1. Acapella pieces.

2. Rehearse sections of pieces acapella more than you think you might.

3., 4., 5., and 6. Improve your keyboard skills.  If you work in the music ed biz for any amount of time, 

you're going to have to at some point, might as well get a head start.  Plus it will make you much more employable.

 

I used guitar for many years as a music teacher, and in some instances it's nice partly because you can get up close and personal with your

students, sit in a circle with them and play, but you're right, a lot of places don't have funds for an accompanist, and this is especially true in the

last few years.  

 

 

 

 

I've used Sibelius to provide accomp for choir.  Tempos and rubato can be added somewhat but it is still somewhat mechanical.  The music can be scanned in with photoscore which will convert it but there is ALWAYS a lot of cleanup work to tweak it for rehearsals.   I figure about 2-3 hrs of computer cleanup/piece before it is reqdy for use in a rehearsal.

 

I vote for acapella rehearsing most of the time.  The kids can pick it up provided the director's tonal memory allows them to stay in the key.  Our small high school made a proposal for funding an accompanist to come 300 hrs a school yr.  The pay wasn't good but I found a collaborative pianist to fit the bill.  The 300 hr thresh-hold allowed our accomp to come 2 - 3 days a week for the entire year.  If you do your homework and discuss with the principal the positives of having a pianist at some rehearsals it could happen for you.

Hi Tony,

I taught in a small Jr./Sr. high school plus elemetary general music for 37 plus years and have limited piano skills. Of course I recruited student accompanist whenever possible and had some very good ones over the years. I also did what Lisa Mischke suggested and got better over the years but only rarely did I ever try to accompany during a performance. One of my favorite tools became my computer and electrinic keyboard. Very early on, as soon as the technology became available I learned how to sequence both accompanimnet and vocal parts, teach a student how to navigate in the program, and then I would be free to roam around and work with students all over the room. My student assistant could easily be at a specific mesure number or even a measure and beat with in a few seconds and we could start from there. We could loop a section and rehearse it over and over when necessary. I always did my best to get a live accompanist for final rehearsals and performances but I even used the computer for accompaniments at times. The sequencing programs are almost limitless when it comes to tempo, dynamic and phrasing capabilities and I enjoyed the tech part of it so I would often spend a lot of time manipulating my sequences to suit my musical taste just because I could. I started out with an old Mac program called "Master Tracks" but when it became obsolete, I found "Digital Performer" which I really like. With that one you can even add audio tracks if you choose.

 

I know some are very anti computer when it comes to music, but used correctly, I feel it can be an invaluable tool for even those who have great piano skills. I've known of directors who have done most of the accompanying themselves, even in performance, and those performances often seemed to be more about the teacher and his/her piano skills than the performance of the students.

 

I also learned after several years of teaching how invaluable teaching sight singing is. I became very consistent at teaching sight singing, almost never skipping 10 minutes of sight singing every day!!! That time was worth it in the long run.

 

Just so you know, I achieved very good results with the techniques I used over the years with consistently awarding winning concert and show choirs from my high school. With my concert choir, especially for festivals and contests, I always did mostly accappella singing.

 

Blessings on you as you start your career. What a rewarding vocation it was for me.

Jan Tuin

 

I know exactly what you are saying, Tony.  I am not proficient at the piano and I had to learn chording just to help with those times when I was on my own.  I did teach myself guitar and it really helped in many areas.  It did help the changing voices feel more confident about singing and learning to match tones, for instance.  It was also fun for folk type music and lighter pieces but it wasn't a replacement for proper accompaniment.

I have recruited accompanists from the community, fellow teachers and even talented students.  Some were way better than others but any was better than my trying to plunk it out and direct at the same time.  Patting my stomach and rubbing my head never worked either.  

Not one of those people over the last 40+ years has been paid a penny.  They volunteered and I count myself blessed.  

The community choir I now direct, is accompanied by the gal who started as my accompanist when she was only in grade 9.  She has accompanied for us when I directed Kiss Me Kate with an adult semi-professional group and the many school productions and festivals we did over the years. 

Now, with an adult choir I am still amazed at how fabulous she is.  Oh you bet, I am SO lucky to have her.  But if I hadn't been looking for volunteers way back in elementary teaching days, we wouldn't have her.

I tried to improve my keyboard skills.  Oh man have I tried but it isn't my talent.  I am really good at conducting and teaching people to sing so that I keep working on.  I am never going to be anything by average at the keyboard no matter what so why waste my time getting just above average when I can hone my teaching and conducting skills and be closer to the top. 

Go find people to accompany you and your groups.  They are there and sometimes it surprises you how much they want to help.  You will find duds but you will find gems.  Don't beat yourself up.  Go with your strengths and make them great.