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starting point for further exploration. cerned about balance and blend. Instead, focus on the
individual’s voice development and command of the
instrument as a solo singer.
Getting Started: Key Ideas By using this “popcorn” approach, singers tend to be
more engaged, as they expect to be called on to demon-
Alternate between the Group and Individuals strate at any time. There can be many variations of this
In group-fitness or dance classes, instructors can concept; however, the primary goal is to be able to hear,
easily observe, assess, and provide feedback; however, instruct, and assess individuals while they learn from
things become much more challenging in group-music each other and practice repetitions as a group. Once
classes. Alternating between one singer and the group you feel that many of the singers have learned the con-
in a dynamic, rhythmic, and repetitive way will allow cept, you can do a quick “lightning round” assessment
you to hear and monitor individual singers and the en- where each singer performs one repetition down the
tire group without disturbing the flow by stopping to row or around the circle without stopping.
focus on one person for too long. This method can be
used when exploring technical voice concepts at the be- Pass and “Phone a Friend”
ginning of rehearsal (commonly called “warm-ups”), Some singers may be nervous to sing alone in a cho-
during repertoire work, and when teaching almost any- ral setting. Always offer an option to pass or “phone
thing in a group setting. a friend” to sing with them on the repetition (using a
phone gesture and pointing to another group member).
Find the Flow If a singer chooses to pass or phone a friend, simply go
When introducing a new skill, give the entire group to the next repetition with the pair or back to the entire
multiple repetitions of the concept before calling on group without hesitation or stopping the rhythmic rep-
an individual. Without stopping and while staying in etition of the exercises. Typically, individuals will grow
the tempo and meter of the exercise pattern, choose more comfortable with singing solo in front of each
an individual who appears confident in that particular other as time progresses, especially when encouraged
exercise. Alternatively, you might ask for a volunteer, in a playful and supportive atmosphere.
although this might require you to wait briefly. After
the singer performs the repetition, pause and offer Guided Self-Assessment, Feedback, and Peer-Teaching
simple, specific, and related feedback based on the di- Rather than giving feedback, you can also ask guid-
rectives you gave the group. Without losing momen- ed self-assessment questions (e.g., “did you feel that
tum, say, “Everyone and then (the name of the singer repetition was more breathy or pressed?”). Individuals
you called)” and cue the next repetition with the pia- can respond verbally, or the entire ensemble can use
no, which gives the individual and the entire group a their hands to indicate the answer (e.g., thumbs up/
chance to integrate the feedback. thumbs down, using fingers to rank 1 to 10). Depend-
On the next repetition, call on the same singer ing on the overall cohesion of the group, you might
one more time to assess improvement. You can give a also have another singer provide guided feedback or
quick, “Yes, nice onset!,” for example, as you move on include a peer-teaching moment (e.g., “what did you
to the next repetition with the group or stop momen- notice about the closure on that repetition?” and “what
tarily to give additional feedback or the next direction. could we add to the exercise to make it even more ef-
Continue alternating between the group and individ- ficient?”). Asking specific, guided questions helps focus
uals in this paced and rhythmic manner. You will see the responses and prevents open-ended answers that
that by the time you call on the fifth or sixth singer, could unintentionally upset another singer, especially
many have integrated the feedback you explored with if they do not know each other well. These approaches
the first few singers, and you can continue to scale the can help monitor individual progress, encourage criti-
concept. During technical voice work, do not be con- cal thinking, and assess higher-order skills.

CHORAL JOURNAL August 2025 Volume 66 Number 1 39