Page 19 - ChorTeach vol14-1.indd

Choir Practices That I Plan to Use After the Pandemic

and changed tempos. I would also conduct in-rehearsal important. The same effort needs to be made in the years
videos for singers who needed more clarity for cutoff s, tem- following the pandemic.
pi, and breath support. I noticed something else happening Including online virtual rehearsals, choir tracks, and vir-
when I made all of these items available. My choirs no lon- tual choir projects in our music programs after Covid will
ger relied on a normal rehearsal to learn their music. be a huge help in revitalizing our choirs as we rebuild. This

Many choirs practice hard to learn their music through- hybrid format may be difficult for many to adapt to. Given
out the week, but for those students who do not read music the fact that Covid has put many of our choral projects on
or have little music training, having these custom rehearsal hold, I hope to come away from this pandemic with more
tracks created an equitable approach to choir singing that resources to better equip me to work successfully with our
felt more inclusive since it met people where they were. My choirs.
choirs practiced more because they had an obstacle re-
moved, and the music became, once again, central to their
practice.

Virtual Rehearsals
My choirs will be rehearsing in person once it is
safe again, but that does not mean that I am fi nished with
virtual rehearsals forever. Rather, I will include virtual ses-
sions in my schedule of rehearsals. One reason is because it
is accessible to our older choir members who cannot drive
here at night or if they are sick and cannot come to re-
hearsals. My in-person rehearsals will also have an online
component since it allows the sick to feel like a part of our
choral group. Other reasons to include virtual rehearsals
from time to time is to address problems that the director
can demonstrate for the choir to imitate. These need not be
long rehearsals but should have a specifi c focus.

Community
During Covid, our sense of community was lost or
severely affected. Our choir members scattered. Many of

us at schools and churches have to rebuild. Support for one
another is going to be key in creating a self-sustaining net-
work of singers and directors. I noticed that many of our
newest singers were the ones who were always on the edge
of the choral community. These are the people we need to
reach out to and make sure they feel included and are vital
members of the choir program. Our choirs need constant
encouragement.
The choral community/our choirs have never been test-
ed like Covid has challenged us. Conductors rely on the

weekly services at our churches or rehearsals; efforts to con-
nect with our singers was at the center of our programs,
and every prayer, follow up, phone call, or zoom call was

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