Hi, Macy, and thanks for asking about something very close to my heart.  I directed a show ensemble at Indiana University back in the '70s, and one here from the late '70s through the early '90s.  Of course I had the advantage of being a professional entertainer for 20 years prior, and I've long advocated that our colleges should prepare music education students for ALL kinds of school choirs, not just the traditional ones.

 

And I'm SO happy that you mentioned guys!!  There seems to be a tendency to limit Show Choirs to all girls, at least in this part of the country, and while I did inherit an all-women's ensemble at Indiana (The Belles of Indiana), I would never limit an ensemble in that way if I were starting from scratch.  (One thing:  I have never called my university ensembles "Show Choirs," because too many high shcool ensembles have degraded what people think about that term.  But you do NOT have to be "just like everybody else!"

 

OK, to your specific questions.  You have no dance background?  Fine.  Get a choreographer!  How?  Several possibilities.  With my women's show ensemble, the choreography was done by members of the ensemble itself, and I suspect that some of your high school students will have the dance background to do so as well, although they may need to rethink their approach if your singers are tied down to mics.  Another way is to approach any dance studios in your area, to ask (a) whether any of the teachers would be interested, or (b) whether any of their students would be capable.  And the movement doesn't have to be complex at all.  General movement can be what any untrained person's body can do.  Unison movement is more difficult at some experience can be very helpful, since it's amazing how unaware of their body parts many people actually are!  Actual dancing is what a trained dancer's body can do, that normal people can not!!

Costumes:  Start simple and inexpensive as possible.  There is certainly no need to change costumes between numbers, or to have more than one.  Eventually you may accumulate sets from previous years, to give your ensemble a first-half and a second-half change.  And perhaps specialty costumes for specialty numbers.  But that's eventually.  And remember that it takes time for a costume change, and during that time the people involved will not be on stage!  Don't scare your choir moms with costumes that are too sexy or revealing, but keep in mind that good dance skirts flare well on spins, and that colored dance tights will keep your audience from thinking they're seeing underwear.

Competitions I can't help you with.  None of my ensembles got into that.  Not that there's anything wrong with well-run competitions, but beware that (a) judging standards usually mandate certain things that the judges expect, but that you don't especially value, and that (b) those standards change over time.  The wonderful thing about show ensembles is that they do NOT have to be all the same, but competitions tend to drive things in that direction.

I strongly recommend using live instrumental accompaniment.  It will make your planning, arranging, and rehearsing more complicated, but why should you not be giving the same kind of basic training to your school's instrumentalists that you are to your singers and dancers?!!!  You'll have to deal with balance and can probably forget about singing without mics, but there is nothing prerecorded that can EVER equal the sheer excitement of the live rhythm section or showband.

How to learn on the job and get started?  There surely must be folks in your state who have successful programs, so track them down and pick their brains.  For arrangements, for instance, I can't help you because everything my ensembles did were special arrangements.  There are certainly workshops at different universities that have active programs, and you should look into those, too.  Again, I didn't have to do that because my show business experience defined what I wanted my ensembles to do, what my goals were, and how I worked to reach them.

The bottom line, though, is that YOU CAN START SIMPLY, and then if things go well and you can grow the ensemble, grow it.  I have former students very active in community theater (although we didn't do theater), in church music (although we didn't do church music), and in a few cases in entry-level and beyond-entry-level jobs in entertainment, because there are actual jobs in entertainment that ordinary people with good basic training can land, unlike most jobs in classical music.

All the best.  Please don't hesitate to ask more questions.

John
John.Howell(a)vt.edu


 

I'm glad someone posted this topic, because I have many of the same questions! I'm starting a show choir next year at a small school and have a zillion questions. A few pressing ones:

 

1)Is it ok if I have an uneven number of boys and girls? Or should there be an equal number? (I'm new to this and nto really sure what the standard is)

 

2)At my school, kids have to do a physical in order to play a school sport. Should I have the same requirement for show choir, since we will be doing a lot of dancing? I know a lot of marching bands have kids do this. Should I have students fill out a form for me to keep on file of any medical conditions, etc? Or is that necessary? I hope my questions don't sound dumb.

 

3)I'm completely confused about what risers are used in show choir, and where to purchase them. can anyone give me specifics of exactly what I should be looking at, and if possible, links to look at them online? How do I know how many risers to get? We will have probably 25-30 people in show choir.

 

Thanks!!

