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The Choir as Garden
A Dynamic, Singer-Centered

The Choir as Garden: A Dynamic, Singer-Centered Approach to Choral Leadership

Approach to Choral Leadership

Value 1: Every Individual Helps Create the Environment only to opening days of rehearsals or special events,
In the Garden Model, every individual helps create leaders might engage singers in community-building
the environment. Instead of relying on only the choral activities on a regular schedule. Consistent activities
leader to sculpt a pre-imagined performance, singers that invite singers to share elements of themselves en-
actively shape the group and its music making. Four courage singers to co-create the ensemble based on Jennif er Hutton
practices can facilitate this goal: a) musical decision their strengths.
making, b) embedded leadership, c) singing away from
the printed score, and d) highlighting the individual C.) Singing without the printed score
within the collective. Rehearsal processes that rely on printed notation as
the primary vehicle for music learning require singers
A.) Musical decision making to have significant formal musical training. This em-
If every individual is to create the environment, sing- phasis creates barriers for singers who have seldom
ers must make musical choices. When singers exercise engaged in music with notation and for singers with Today’s choral educators often articulate goals members can lose positive rewards of group sing-
their skills in musical interpretation, expression, and learning or language differences that make reading that prioritize positive relational experiences for ing that leaders ostensibly intend to foster.
technique, they grow as individuals and help shape the notation a greater challenge. Moreover, reliance on singers. Many educators strive to foster positive This article presents a metaphor of the choir as
ensemble. Musical choices within the rehearsal might the printed score can neglect singers’ expressive expe- experiences of belonging, relationship-building, a garden to help educators align their practices
occur during arranging, improvisation, or other cre- riences, a vital element of singing that notation can- and community. Such goals reflect a relational, with the relational, singer-centered values they
ative activities involving informal learning. Accord- not fully represent. In contrast, teaching through oral/ person-centered approach that values singers’ often hold. The Garden Model frames teach-
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ing to scholars including Matthew Garrett and Jessica aural traditions, away from the printed score, trans- experiences as much as (or more than) the music er-conductors as cultivators of conditions that
Nápoles et al., invitations into critical thinking at the mits music through singers’ entire presence, creating they present. Despite choral leaders’ intentions, allow singers to develop and grow. When indi-
top levels of Bloom’s taxonomy—analyze, evaluate, and multiple pathways for musical communication. Even singers’ experiences do not always reflect the viduals’ varied growth is fostered, singers can be
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create—center singers’ contributions and offer singers if used as a small portion of a group’s rehearsal prac- relational, person-centered values that leaders emboldened to function as an interdependent
agency to actively shape music making. In rehearsals, tices, teaching and learning orally/aurally can foster espouse. Researchers have identified barriers to ecosystem that is more than the sum of its parts.
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singers might demonstrate critical thinking with ges- a relational, singer-centered approach by offering a singers’ positive experiences including require- The first part of the article situates the model
tures showing contour or articulation or by verbalizing deeper, more direct path to musical expression and ments that singers mold themselves to a con- in the context of my own experience as a leader
ideas about expressive choices. Short writing exercis- by encouraging singers to bring their full selves to the ductor’s musical vision and the use of repetitive working with a new group.
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es can prompt singers to articulate goals for a musical group. rehearsal techniques focused on technical perfec-
passage, summarize a piece’s message, or quickly re- tion. When teacher-conductors prioritize musical
flect on a rehearsal activity. When they are given space D.) Highlighting the individual within the collective
to actively guide music making, each singer shapes the In performing ensembles, unity is often a central results more than singers’ experiences, ensemble
ensemble environment. goal, yet singers also benefit from feeling valued as
unique, individual contributors. To emphasize that
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B.) Embedded leadership every individual helps create the environment, choral
In many choral organizations, singers serve in for- leaders might highlight singers’ musical contributions
mal leadership roles as officers, section leaders, or through intentional use of flexible repertoire and ar-
committee members. Such positions can benefit cho- rangements. Adaptable repertoire such as lead sheets,
ral communities by dispersing power held by the con- rounds, or improvisational or aleatoric music can spot-
ductor and offering singers avenues for ownership. To light individual singers’ soloistic ideas, their abilities as
further facilitate every individual’s creation of the en- instrumental accompanists, or their decisions about
vironment, all singers can engage in informal, short- musical form or expression. Singers’ own composi-
term, rotating leadership roles. Each individual might tions, too, can be highlighted as an element of group
serve as a facilitator of a small-group discussion, or singing. Deliberate approaches to repertoire can ren-
rotating singers might report to the full group after der singers’ individual musicality more visible to the
sectional rehearsals to share successes and remaining group.
struggles. Rather than relegating icebreaker activities

CHORAL JOURNAL August 2025 Volume 66 Number 1 27