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Title	Author	Date
Comment: Re: Choral Conducting for the Instrumentalist	John Howell	May 21, 2012
No problem, Alan. Thank goodness I finished Finals a couple of weeks ago! Actually, instrumentalists need to warm up just as much as singers do. But it is much more usual for them to warm up indivdiually, rather than in a group led by the conductor. The instruments (for intonation), t...
Comment: Re: Female teachers and the male voice change.	John Howell	May 21, 2012
Hi, Christina, and welcome to ChoralNet. This is from my wife's experience, not my own. Understanding the changing male voice is the same for either a female or male teacher. You need to understand the physiology and the psychology of it, and there are some very good books on the subject. ...
Comment: Re: Choral Conducting for the Instrumentalist	John Howell	May 21, 2012
Alan wrote (among many very good suggestions): "having an SAB choir sing a major chord, the third should sit slightly higher than the piano would sound -not much though, and locking octaves and fifths are crucial for good intonation." That's good advice if you're satisfied with impure int...
Comment: Re: Is grunting in tennis bad for the vocal chords?	John Howell	May 21, 2012
Michael: No, you could give up singing instead! But as I recall, this grunting thing started with the teenaged girl player who also introduced the 2-handed hold on the racquet (whose name I can't remember, but she was quite prominent and probably was imitated by a great many young players to t...
Comment: Re: One man pit - HELP!!	John Howell	May 21, 2012
David: I'm also not a keyboard player, and if I were told I had to accompany a musical I would simply laugh in their faces!!! But who, exactly, is "they" here? Whose expectation is this? And (an important question and I assume that the answer is "yes"), are you performing this musical...
Comment: Re: How should I arrange my sections?	John Howell	May 21, 2012
Simon: I assume that you're familiar with the technique of Riser Stacking, at least the basic concept. I was introduced to it when I directed a Sweet Adelines barbershop chorus, and watched an experienced consultant work with it. The difference in thinking is basically one of considerin...
Comment: Re: Plus ça change...	John Howell	May 21, 2012
Allen: I didn't know that quote, so thanks! However, two things to keep in mind. First, the actual performance of music was at the bottom of the list for Greek philosophers--musica instrumentalis, as opposed to the much higher studies of musica mundana--the mathematical proportions represent...
Comment: Re: Problem deciding if one chorist should attend the concert	John Howell	May 19, 2012
Terrific!!! And neither the first time nor the last that a loyal husband has been caught in blowback from a wife's poor attitude. (Or the opposite, of course.) John
Comment: Re: church choir soloists	John Howell	May 19, 2012
Ron: No, of course not. Or at least not mostly. (And yes, I do have a personal interest that goes back to long before my son started singing professionally. In fact the Pro Arte Ensemble at Indiana was using countertenors before Ian was born!!) But none of the other options made any grea...
Comment: Re: Problem deciding if one chorist should attend the concert	John Howell	May 18, 2012
Good for you, Bruno. I was inclined to suggest being conciliatory after your first post, even though it was obvious that she was trying to play on your guilt. But by laying down an ultimatum to you it became a personal challenge to your leadership and an effort to take control of "her" choir a...
Comment: Re: Choir rehearsal in a language lab?	John Howell	May 18, 2012
Tina: I've never done this, but I've spend hours in recording studios using headphones. As soon as the headphones go on, the singers cannot hear what they usually hear, and that means that they will not be singing at all as they usually do. Plus which, of course, they'll be spread out a...
Comment: Re: church choir soloists	John Howell	May 18, 2012
L: Keep it simple. Hire a countertenor! John
Comment: Re: Problem deciding if one chorist should attend the concert	John Howell	May 18, 2012
Since Bruno has made his decision, let me thank everyone who commented because this is a very basic philosophical question that is worth re-thinking as time passes. Ryan's approach is one that I'm familiar with. I've known colleagues who think that way, and I don't say it's unreasonable.�...
