TC WEST CHOIR STUDENTS ARE SUPER SMART SINGERS!

LEARNING GOALS & SCALES

3 Fundamentals: Posture, Breathing, and Vowel Shapes

Posture:

1. Feet shoulder width apart

2. One foot slightly in front of the other

3. Knees loose, not locked

4. Hips over the heels, not cocked

5. Rib cage expanded

6. Sternum lifted and hooked

7. Shoulders back and down

8. Hold a crown

9. Hands down

10. Botox :-D

5 Points of Breathing:

1. Silent

2. Deep

3. Low

4. Fully expanded

5. (around the waist)

Vowel Shapes:

1. Vertical Vowels

2. Owl Vowels (WHOO! WHOO!)

3. TALL not WIDE

4. Lips Off the Teeth

Posturize before & while you Vocalize so your sound can Midasize! (Golden!)

ELEMENTS OF SUPERIOR SINGING

The above elements and bullet points are from the MSVMA Festival Rubric (below):

MSVMA District Choral Festival Rubric Pre-Test

MSVMA Festival Performance Rubric PDF Link

SUPERIOR SINGERS ARE ALSO SUPERIOR SIGHT-READERS!

MSVMA Festival Sight-Reading Rubric PDF Link

Sight-reading requires students to identify rhythms and melodies at one of three levels: Primary, Intermediate, or Advanced. Sight-reading scores are combined with three performance scores. The total possible number of points is 120 (30 points per judge).

Final Determination:	Total Points
Excellent (1)	120-96 (Qualifies for State Choral Festival)
Good (2)	95-72
Fair (3)	71-46
Developing (4)	45-24

Rigorous Curriculum

Vocal Production Skills

Confident Use of Voice
Precise Vocal Technique
Vitality of Tone
Fully Engaged Body, Mind, and Spirit
Energized Breath
Articulate and Poetic Communication

Sight-Reading Skills

Music Literacy
Mathematical Computation of Rhythmic Patterns
Complex Melodic and Harmonic Patterns
Balance & Blend

Expressive Elements

Dynamic Phrasing
Facial Expression
Body Language
Gesture
Interaction with Teammates

Challenging Music in Multiple Languages

English Diction/Pronunciation/Enunciation
Latin, Italian, Hebrew, Spanish, German, Japanese, African Languages, and more

Singing in a Choir Engages the Whole Person and Blesses Others

Mental

Studies have proven that singing impacts the brain in multiple ways
Singing with others requires highly detailed listening skills
Singing requires students to hear pitch, rhythm, tempo, dynamics, and articulation while simultaneously performing with precision and artistry
Counting a variety of rhythms in multiple time signatures involves understanding and then feeling the beat and rhythm of each note
Articulating text with accuracy and expressivity involves both sides of the brain
Computing rhythms while feeling the dynamic rise and fall of each phrase also engages the whole mind and appeals to the heart

Physical

Deep Breathing involved in singing leads to improved lung capacity and core muscle engagement
Singer's Posture encourages awareness of the whole body from toes to nose and fingertips
Standing in front of an audience leads to improved confidence for all forms of communication
Studies have found that people who sing together even experience a syncing of heartbeats with other members of the choir

Psychological/Social/Emotional

Singers experience a positive, supportive environment where mistakes are embraced as a necessary part of the learning process
Team-Building skills are a constant part of the journey as students develop trust and interdependence
Everyone is welcome in Choir - it is a safe place for every person to participate
Positive reinforcement from peers, teachers, and audience members builds confidence and comfortability in challenging situations

Final Thoughts

While all of these are great considerations, one of the simplest reasons to sing in a Choir is because it brings joy to the one singing and all those singing with them and those who are listening and watching. Music in general provides something that cannot be experienced any other way. Singing, in particular, combines all of the elements of music with words in such a powerful way. As the song "Why We Sing" by Greg Gilpin so eloquently states...

A sound of hope, a sound of peace,

A sound that celebrates and speaks what we believe.

A sound of love, a sound so strong.

It’s amazing what is given when we share a song.

This is why we sing, why we lift our voice,

Why we stand as one in harmony.

This is why we sing, why we lift our voice.

Take my hand and sing with me.

Soothe a soul, mend a heart,

Bring together lives that have been torn apart.

Share the joy, find a friend.

It’s a never ending gift that circles back again.