Voicing the Choir

Over the past week or so, I've been "voicing" the choir. I have several lists - all with the girls names on them - different categories. 7th/8th grade. Loud/Soft singers. Soprano/Alto. Soprano 1/Soprano 2/Alto. I pour over their final exam score sheets - reminding myself of each individual's sightreading level, and vocal tone. What I don't have yet is specific ranges of each girl. Then again, I harbor the belief the every middle school has the same or similar range - a solid B3 to E5. There are 5-6 girls who can sing down to a solid G3 or F#3 - without sounding like a hairdryer. Then, there are 20-25 girls who can sing easily up to A5 - without stopping themselves from the mental allergy of the dreaded "high note". Oddly enough, 95% of middle school girls can vocalize up to C6 without blinking an eye.

This is why I believe every middle school girl should learn to sing every part on the page within her middle school career. If they understand how to sing each part, then they begin to hear how vertical relationships work within harmonic structures. Can they name that concept? No. That's my job. Learning to sing all parts gives them a "marketable" skill in the choir room. Learning to sing all parts allows them to jump the hurdle (or at least attempt) of the mental vocal allergies: "I can't sing that high" or "I can only sing low" or "I don't sing this way anywhere else but choir" or my personal favorite "Singing high feels good and singing low makes me feel like a smoker". Learning to sing all parts provides a sense of equality in the choir room.

Every year, I teach at least 1 piece of music to each treble choir where they have to learn all parts before I settle them onto a voice part. We spend a week learning each part (1 week per part), then we spend a week flipping kids around on each part. This makes them uncomfortable. I do not care. They have to see beyond their comfort level to understand what the music needs from them. In the last week of flipping, we find who should sing what part. And often, I allow the girls to decide what sounds the best.  They will be honest and say what sounds best for the choir. By this time, the song is ready. There is a lot of polishing that occurs in the flip week. It's a beautiful process.

Girls will sing till the cows come home. Girls in choir - they are the work horses of the program, I believe. It takes some convincing for boys to be in middle school choir, so they are not work horses yet. YET. It comes with time and guidance. Girls - they like to work. They like to sing. The serious ones like to work at singing. They do not like unstructured time. Give them a challenge. If a challenge is not offered, they will become discipline problems.

All of these issues stated above, this is why I feel it is important to know every individual and their voice. I would know this information even if we weren't singing at TMEA. Success happens this way.

Today, I realize that I need more volume in the Soprano 1 section, so I will need to flip a few singers around to re-balance the volume levels. In that flip, I have to keep in mind the tone and ranges of each singer. It is a lot of information to wrestle with on paper during the summer. Usually, I work on a list and let it rest for 1-2 days. That's where I am now - letting a list rest.

When I am letting one thing rest, be sure that I am working on something else. Like sightreading plans for all choirs. Sometimes, I think that I am more of a planner than a choir director.

Chosen Program

Yesterday afternoon, I submitted my TMEA program repertoire to Janwin Overstreet-Goode. I felt confident of all selections. Everything had a nice fit together. 8 pieces. 20m30s of music - approximately. 4 pairings. 5 foreign languages. 3 English texts. 3 A cappella. 3 from the PML. I am excited and at peace with these selections. I have created a themed program of repertoire. YAY!

This morning, I received an email from Janwin that 1 of the pieces was already selected by another choir (and it was performed last year?). Here's a little perspective: it has been 6wks since the TMEA invitations were issued. There are 8wks until the repertoire submission deadline. People are already turning in informal submissions to Janwin. This is a "pay now or pay later" lesson. Be prepared. Do not delay in choosing repertoire. If this early in the process, a piece is already earmarked, then it is back to the drawing board & act fast for me.

Since I am not using the piece any longer..........I had selected Jesu, composed by Andrea Ramsey.

My task this afternoon was to find a song that met the following criteria:

• 2pt or simple 3 pt
• contemporary setting
• sacred
• preferably English text
• lyrical
• piano accompaniment

Tall order. I called Sandi Parks with this list. She suggested a piece that she conducted with the Louisiana All-State Children's Choir. I like it, but it is another language piece. I scour the PML books. Immediately, I have 3-4 pieces that are sufficient. One in particular that I have taught before and is well-loved by students. A familiar melody and one of my favorite lyrics of all time. Is that what I want though? Hmmmm....I need more. I begin digging through JWPepper website - searching composers that I like. Do any of them have a piece that meets this criteria? I find a couple of pieces. Go to youtube, listen to recordings. Within a few hours, I have found a replacement. A contemporary piece that I have taught before. Meets all the criteria. The girls loved it when I taught it 3-4yrs ago. Lush melodic lines, good harmonic structure. Does it fit with the other piece in the pairing? (Jesu was originally paired with sacred liturgical piece from the Classical music period). It is not an exact fit (what really comes close to the original selection?), but it works on a contextual level.