Comment: Re: Dress rehearsal	John Howell	May 18, 2012
Allen: Just a couple of thoughts. When it comes to pickup orchestras--EITHER paid professionals, community players, or amateurs--I've played in a lot of them, and I cannot remember a single time when the conductor did not schedule one orchestra-only rehearsal before the final putting-together ...
Comment: Re: Ceremony of Carols - SATB version	John Howell	May 18, 2012
Colleagues: Did not Britten himself write the SATB version? I'm trying to remember the story about its composition. Didn't it have something to do with an ocean voyage? And perhaps with an a priori decision (or commission, or commitment) to compose something for treble (i.e. boys') voices?...
Comment: Re: Problem deciding if one chorist should attend the concert	John Howell	May 17, 2012
Bruno: Firstly, I would decide on an individual basis, only after talking with the choirister and testing her preparation, rather than on the basis of any arbitrary set of rules. Although if you do have such rules, then of course you must enforce them. But what stands out to me is that ...
Comment: Re: single gender classes	John Howell	May 17, 2012
Jason: Interesting situation for sure, but hardly surprising. Of COURSE students tried out because they wanted to go on the Toronto trip. And of COURSE some were upset by not making the top ensemble. Those are predictable reactions and you can expect them. Now I haven't taught at th...
Comment: Re: 60% +	John Howell	May 17, 2012
Spencer: Is your high school fed by only a single middle school? I grew up in a town with only one high school, but it was fed by two junior highs, and there was a natural competition between the two. If your middle school principal is a jock he might be open to the (irrational, of course!) ...
Comment: Re: "Hottest" New Choral Composers	John Howell	May 16, 2012
Maria: I have no problem with your using terms from popular culture, but they suffer from being vague and ill defined (as the responses so far demonstrate). "Hot" can mean temporarily popular, with emphasis on the temporarily. It can also mean outstandingly attractive. And those are n...
Comment: Re: Ceremony of Carols - SATB version	John Howell	May 16, 2012
Chris: The SATB works just fine. Why would you think otherwise? But I wouldn't expect to find more than the one version since I believe it's still under copyright, having been written in 1942. John
Comment: Re: Conducting and singing jazz choral pieces	John Howell	May 16, 2012
Vivian: I agree with Carl--especially about the tight harmony-except for one thing. He said, "sing rhythms in a way that the group feels comfortable." That is NOT true unless both you and your singers understand the basics of jazz rhythms and jazz phrasing, which square singers generally do ...
Comment: Re: Band director's guide to teaching choir	John Howell	May 15, 2012
Hi, Aimee, and welcome from a UPS graduate! I've never done exactly what you ask about in your sort of simplistic scenario (why did you omit orchestra?), but yes, I've directed both instrumentalists and singers in various combinations. And your questions are--and please forgive me for saying i...
Comment: Re: Hiring ringers for a volunteer church choir	John Howell	May 15, 2012
Ludy: Great post; thanks! You wrote, in part, "A well-respected director here had a wonderful soprano in his M. S. choir - Amber. The others complained, "Amber gets all the solos/special opportunities!" She was the best by far - in artistry, skill, and attitude. He stood his ground. ...
Comment: Re: Looking for Pops arrangements for Orchestra and Women's Choir	John Howell	May 15, 2012
Tina: The major rental houses that handle Grand Rights for Broadway musicals often have such orchestrations available for rent, but you'd have to contact each of them and you'd be limited to what they have available. And don't expect to find choral arrangements per se, because it's much more l...
Comment: Re: ASCAP	John Howell	May 14, 2012
I might also mention that the Association of Concert Bands has engotiated a blanket annual license for ACB members at a very reasonable fee. (I assume that this includes both ASCAP and BMI licenses, since those cover most music in the U.S.) This is definietly something that ACDA should co...
