Dear Allie,

 

I can't help you with all of your questions, but I can make a suggestion about "trying out" when you can't cut anyone. This comes from experience with my college choir, where anyone can join. (There is a more select chamber choir that only the best singers can join.)

 

At the beginning of every semester, after the customary group warmup, I have each student come to the front of the room one at time and sing something solo. It can be any folksong or traditional theater ballad (not a rock or pop song), as long as it's slow and lyrical. I explain that it's not an audition, it's just to help me get to know their voice and decide which section to put them in to start. Most of the students have no idea what to sing, so I suggest either "Happy Birthday" or "Amazing Grace." Probably ninety percent of them sing the former, and most of the others sing the latter. But even "Happy Birthday" can tell you a lot. Obviously I play the song in any key that works, and for some of them I have them try the song (or a part) in several keys, to test high and low, and so forth. I find this a relatively painless way to "try them out."

 

All best,

 

Allen Cohen

 Hello Allie,

 

I'm responding to the "motivate them" portion of your question.  Here's my suggestion:

 

Announce an assembly such as "Talent Show" or "We Like to Sing"  or preferably a title the singers come up with.  You have asked  them to come to a first meeting with a song in mind that they'd like to sing for the school.  Older children are asked to bring a copy of the sheet music.  You'll need to be flexible with style on this first call!  The elementary school children will be the easiest to influence.  If a student wants to sing something too far out, you can exert your powers of persuasion...and tolerance!  Folk music can be a happy medium.   Also invite students who don't want to sing a solo but would like to be part of a "back up group."  You should end up with at least a small group, depending on the size of your school.  I promise there are closet soloists out there.  If they don't volunteer, you'll hear about them as you talk this over in class.

 

Lesson one in choral singing will be for you to explain that a soloist can embellish the melody line with swoops and turns (these you'll have to endure, at first), but that a back-up group (i.e. your future chorus) always sings a straight line -- as straight as possible.  This group can begin with unison singing, joining with the soloist on some lines, back and forth, whatever -- adding easy harmony where and when you can.  Then while you've got your group there, you can suggest/introduce other songs into the program that will be dragging them towards your goal.

 

I'd love to hear how this works, Allie!  Good luck,

 

RT

 

Ruth McKendree Treen

choral conductor

 

Pilgrim Pops

The Choraliers

Mid Cape Chorus

New Midcape Singers

Chatham Music Club Singers 

Hi Allie,

 

I think while it is great that you have the time/support to do some recruiting before the school year starts, I think you also have to realize that if the program and music (and you!) are good, the kids will come, but it might take a year for them to see what it is first.

 

I currently teach band/general music/choir at a small, somewhat rural school (K-8 though). My first year, I had only 9 students in my (middle school) chorus, and none in the lower school chorus (the previous teacher disbanded it). After the kids got to know me that first year (and like me, and like the rep I chose) my MS program grew to 20 and my lower school chorus to 45 (huge numbers at our tiny school). Even if things seem small and disappointing the first year, don't get discouraged. A lot of kids that want to do chorus are just scared and waiting to see exactly what the unknowns are before joining. Once they see who you are and what you're trying to do, they will come.

 

For this first year, though, I suggest you talk to each grade (somehow less intimidating and more personal for them, I think). They will know the show Glee and will be curious to hear your vision of a choral program (a fact these days, I'm afraid). For that first "try out" day, it seems like the kids are going to be trying YOU out moreso than you evaluating their voices. I'd sing on this first day. Pick something upbeat that is easy to be successful at. I think it easier to get them to do (and appreciate) harder repertoire once you've built a sense of trust with them.

 

Good luck!

 

-Katie

 

Hi, Allie. You've gotten really good advice so far, so this is just a couple of personal notes.

 

When I was in high school, there was a band to the north of us in a small school district that had almost every student in the school in it! It depends entirely on the teacher, and on how wecoming and inspiring you can be, and it's already obvious that you care. (And it's also obvious that this is why we should NEVER allow music ed students to be "just" vocalists or instrumentalists. The real world often requires both.)

 

And Ruth's comment about a "Talent Show" really struck home. When I was in 9th grade (the top grade in junior high, pre-middle school era), someone came up with the idea of a talent show. At the time, my dad was singing in a barbershop quartet (this was the early '50s), and having lots of fun, so I got together with 3 friends from band and started a quartet. (Our tenor even had an unchanged voice!) We learned ONE song--"Coney Island Baby"--and won the talent show. (We were the only act that actually sang in harmony!). BUT, here's what was important. The following year in high school we were encouraged to keep singing and to try out for the high school talent show, the "Hi Jinx." That led to more recognition and to our starting to develop a real act, that eventually branched out from barbershop and became "half vocal, half instrumental, and half comedy." By the time we were seniors we had developed a very positive reputation around the Pacific Northwest, and had scholarship offers from two different colleges. And that in turn led to professional contacts, and eventually to an almost-20-year run as professional entertainers.

 

The point is that you never know what will happen to things that you start, and you should concentrate on giving recognition to talent and to developing PERFORMERS, not just choral singers, although a choral background can be very valuable. As it happened, every member of my quartet (The Kord Kings in school, later The Four Saints) was already an instrumentalist as well as a singer, and two of the guys were natural and very funny comics as well. (I was the "serious" one, with the horn-rim glasses, who could pick up any instrument and play it!)

 

Allen's thoughts about tryouts are also very valuable. Some kids are shy about singing in front of people (and of course some are exactly the opposite!) The more you can reduce tension and "audition anxiety," the better they will be able to show you what they've got to offer. I've used a very similar technique in auditioning for musical theater, asking people who don't have a prepared song (often dancers) just to sing "Happy Birthday" or the "Star Spangled Banner." (The latter is valuable because it covers the range of a 10th in the very first phrase, and a 12th if you then jump to the bridge. "Happy Birthday" is valuable because of the octave jump in the 3rd phrase." And if my pianist can't transpose instantly, I write it out in several keys to isolate high, medium, and low voices.)

And I REALLY like Katherine's suggestions as well. It's a given in pedagogy that we have to take students where they are at present, and move them on from there, but sometimes we tend to forget that simple fact from our Educational Psychology courses!

I'm again impressed with the depth of knowledge and experience available here on this list. Now, make your plans and go to your students with the idea that you ARE going to have an outstanding experience waiting for them, and this is their chance to be a part of it!

All the best,
John