For me, the process of putting together a concert is very exciting. I get to learn, arrange, and perform new songs; see the songs change through my students' voices, and in the end, hear it come to life better than I could have ever imagined. These performances are reflective of my students' talents and personalities, and are an extension of the music making happening in the classroom.
The Story
I like to think of a performance as a story, with all the qualities that make a story great: theme, characters, value, captivating plot, tension, resolution, and a strong ending. But most of all, a great story takes you away from reality, and touches you on an emotional level: it makes you FEEL.
My Set Lists
Below are some of the concert titles, along with links to set lists, I have put together in the last decade.
The Process
I often find inspiration for the "stories" in the music I listen to. Sometimes I hear a song, and "Voila!"–I can visualize the main theme. Often, my colleagues and my family suggest an idea. Sometimes it ends up on the "producer's desk", and sometimes it inspires another thought, eventually leading to a set list: like all good brainstorming does.
Choosing a Set List
Once I have a theme, I begin searching for songs. Important factors that influence my final song choices are:
- Adaptability to children's voices
- Adaptability to a wide range of skill levels
- Variety (tonalities, meters, tempos, styles, mood, expression)
- Overall message and feeling
Arranging
With a list of songs in hand, I search for and listen to as many versions of the same song as I can find. I search on YouTube, Spotify, and iTunes. I look for original versions, live versions, choir versions, covers, instrumental versions, and A-Capella versions. I never shy away from listening to arrangements that at first seem too complex for an elementary choir. I learn from it, and adapt what I like.Eventually, with lots of trial and error, I solidify the direction I want to take with each song, and begin the nitty gritty process of finding the best keyality, modifying form, and adding simple harmony. Looking at the song's range is particularly important. I take into consideration my students' developing voices, and play around with the arrangement in several keys. Some songs require very creative solutions, for they are either too high or too low. For reference, I often use piano/vocal/guitar arrangements from Musicnotes. This resource has a great option of transposing the songs, and comes with an app that I find very useful.
Published Choral Arrangements, and Other Existing Sources
I also search through all of my classroom song books, old music collections, JW Pepper online catalogue, and Music K-8.
Sometimes I find an arrangement that works for my students. Here are several arrangements I have used with minimum adjustments:
Beautiful Day (notation)
Beautiful Day (our rendition)
Challenges
The main challenge, as you may have guessed, is lack of time with the students. It is not a unique situation for a music teacher. In my school, students have general music once every 6 school days for 45 minutes. In addition, I am very fortunate to be able to sing with my students in a large group several weeks prior to the concert. In all, we meet 10-11 times in a class setting, and 10-11 times in a choir setting before our "concert week": a week when all students practice together on the stage.
Another challenge is to continue to dedicate general music class to developing students' skills in a sequential, student-centered manner, as opposed to memorizing songs and choreography for the performance. In my experience, this is critical in achieving success. The solution is staying in tune with where students are, and what they need to succeed, while trusting the learning process.
Acculturating Students to Concert Selections During Classroom Activities
I don't "rehearse" concert songs during general music classes. Instead, I look at the set list, and incorporate it into my lessons. The focus is always on active listening and music making.
Often, I will sing the melody without words in class, and use it as context for pattern interaction. For example, if the song is in Bb Major, I will guide students in moving with flow to the melody, then stop and invite students to echo tonal patterns in Bb major as a class and individually.
I also use recordings in the classroom, and develop lessons to help students internalize the songs. For example, for the song "Accentuate the Positive", we focused on form, and explored various ways to show the form through movement. We moved in locomotor self space during choruses, acted out the lyrics in stationary self space during verses, and created original movement for instrumental breaks. For the song "You've Got a Friend in Me", we added simple rhythm ostinati on egg shakers, rhythm sticks, and hand drums, and performed in ensemble while listening to the recording. For the song "We Are One", students learned chord progression for the chorus, and accompanied the song with chimes. To summarize, regardless of the activity, students have multiple opportunities to listen and absorb the songs before they begin learning to sing and perform.
Often, I will sing the melody without words in class, and use it as context for pattern interaction. For example, if the song is in Bb Major, I will guide students in moving with flow to the melody, then stop and invite students to echo tonal patterns in Bb major as a class and individually.
I also use recordings in the classroom, and develop lessons to help students internalize the songs. For example, for the song "Accentuate the Positive", we focused on form, and explored various ways to show the form through movement. We moved in locomotor self space during choruses, acted out the lyrics in stationary self space during verses, and created original movement for instrumental breaks. For the song "You've Got a Friend in Me", we added simple rhythm ostinati on egg shakers, rhythm sticks, and hand drums, and performed in ensemble while listening to the recording. For the song "We Are One", students learned chord progression for the chorus, and accompanied the song with chimes. To summarize, regardless of the activity, students have multiple opportunities to listen and absorb the songs before they begin learning to sing and perform.
Teaching Combined Classes in a Choir Setting
Warm-Ups
Warm-Ups are a great opportunity to focus the students, and to work on breathing, articulation, rhythmic coordination, vocal health, and audiation. My warmups begin with breathing, stretches, rhythmic consonant exploration, and vocal sighs and yawns. Next, we practice tonal patterns in Major and Minor as we do in music class. Finally, we move on to melodic warm-ups. I make sure to use warm-ups in major, minor, duple, and triple. I have a favorite set of warm-ups. In addition, depending on the songs we are learning, I develop warm-ups to address specific challenges in the repertoire.
My student's favorite warm-up is "Bubble Gum". Below are a few variations we developed together during rehearsals. After students learn the initial tune, they are encouraged to choose a new candy or treat, and together we modify the words and rhythm of the original warm-up.
My student's favorite warm-up is "Bubble Gum". Below are a few variations we developed together during rehearsals. After students learn the initial tune, they are encouraged to choose a new candy or treat, and together we modify the words and rhythm of the original warm-up.
Repertoire
First, I sing to the children. My room is filled "to the brim", and it does get overwhelming–100 pairs of eyes on me, some fidgety and distracted, some focused and motivated. I sing to them over and over, changing things up to help them focus. Here is an example of listening sequence I often use with my large groups:- Listen.
- Listen, and move to macrobeats on your lap with silent fingers.
- Listen, and move to microbeats on your shoulders.
- Listen, and sway.
- Listen, and audiate the tonic.
- Listen, and be ready to sing the tonic as a group if I stop singing
- Listen, and be ready to sing the tonic in solo if I stop singing
Once the song becomes familiar, I pick small repetitive parts, and teach it by rote to the whole group. Next, we perform together: students sing the parts they are familiar with, and I sing the rest in solo. Soon, I invite volunteers to try the parts I sang in solo. You'd think students wouldn't want to perform in front of a huge group, but the opposite happens: the hands go up, students try their best, I correct them vocally if needed, and we move on to the next task.
Breaks
Every 10-15 minutes, I give my students a quick stretch break. Students can stand up, stretch, and chat. I started doing this last year, and I find it works very well.
Being open to student ideas and self-expression
My favorite part of the process is incorporating students' creativity. Often students come up to me after class with ideas for harmony, riser movement, or song arrangement; sometimes students approach me first thing in the morning, as they come off the bus, and share ideas for a new song choice, choreography, stage design, costumes, or special effects. And sometimes students' perceived silliness makes it into the program, because it is actually very musical and expressive. I am always open, always watching, and always listening to my students.
Let's Talk!
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