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Cultivating Tone with Your Middle School Choir

for male singers moving through the voice change who
One. have begun singing down the octave. Treble voices may
Warm Up Your Singers Every Day immediately engage the chest or belt voice when be-
ginning on lower pitches such as c4 or d4. They may
As singers enter the chorus room each day, they are then carry the weight of the chest voice to the higher
coming from a variety of activities. Most have been us- registers, causing vocal strain and bad intonation. Take
ing their speaking voice, and some may be coming from care to warm up the mid-range of the voice first before
physical education classes or recess where they were moving to the extreme high and low ranges. It is im-
using their “outside” voices or even yelling. According portant that directors listen carefully to their choirs as
to Michele Holt and James Jordan, “The primary role they move through the warm-up exercises and correct
of the warm-up is to provide a transition from vocal- any issues that arise, such as vocal strain or incorrect
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ism for speaking to vocalism for singing.” Additional- vowel formation.
ly, most adolescent students do not take private voice
lessons. The choral director serves as the director of
choirs and the voice coach, and teaching healthy vocal Two.
technique is an important part of the warm-up. The Insist on Good Posture
warm-up also helps singers find the mental focus need-
ed to contribute to a successful rehearsal. Good singing posture does not come naturally to
In Choral Music Methods and Materials, Barbara Brin- most singers, and this can be especially true for ado-
son and Steven Demorest explain, “The entire se- lescents, who often develop slumped posture with the
quence of warm-ups should take from eight to twelve heavy use of electronic devices. Citing Brinson and
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minutes.” Adherence to a warm-up sequence—which Demorest again, “Good posture is the most basic tool
could include relaxation through stretching, posture, for correct singing. Because the body serves as a musi-
breathing, and resonance and placement exercises— cal instrument, students should be taught that the way
will ease the burden of planning the warm-up and en- they hold their bodies will affect the sound they can
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sure that important vocal concepts are being taught. produce.” Directors must teach their singers the most
There are many excellent sources for warm-up exer- physically efficient way to stand and sit for singing.
cises, and several are discussed later, in addition to a When standing, the body should be aligned with
section of “Suggested Resources” at the conclusion of a raised rib cage and lifted sternum, and the shoul-
this article. ders down and relaxed. The head should be relaxed
It is also important to customize warm-up exercis- with the chin parallel to the floor. The feet should be
es to address specific problem areas in the repertoire about shoulder-width apart, and some singers may pre-
being rehearsed. For example, extract the rhythm of fer having one foot in front of the other to help with
a particularly challenging phrase and have the singers balance. When sitting, singers should be reminded to
speak, clap, or perform the rhythm on a unison repeat- keep the rib cage raised with their backs away from the
ed pitch before encountering it in the score. If the so- chair. Legs should not be crossed; feet should be flat on
prano section has to sing a difficult interval in a high the floor. The music should be held in front of the body
tessitura in one of the selections being rehearsed, cre- without the elbows or arms touching the legs.
ate an exercise based on that interval beginning on a Incorporate strategies and cues to help remind your
lower pitch level and moving gradually up to the pitch- singers about posture. This can be verbal, such as sim-
es in the selection. ply saying, “Posture check!” A nonverbal cue could be
Initial exercises should begin in a comfortable key. holding up two fingers and pointing them down in the
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Tonalities beginning on e, e , or f work well for middle palm of the other hand (sitting) or next to the palm of
school students. (These exercises can be sung an octave the other hand (standing). Posture assessments can help
apart: e3 or 4, e 3 or 4, or f3 or 4.) I found the begin- develop good posture habits. Incorporate posture ob-
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ning pitches e4, e 4, and f4 to be especially appropriate servation quizzes. Keep a seating chart at the podium
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10 CHORAL JOURNAL May 2025 Volume 65 Number 8