BCCF Choral Directorship Course

Choral Directorship 2008

Teaching Children to Sing

A course for elementary and middle school music teachers & choir directors

For 2008 we are returning to our educational roots with CDC: Teaching Children To Sing - a week's course for classroom teachers of elementary and middle school children who wish to improve their skills.

The course offers an introduction to the basics of conducting, vocal pedagogy, choral and personal skills. It will also be found to be a useful opportunity to review fundamentals for slightly more experienced conductors whose batteries need recharging.

The upcoming course will be specifically focused on choir directors offering music for children, especially within the school system. We hope particularly to reach those specialists who may have advanced music training, but do not necessarily have specific knowledge of dealing with children's voices.

Clinicians

Our top-notch clinicians this year include:
Mary Kennedy
Sandra Meister
Sarona Mynhardt
Bruce Pullan
Inez St. Dennis

Topics will include

• basic vocal physiology
• appropriate ranges for different age groups
• breath support and techniques for developing that support
• development of the head voice
• choosing appropriate repertoire
• what defines 'good/excellent' repertoire...what do I look for?
• singing in parts - canons, partner songs, two-part repertoire
• the role of the accompanist
• organizing for the choir (short-term and long-term)
• what to do in the first rehearsal
• making rehearsals "fun", productive and musically successful
• getting the whole body involved
• ideas for involving and engaging boys
• what to do when elementary aged boys' voices begin to change
• sitting or standing - when to do what
• useful (but simple) conducting gestures
• age appropriate exemplars of individual and group performance

Registrants will receive daily group voice instruction, specific topic sessions with a variety of experienced faculty members, and a day spent at a reading clinic (elementary music focus), as well as other sessions on repertoire. Some sessions on practical conducting technique will be offered, and registrants have the option of taking an assessment session in which they work one-on-one with a member of the faculty, all of whom are experienced teachers who have demonstrated their ability to work successfully with children's voices.

Time & Place

August 17 - 23, 2008
St. Mary's Kerrisdale Church
37th and Larch, Vancouver

Registration

Thanks to a very generous sponsor, scholarships and bursaries are be available to registrants needing travel and accommodation assistance, or other financial aid ~ please contact the BCCF Project Manager for information. We also recommend that you apply SOON to your school, choir or other potential source of funding for help.

Registrations should be sent to the BCCF office by June 15, 2008. Late registrations may be accepted on the basis of available spaces, but a late fee of $25 is payable on any registration after July 1, 2008. Fees are payable in full at time of registration, but may be paid with two cheques, payable to BC Choral Federation, the first with a deposit of $100, and the second (for the balance) post-dated to August 10, 2008. Up to that date cancellations will be accepted and fees (less an administrative fee of $75) will be refunded; cancellations after that will only be accepted on medical grounds. A receipt will be issued for tax purposes.

To register please print and mail in out our brochure, along with your registration fees. Registrants wishing to apply for subsidy can do so by using our funding form.