HS+Choir-Part+Listening

 Early this semester, I wanted to get my freshmen choir to listen to other parts in the ensemble better: to hear how their part might line up with another and how they harmonize. I reset the room in a shape kind of like: | __ | The outer sections faced towards each other and the middle section stuck out so that whoever was sitting there could hear both of the other parts. Started out with altos and sopranos in the outer sides and guys in the middle. This was also a speed day about focusing on micro sections of two songs, not necessarily macro sections.

Concepts/Skills: Part independence and cross listening (listening to other parts) National Standards used: Sing, Read/Notate, Listen Objectives: 1. Given that the students have been taught all notes for their parts on Ton Thé and The Rhythm of Life, students will be able to sing their part independently as a section as well as with other sections, singing accurate notes and words. 2. Given that the students can sing their parts independently and have listened to instructions, students will be able to sing Ton Thé and The Rhythm of Life with accurate notes and words in different sections of the room. Students will rotate around the room, getting a chance to listen to other parts more closely.

{Obviously these sections are very detailed to the specific songs we were working on. Next to each section, I’ll put the exact things that students should be learning/listening for, just to give you an idea. There was not always correlation between the sections, however, that would work well if you’re working on not breathing during long notes in several songs, tie those concepts together}

(5 or less minutes on each section-preferrably approx. 3 minutes) [Record each section when beginning, then once they have rotated. Repeat throughout process to track changes and listen as a group later] Section 1 Ton Thé • Parts m. 88-end [lining up rhythms/locking in chords] Rhythm of Life • Parts pg. 5-6 [chorus-melody/countermelody/bass line] ROTATE [20 SECONDS] (move 1 section to the left) -signal time with a whistle blow -give 2 more seconds then start

Sing total sections worked on: Rhythm of Life pg. 5-6 Ton Thé m. 88-end

Section 2 Ton Thé • Parts m. 95-end [final chords, listening for tenor line’s moving notes instead of chords] • Listen for Tenors Rhythm of Life • Parts pg. 7-8 [call and response-guys/girls, S/T melody and A/B bass line – accuracy between parts] • Doom, Froom, Boom (close to ‘m’) ROTATE [20 SECONDS] (move 1 section to the left) -signal time with a whistle blow -give 2 more seconds then start

Sing total sections worked on: Rhythm of Life pg. 7-8 Ton Thé m. 95-end

Section 3 Ton Thé • Entrances pg. 11-13 [S/A call and response, staggered entrance-first note accuracy] Rhythm of Life • Bottom pg. 8-end [S/A melody lines – words and note accuracy, hearing all parts in chords, sustaining long notes at end of piece] • Girls dynamics/parts pg. 8-9 • All parts pg. 10-end ROTATE [20 SECONDS](move 1 section to the left) -signal time with a whistle blow -give 2 more seconds then start

Sing total sections worked on: Rhythm of Life bottom pg. 8-end Ton Thé pg 11-13 (to end)

Full Run through of both songs

Each group has a chance in the middle then and there is enough space with aisles built in to allow director and singer movement around the room. They always rotated to their left, so the order would have been (from director view): A-T/B-S, S-A-T/B, T/B-S-A, A-T/B-S. In one class period they were much more confident on their own parts and had a much better sound and sense of how the music went in the sections we worked on. This can be done over several class periods to track changes as well, not only on these songs, but other songs and in different formations.