Allie:

John, as usual, brings up several interesting and important points to consider with regards to popular music. I have the utmost respect for his opinions. They are based on experience and wisdom. So many folks who seem to have an aversion to including Jazz in their choral curriculum are simply unaware of just how strong of an impact it could have on the total musicianship of their singers. Too often we teach like we were taught. We need to educate and help our learners to learn and retain. This can happen if we provide an environment that is safe, open and encouraging and that provides a place to be creative. And, if we continue to grow as musicians and learners.

These comments specifically refer to Jazz in the curriculum.

Jazz is one of America's only true art forms and possibly the most influential style of music of the 20th and 21st centuries.

A comparison -

European Music: Conductors/performers work from scores: The music of the great composers from all of the important musical eras, including the Renaissance, Baroque, Classical, Romantic and Modern requires the performer to study and present the music with the intent of the composer as of primary importance. There are some variations but for the most part we, as performers are obliged to present the music exactly as the composer intended it to be performed. Therefore, when presenting the 'Mass in Time of War' by Haydn, we performers are to study about Haydn, study when he composed the work and all the reasons behind the work. As an example Haydn's 'Mass No. 10 in C Major' is sometimes referred to as the Paukenmesse or Kettledrum Mass. It was performed in 1796 at the time of Austria's participation in the war. Austria was not doing well in the war and there was deep concern with the potential of being invaded. Haydn, a deeply religious person, was inspired to compose the 'Benedictus' and 'Agnus Dei' movements in reference to war and the battles at hand. The composition was based on Haydn's concerns and feeling during this time.

Therefore, as a conductor, performer and presenter of the music of the great composers, we also become sociologists and historians. We learn of the times and most importantly the intent of the composer. Tempos, dynamics, and phrasing are determined by our knowledge of the composer's musical expectations. We are obliged to represent the intentions of the composer.

Jazz: Conductors/performers work from charts: The music of George and Ira Gershwin, Cole Porter, Harold Arlen, Hoagy Carmichael, Duke Ellington, Aaron Copland, Irving Berlin, and the list goes on and on….. requires the conductor/performer to study and present the music with a personal interpretation while keeping the integrity of the composer's intent. Therefore, we will hear many variations of the same song. It might be performed as a ballad or in a Latin style, or perhaps as a straight-ahead swing chart. We are obliged to present the music with our own interpretation, our own creativity and in our own style. Therefore, we conductors/performers when performing a song like 'Send In The Clowns' by Stephen Sondheim, like Sarah Vaughan did at most every concert, it will be different every time. The song will be presented to fit the moment while respecting the intent of the composer. There will be a spontaneous interpretation. The performer is obliged to study the music, the lyrics and the thought behind the music and then develop his or her personal interpretation. Wouldn't it have been wonderful to have heard Carmen McRae, Sarah Vaughan, Ella Fitzgerald, Peggy Lee, Ernestine Anderson and Betty Carter all in the same concert singing the same song? I can just hear 'How High The Moon' now, Betty with her raspy sounds, Ella with her improvisational qualities, Sarah with her innovative styling, Peggy with her velvet and seductive tones, Ernestine with her energy and spirit, and of course Carmen with her pristine intonation and interpretations… what a gig that would have been. All of those great ladies of jazz singing the same song with the same composer intent yet each one's interpretation very, very different from the other.

One of the most important parts of our brain that is usually left to dry up after about the fourth grade, is the part that deals with creativity, vision, imagination, and inspiration. How did all of those great composers get their ideas, their compositional creativity? I have always thought that Bach, Mozart and the likes were really much like our present day Bobby McFerrins, George Gershwins, Dave Brubecks and Gene Puerlings. I believe they were very hip, improvisational and creative musicians.

John's comments about arrangements are so on target. I have published a couple of songs that have been arranged by different writers and the arrangements are completely different while respecting the integrity of the composer. This is a common occurrence. That is one of the exciting aspects of Jazz and other popular musical idioms.

Allie, while some folks are stuck in one type of musical endeavor, there are many of us who are enjoying the essence of variety. I conduct a community chorale of 110 voices. This year we have performed several jazz selections arranged by myself, Ken Kraintz, Larry Lapin, Dave Barduhn, Chris Buzzelli and many others; we will perform Karl Jenkins' 'The Armed Man: A Mass for Peace' in March and then we will turn around and do the a concert version of the musical 'Wicked' in June. Variety is the spice of life!