Finding a new piece so quickly. Did I choose the right piece? I think so. I have pushed myself in the past few years to know middle school choral literature. I don't know ALL of it, but I understand the needs of my choir and know what appeals to our ears. And I do know a lot of pieces. This is such an important part of my job. I scour those PML books 2-3 times a year and my single octavo file....well, that needs some cleaning out. I also keep a file of every piece I have performed with a choir. These things are meant to help me choose music for my choirs.

That is done. For now.

Another wrinkle. A very interesting one. The song that I have chosen to pair with the closer is a folksong from "across the pond". I learned the piece a few years ago and have loved it ever since. I have the anthology that it is published in by a national music organization. I have already contacted the organization about copyright issues. Today, as I am scouring the PML books, I find the song by the same arranger. Huh?!? I didn't think it was on the PML?!?!? I turn to find the song. It IS the same song, but accompanied and published by Alliance Music Publications(AMP). I spend the next 30 minutes discovering that both pieces - the SAME arrangement - have slight differences:

• the anthology version is a cappella v. the AMP version uses piano accompaniment
• both versions are published in the same year
• the AMP version has a few changed notes in the harmonic lines and a few text placement changes
• the AMP version seems to be out of print, but still on the PML, Grade 3. (double checking this detail).

It is my understanding that composers can't submit the same piece at the same time to different publishers. Maybe 20 years ago, this was okay though. Anyway, this composer/arranger got a double whammy every time her arrangement sold. However, if the AMP version is P.O.P, then she may not have made much money from the arrangement. Who knows? It was an interesting find today. I could use the PML version, I guess. But I would want it to be a cappella for TMEA. I could use the accompaniment for UIL contest. Not a decision I have to make right now. very interesting.....

Overall, a good 2 days of repertoire building.

Tomorrow - I will enjoy a holiday! Happy Independence Day to America!

Composer Dialogue #3

Yesterday, Michael & I met with the composer. We discussed transcribing the opening song for string quartet accompaniment. Then we turned our attention to the closer that he is working on for me. The piece is little known folksong from "across the pond."

He said, "Please don't be disappointed b/c I don't have much done. I just want to make this what you want." There were 4-5 printed pages of music. And he had a recording of the pages. We listened. Immediately, I liked what I heard. This is going to be GOOD & FUN.

We discussed a solo at the beginning. I said no solos in the program. Equality for all. Make the opening line either unison for all voices or a single section. Then we move on to the chorus - toss around a few ideas. Both settings of the chorus within the song are good. As we discuss how to use each setting, then the form of the piece begins to take shape. A simple song with a verse and chorus (binary) structure should be simple, but what should we do on each repeat? Discuss, discuss, discuss.

Then he pulls out his lyrics. I pull out my lyrics for the piece. There are 3 versions of the lyrics. Which one should we use? Well, the setting of the song that I love uses very bawdy lyrics - not exactly appropriate for middle school girls. We settle on what is considered the original setting of the lyrics - more appropriate.

Then we discuss instrumentation. What instruments do you hear and how do you hear them? How many instruments? Do we use piano? Probably not. Do we use drum? What kind? Discuss, discuss, discuss.

After the verses have been stated, how do we want the song to build to the end. The composer tosses out an idea. (I can't show all my cards, ya know.) Ooooo, yes! LOVE it for the bridge and leading into the last refrain.

At this point, I want to fly around the room with great joy! This fun, energetic closer has come to life and my girls are gonna have so much fun with it! I can't wait to teach it! BUT it will wait. I will hold the teaching of this piece until late December, keeping one part of this program fresh.

The composer said that he should have a lot more of the song ready next week. I have always wanted to create a new work for a program. Truly, it is as exciting as I imagined!

P.S. I had a followup conversation with the composer today regarding cost of this arrangement. Commissioned work costs are all over the map - ranging from $2,000-$14,500, according to published sources. WHOA! He doesn't know yet what to charge. I have been given a low ball price (very low) by the school district. I think he deserves much more. We shall see what happens.