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Remixing the Algorithm:

TikTok for Choirs

Colleen McNickle

Colleen McNickle is assistant professor of music edu- sons, student performances, and choir performances. This
cation at Arkansas State University. Dr. McNickle is the was how I discovered #choirtiktok.
founder and author of “Inspired Choir,” a blog for choir
leaders, singers, and enthusiasts. For more lesson and video
ideas, a beginner’s guide to TikTok and Reels, and the full What is Choir TikTok?
TikTok accounts to follow spreadsheet, visit inspiredchoir. TikTok, the short-form video-sharing app that draws
com/social-media-for-choir/ the attention of hundreds of millions of users (including
many of our choir members and audiences), allows users to
Author’s note: This article is adapted from “TikTok and Choir: An create and share short videos on any topic. Choir TikTok is
Unexpected Pairing,” presented by the author at the 2023 ACDA the collection of videos for and by the community of choir
National Conference. TikTok-ers. It includes videos from a variety of elemen-
tary and secondary music teachers, and professional and
When you think of the social media application TikTok, amateur musicians and choirs. Additionally, it showcases
it is likely your mind goes to the dance trends we see our student and teacher rehearsals and performances, teaching
students trying in our choir rooms during lunch time—or tips, recruitment videos, and trends.
silly dog videos, cooking videos, makeup tutorials, or any Search “choir” in the app, and your screen will be popu-
number of similar short videos. This is certainly how I had lated with dozens of elementary, middle, high school, col-
classified TikTok in my mind, and this is why I stayed off the lege & university, community, and professional choirs. You
app for the longest time. However, in the summer of 2021, might also come across small vocal ensembles, composers,
friends and family started sending me almost daily TikTok choir singers, voice therapists, voice teachers, and produc-
videos to watch, forcing me to download the app in order to ers and performers of all kinds. Broaden your search to
keep up with their references and feedback requests. At this “music teachers,” and you will find band and orchestra
point, I came to find that while there were quite a few silly teachers, K-12 teachers, piano teachers, music therapists,
cat videos and dancing trends, my friends and family were theater companies, music historians, music theorists, sound
sending me far more videos of choir rehearsals, voice les- engineers, and more.

ChorTeach Volume 15 • Issue 4 7 Summer 2023