Comment: Re: Hiring ringers for a volunteer church choir	John Howell	May 13, 2012
Brad: No pat answers without knowing your choir and yourself, of course. But do they undeerstand that you're doing it BECAUSE of the spotty attendance? If not, you should make it absolutely clear to them in no uncertain terms, but not necessarily reflecting badly on those who have missed reh...
Comment: Re: Show choir copyright question	John Howell	May 13, 2012
Tom: Thanks for reminding me about Grand Rights. The basic problem is that U.S. Copyright law makes no attempt to define them, simply mentioning the provisions of the law that do NOT applay to "musico-dramatic productions." Here are quotes from the ASCAP and BMI websites (and NEITHER organiz...
Comment: Re: How l-o-n-g do we go?	John Howell	May 13, 2012
Tom and Friends: That may be the best suggestion of all those so far posted! And it's interesting that our community band does exacty the same thing, although both our community chorus and our community string orchestra do stop for the summer (except for supporting our annual summer Broadway m...
Comment: Re: Show choir copyright question	John Howell	May 13, 2012
Juliana: I have to admit that I'm stumpted by your question, or rather by the assumptions behind it. Why do you think you "know" you can't buy regular published choral music and use if for a show choir? (And yes, there's plenty of music published for exactly your use, much of it with accompa...
Comment: Re: High School Vocal Juries	John Howell	May 13, 2012
Sue: Thanks so very much for that information. And I understand that as a state standard it's something that you have to live with, but it makes me wonder about the people who wrote those rubrics! Point A is fine, IF announcing is part of what you regularly have students do, and part of what...
Comment: Re: Help with Concert Title	John Howell	May 11, 2012
Marie: Well, if you'll be doing any of Byrd's ENGLISH Anthems (the English version of the motet), you'll have the three great religions of Europe represented, which might suggest something other than just the buildings themselves. Or since the early 17th century was a time of transition, ...
Comment: Re: Sony ic voice recorder for recording rehearsals?	John Howell	May 11, 2012
Lisa: I'm sure that model does what it says it does, but you might want to read between the lines. "Digital Voice Recorder" means to me that it's optimized for the speaking voice, and NOT for music. The settings for notes, lectures, etc. seem to confirm this. And yes, I would wonder whethe...
Comment: Re: iPad/tablet cases & holders for choral musicians	John Howell	May 11, 2012
Wayne: I can't answer your question because I've never done the iPad thing, but it's a great question. Both copyright law and the Fair Use Guidelines forbid copying for performance, but of course when they were written that only referred to photocopying on paper. It makes it illegal bot...
Comment: Re: High School Vocal Juries	John Howell	May 11, 2012
Hi, Sue. I'm curious about these solo assessments. Do the singers with better voices (i.e. better natural voices, not necessarily because you've helped them develop their voices) usually score higher than those without? If so, that seems like a pretty skewed way to "assess." But if not, wh...
Comment: Re: Opera Conducting	John Howell	May 11, 2012
Matthew: When I did my grad work at Indiana (and things may have changed), you definitely had to choose between Choral Conducting and Orchestral Conducting (and probably Wind Ensemble Conducting) at the graduate level. Different Departments with different requirements, and you couldn't get int...
Comment: Re: Choral Accompanying	John Howell	May 11, 2012
Matthew: The absolute best thing you can do is stop self-teaching and GET PIANO LESSONS WITH A DEMANDING TEACHER, from now until you graduate. And you dont' get to take the summer off! And I don't mean the "Piano Class" courses that are in fact remedial for something you should have started ...
Comment: Re: What sets classical music apart from pop music?	John Howell	May 10, 2012
Ron: The story on Mendelsssohn is that he was given the manuscript to Bach's St. Matthew by either his grandmother or great-aunt (I've seen it reported both ways) while he was a student at the Berlin Singakademie, and that she had gotten it from Friedman Bach (I think) when she studied with him ...
