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Cultivating Tone with Your Middle School Choir

and Beyond, discusses the development of the adolescent room for more important neuronal connec-
14
brain and its retention of information: tions. Again, if you don’t use it, you lose it.

As musical ideas and concepts are introduced Be firm and insist that students use solid posture, em-
to our adolescent students, remember that the ploy good breathing techniques, and form vowels cor-
adolescent brain protects specific established rectly. Be persistent and continue using all these strat-
neuronal connections that are accessed often egies consistently. Record a rehearsal at the beginning
and perceived as valuable. On the flipside, con- of the year and the end. This will validate what you are
nections made but rarely accessed will most doing, and students will enjoy hearing their progress.
likely be pruned away by the brain to make

Table 3. Choral Tone Evaluation Rubric

Superior - 3 Good - 2 Poor - 1

Overall Beauty The tone quality is beautiful The tone is generally good, There seems to be a lack of
throughout the entire but there are instances of a understanding of good choral
performance. harsh, pushed, or strident tone tone, creating an unpleasant
quality throughout the entire sound throughout the entire
performance. performance.

Intonation The choir performs in tune The choir performs mostly in tune, There is a complete lack of a
throughout the entire but there are many instances in tonal center throughout the
performance. which good intonation suffers. performance.

Breath Support The choir sings with appropriate There are some instances in which There are numerous instances
phrasing throughout the entire the phrasing is inappropriate, in which the phrasing is
performance, demonstrating indicating a lapse in good breath inappropriate, indicating major
superior breath support. support. lapses in good breath support.

Vowels The choir sings with There are some instances of There seems to be no evidence
elongated and consistent incorrect vowel shapes in the of attention to appropriate and
vowels throughout the entire performance. uniform vowel shapes.
performance.

Choral Blend The choir sings with a beautiful There are some instances in which There seems to be no evidence
blend with no individual voices individual voices can be heard of attention to choral blend,
heard throughout the entire above others. as many individual voices
performance. can be heard throughout the
performance.

16 CHORAL JOURNAL May 2025 Volume 65 Number 8