Reply To: Rookie Mistakes….

[nafmeadmin]

You have recognized what went wrong here. Good for you. Important in the choral classroom is to get them singing the first day. That is why they are in your class, to sing. You can start with a unison song that has a wonderful melody and a fancy accompaniment or unaccompanied. You don’t need to start with anything they will be performing in a concert but they must sing. From there your lesson plan should include posture, breathing, vocal production, rhythm, sight reading and more. But not all on the same day. Give them a few rules at the first and stick by them. Be fair, compliment, be full of energy and enthusiasm and be an example of what you expect from them. Sing and rehearse most of every class period. Do not spend alot of time talking. Record yourself and see if you are talking too much. Move from unison to 2-part then on to 3-part and 4-part. Keep your sense of humor.

LeAnna Willmore, NAfME Choral Education Chair