For more than a decade, my rehearsal approach in the month of January can be labeled as: NO CHORAL MUSIC!

I have found that taking a break from choral repertoire instills in our choral members that there is more to the class than just preparing for concerts. One concert finishing doesn’t mean we have to “start over” instantly, and prepare for the next concert.

Prior to implementing the “NO CHORAL MUSIC in JANUARY” approach, I found students to act sluggish, unfocused, and disinterested in the process of learning new music. Students just came off the high of their concert and prior to that, rehearsing well-prepared, memorized music. All of a sudden, that comfortable, already learned music is gone, and they have a big uphill music mountain to climb. They also couldn’t see the end in sight as their next concert wasn’t for almost 5 months.

I understand some directors plan more concerts to limit that feeling of down-time. For me, I believe there is so much more to be learned in a choir rehearsal than choir music. With the approach I explain below, my students are invigorated when they start their new choral music on February 1st. Not only are they excited, they read better, sing more in tune and with more confidence. The speed that we learn music for the second-half of the school year is infinitely faster than the first half.

The rehearsal time spent in January, which feels like a break, ends up making the February-May rehearsals far more productive, focused, and rewarding. This approach works in both high school and middle school!


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Here is my “NO CHORAL MUSIC in January” Approach

1. Refocus on Basic Ear-Training Patterns

Every singer will benefit from repeated patterns daily as part of the daily warm-up. Singers should sing a scale, followed by patterns such as ascending and descending 3rds (unison followed by harmony), 4th patterns (do, fa, re, sol), 5th patterns, and triads. The repetition of singing the same interval patterns will vastly improve vocal technique, intonation, and the development of their ear.


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2. Be Spontaneous with Ear-Training Intervals

Ear-training can be a really fun, engaging, and productive activity. I believe in making it interactive, eliminating note-reading from the equation. By calling out specific intervals, an entire class can be engaged all at once.

After students finish their warm-up, sing a scale and the basic interval patterns described above, I will call out patterns such as, “Sing a triad on ‘Do’ “, “Sing a triad on ‘Sol’ “, “‘Do’ ‘Fa’ ‘Re’ “. “‘Mi’ ‘La’ ‘Re’ “. When they are incorrect, I have them return to ‘Do’ and try again.

3. Transition into the Aural training sheet

As explained in The Best Ear-Training Exercise You Will Ever Use, this simple sheet can be used every day for the entire year; these exercises are a great transition from interactive aural training to note-reading. Students have to follow the written solfege syllables and track them with their fingers while singing.


After the group completes a few lines, the exercise can be enhanced by having each section (Soprano, Alto, etc) sing just 3 syllables with each additional section continuing and singing the next 3 syllables, etc., all done to a slow beat. It can become a fun elimination or sectional battle game and an amazing ear training tool.


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4. Daily Sight-Singing using Sight Reading Factory

Before I purchased a subscription to Sight Reading Factory 4 years ago, I would put up one 8 measure exercise per day on the board. Since I started using Sight Reading Factory, I give each choir  3-4 exercises daily, pinpointing a specific area of focus for each rehearsal. The program allows me to set/save specific parameters for unlimited computer-generated exercises regarding specific time signatures, key signatures, note types, rhythms, intervals, etc. As a result, I can move from one exercise to the next with one click. One day, I may give my students 3-4 6/8 time exercises.

The next day I might create an exercise in one specific key signature and time signature. I might also drill a syncopated rhythm or tricky interval. The program is really intuitive and virtually every feature can be sampled for free by clicking the TRY IT FOR FREE button on their home page. You don’t even have to sign up or give your email in order to try it out instantly! (if you do choose to purchase an annual subscription, use code: choralclarity for 10% off!)


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5. Work on Solo Repertoire

Teaching solo repertoire is wonderful for so many reasons. Unison singing allows all students to be engaged for the entire time while singing throughout their range; solo melodies are not limited to a choir part, and therefore singers sing outside their section’s common choral tessitura. As a result of singing with more range, they will develop more flexibility. On top of this, they learn music that they can sing on their own for outside solo performances, college auditions, and scholarships. More students are likely to sing out in class, since they are singing a melody. This builds their confidence as singers, and in turn, helps to get more sound out of them when they transition back to choral music.

By the end of January, my students are really excited to begin new choral music. They’ve had their break, improved their technique, ear, reading, confidence, and gained solo repertoire in the process!


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The Road Not Taken

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