Page 64 - CJNov_Dec24

R ehe arsal Br e ak
Rehearsal Break

conductors assume and hope is happening in their en- • Are we conducting singers or the music?
sembles. Does it work with 65-100 performers? Could
we learn and apply observing and “cooperative per- • Is the ensemble responding to our gesture and guid-
forming” with conducted choirs? The answers may be ance?
a little more complex because they rely on our singers
possessing and mastering foundational skills, including: • How do we acknowledge their progress and achieve-
ment and help with this skill transfer?
• Counting and subdivisions

• Interval accuracy Strategies for Heuristic Learning
The rest of this article is devoted to seven strategies/
• Basic or advanced intonation skills exercises for helping your choir develop internal time-
keeping skills.
• Listening and balance between sections
Doing Things “Wrong”
These skills are often best addressed in the magic When I work with choirs regarding centering pitch, I
month of “Septober.” Settling and building individual ask them to do the following:
competence in the first six to eight weeks prevents hav-
ing to revisit and waste rehearsal time in February or 1) Sing the first complete phrase of “My Country ‘Tis
March. Building and affirming skill mastery early is key of Thee” in tune (that is usually the norm).
to ensemble cohesion going forward, allowing conduct-
ing of other artistic considerations. Going further, the 2) Sing the phrase a little flat. I usually use simple block
conductor might consider these larger questions: chords to accompany them, so they are aware of

Example 1. How String Quartets Stay Together

Autocratic quartet Democratic quartet
2 2
Violin Viola Violin Viola
2 2

Violin Cello Violin Cello
1 1

In a more autocratic quartet (left), violin 1 tended to influence the timing of other players more than she was
influenced herself. Arrows show the influence that one player (arrow tail) has over another (arrow head).
A.M. WING ET AL, ADAPTED BY M. ATAROD

62 CHORAL JOURNAL November/December 2024 Volume 65 Number 4