Comment: Re: Managing a larger program	John Howell	May 10, 2012
That's terrific, Tanna. Just keep remembering that professionals trust other professionals. That's what makes the musical world work! We're gearing up for our 21st annual Summer Musical ("Peter Pan"), with a community organization that is 100% volunteer including the creative staff and the o...
Comment: Re: High School Vocal Juries	John Howell	May 10, 2012
Lucy: I had to smile when I read, "I know teachers that, in preparation for All-State auditions or Solo and Ens. Evaluation (formerly"Festival") would teach their entire class the same [solo art] song." My mom and I wrote the book on the life and work of string educator George Bornoff (av...
Comment: Re: How l-o-n-g do we go?	John Howell	May 10, 2012
Jason: Thanks for mentioning congregational singing, something that a few others have mentioned, but something that is quite a separate question from that of having a formal choir up in the front (or in the back, of course). If I have my history straight (and I'd better, since I teach it!...
Comment: Re: How l-o-n-g do we go?	John Howell	May 10, 2012
Thomas: My wife's Youth Choir was keyed absolutely to the school year, and around here the end of the school year depended on how many snow days had to be made up. (NONE this year, for the first time ever!) So it usually ended in the 1st or 2nd week of June. And the first weekend after sch...
Comment: Re: Beethoven 9 - German pronunciation	John Howell	May 10, 2012
I don't suppose it's especially helpful on this thread to remind everyone that there is NO SINGLE PRONUNCIATION of German any more than there is of any other living language (or of Latin, for that matter!). There is no "standard" English, although some have tried to establish one, but that parti...
Comment: Re: What sets classical music apart from pop music?	John Howell	May 9, 2012
Timothy: Yes, you're quite right. Some of it is luck, and some of it is having someone champion someone else's music (Bach was virtually forgotten until Mendelssohn revived interest in his music 2 years after Beethoven's death.) But quality does tend to have lasting power. But you can...
Comment: Re: Master's Program in Choral Conducting	John Howell	May 9, 2012
What Paul said! In the college ranks someone with a NEW degree will come in as an Assistant Professor, if the job is tenure track, or an Instructor if it is not. So the proper question would be the average wage (and benefits) of an Assistant Professor. In the public schools probably 50% high...
Comment: Re: Lefthanded and conducting	John Howell	May 8, 2012
Edward: Or as our conducting professor has posted outside his office, "ONE is always down. Everything else is NOT down!" John
Comment: Re: Lefthanded and conducting	John Howell	May 8, 2012
Tronél: I have to agree with everyone who feels that handedness is not a significant factor in conducting, and also with those who feel that you should be able to conduct effectively with EITHER hand, with BOTH, and with NEITHER! True confession time: I conduct interchangeably with eit...
Comment: Re: High School Vocal Juries	John Howell	May 8, 2012
Bob: Admittedly I'm on the college level, but our juries (and any others I've ever been involved in at ANY school) have been only for those taking private lessons, never for ensemble members. So may I ask WHY you have to do this, since by definition our concerts are our exams? But since...
Comment: Re: 1 month of school left with no concert...what to do?	John Howell	May 7, 2012
Those are great ideas, Shannon, and so are Christopher's. I'd just generalize to this: after even one year in the trenches, you should have a good idea what they really NEED and you didn't have time to get to, so now's your chance to actually TEACH!!! For those moving up, emphasize that they...
Comment: Re: Allowable conflicts with performances	John Howell	May 7, 2012
Richard: Since we have always been a small music department that depends on non-majors for both our large ensembles and our select ensembles, and since we have always paid at least lip service to wanting our majors to experience a variety of performance experiences, we have always had at least S...
Comment: Re: Sustaining a "Dying" Youth Choir	John Howell	May 6, 2012
Ethan: Getting different messages from "charter members" (i.e. older and more established members) and the youth in the church should come as no surprise, although how to handle it is one of those lovely things that makes church music such an INTERESTING job! As a complete outsider, I wou...