STAND UP! “O” is very useful, you use it when you say: “Oscar’s only Ostrich oiled an orange owl today.” And Repeat after me!

MIRIAM HANKS INTERN FOR MRS. JESSICA CUMMINGS CENTENNIAL HIGH SCHOOL CHORAL EDUCATION

CHOIR Ensemble: A unit or group of complementary parts that contribute to a single effect A group of students that sing together to perform a piece of music in the Choral style Choral Style – Tone: rich, deep, tall vowels, sharp consonants, supported sound Helps to unify the sound of the choir Blend: unified, blend between parts, no individual sticks out

CHANGING VOICES The voice is always changing Girls – voices are changing in middle school and early high school, they are developing a richer, adult sound. The voice tends to be more breathy and quiet during this period, girls may develop “vocal blind spots” Boys – voices change throughout middle school and high school The voice may crack, they will go through phases of vocal development and may change their vocal part multiple times

WARM UPS “Vocal Exercise” - Warm ups can be used to engage singers, loosen up the voice, get the mind working, and develop a unified sound Physical Warm Ups – get the singers moving and ready to sing, can improve things such as posture 5-note patterns – these are patterns that fit within the Do to Sol interval that are used to loosen up the voice Octaves and Range Developing Warm Ups – these warm ups focus on extending the range, both high and low, so that the singer is ready to sing more challenging pieces Thought-provoking Warm Ups – these get the singer thinking so that they can be thoughtful singers, able to sight read, identify patterns, and identify their own mistakes and successes Ensemble-Making Warm Ups – these are usually chord progressions that get the singers to listen to one another to identify things such as tone quality, blend, and vowel shape

THE DIRECTOR Works to identify the singers in the choir as both individuals and parts of the ensemble Finds the best way to teach new choral techniques and ideas Responds to the needs of both the individuals and the choir as a whole