance your career. Read more

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When Self-Criticism Interferes with Your Potential

Frank Nemhauser | Singing, Technique/Tool

Anything worth doing requires playing the “inner game”—successfully navigating one’s own psychological landscape and overcoming the internal criticisms that get in the way of our best performance. Read more

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Vocal Health: Save Your Voice Through Pacing

Leda Scearce | Health, Rehearsal, Singing, Technique/Tool

Between corralling the kids, leading meetings at work, socializing with friends, and singing, the voice can reach its limit. In this Chorus America interview, vocal health expert Leda Scearce of the Duke Voice Care Center offers tips about how to pace yourself to protect your voice from overuse. Read more

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Gifts from My Voice Teacher

Kelsey Menehan | Adults/Seniors, Singing, Technique/Tool

When you are a woman of a certain age, it is no small thing to "find your voice" again. In this season of gift giving and receiving, I am celebrating the many gifts that my voice teacher has bestowed on me this year. Read more

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4 Techniques for Memorizing Lyrics

Mark Bosnian | Performance, Rehearsal, Singing, Technique/Tool

Having trouble getting the words to stick in your mind? Here are several strategies for succeeding at memorization. Read more

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How to Learn a New Piece of Music

Mark Bosnian | Rehearsal, Repertoire, Singing, Technique/Tool

Four steps to ironing out those tricky passages so that you hit the mark at performance time. Read more

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A Chorus Guide to Getting the Right Permissions

Matthew Sigman | Government/Policy, Legal/Licensing, Technique/Tool

Securing the rights to perform, commission, record, or distribute music gets more complicated with every technological advance—here are basic guidelines to keep your chorus on the right side of legal. 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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Chorus Operations Survey Report (2012)

Roland Kushner | Evaluation, Finance, Fundraising, Governance, Management/Leadership, Marketing/Public Relations, Operations, Research/Data, Technique/Tool

Chorus America's annual survey of the operations of choruses, the Chorus Operations Survey Report includes more than 40 different analyses, from number of board meetings to board giving, from ticket pricing to chorus dues amounts, from accompanist pay practices to marketing efficiency. The 2012 report features data from the 2010-2011 season. 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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Events

Choral Conducting Master Class with Dr. Jan Harrington

Princeton, NJ

The Princeton F... | Adults/Seniors, Conducting, Education, General, Performance, Rehearsal, Technique/Tool

This 5-day professional choral conducting master class will offer practical rehearsal strategies, choral warm-up ideas, and sessions on performance issues, score study and preparation, creating compelling performances, and readings of new and recently published choral literature for choirs of all levels. Read more

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Voices of Light: The Passion of Joan of Arc

Southborough, MA

Robert Eaton | Adults/Seniors, Audiences, Education, General, History, Impact/Value, Innovation, Performance, Singing, Technique/Tool, Technology

Voices of Light merges the legendary silent film masterpiece The Passion of Joan of Arc, widely considered to be one of the greatest films ever made, with a live performance of a ravishing score by award-winning composer Richard Einhorn. An incredibly moving composition for solo voices, chorus and orchestra, Voices of Light has been hailed as "a triumph" (Los Angeles Times) and "an overwhelming experience" (Chicago Tribune). Read more

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The Complete Conductor: Orchestral Conducting for the Choral Director

New York City

Jeffery Thyer | Conducting, Education, General, Networking, Performance, Professional, Rehearsal, Repertoire, Technique/Tool

The Complete Conductor: Orchestral Conducting for the Choral Director is an intensive program for choral directors to gain more experience in working with an orchestra. Read more

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Feldenkrais Workshops for Performing Artists - Montréal

Montréal

Cory Davis | Conducting, Health, Performance, Singing, Technique/Tool

Join Feldenkrais practitioners Julian Wachner (conductor/composer) and Maud Tizon (dancer/choreographer) for a day-long, intensive master class designed especially for musicians, actors, dancers and other performers. Read more