Hi Tyler,

 

I'm in the same position at my school. There were two books I used last year that made some impact on my teaching:

 

1. "The Perfect Blend" by Timothy Seelig

2. "The Complete Choral Warm Up Book" by Jay Althouse

 

This helped with some issues I had at my school, but not all. I'm interested in seeing what other veterans have to say about the subject, too. I really liked the book by Seelig. Rather than it being a lengthy book on pedagogy or warm ups, he has a pretty extensive appendix with some tricks and tools for leading rehearsals. He has really good descriptions about the exercises he uses and gives loads of pictures. The appendix has a few reproducibles and includes some ideas to make rehearsals more effective while building your program.

 

Anyway, hope those scattered comments help you. I'll look forward to hearing other responses, too!

 

-Mike-

Tyler,

 

My first year was a lot like what you describe. I cannot say enough about getting some Kodàly training. There are lots of opportunities all over the US. Check OAKE.org. This will revolutionize your teaching and get you off to a great start. Orff-Schulwerk training will also be valuable. I have certification in both methods, and I find Kodàly will be a little less overwhelming and give you some specific sequencing for your teaching. Do not be put off by the simplicity of the early exercises in Kodàly. With a little modification they can be used from cradle through ripe, old age. Just do it. Charge it to a credit card if you must. It's worth it! I can give you some info on specific training programs, if you will email me at amaliefumc(a)bellsouth.net.

 

Amalie Hinson