Key Choral Concepts: Teaching Techniques and Tools to Help Your Choir Sound Great

Key Choral Concepts" is a goldmine of valuable information for choir directors and members of choral organizations. Based on a doctoral dissertation, it draws from the author's "Teaching Choral Concepts" curriculum which has been used with great success by many high school choirs and university groups across the nation. The book includes basic principles for more than 30 essential aspects of choral singing. UNIT 1 focuses on correct sitting and standing postures for singing, the breathing mechanism, controlled breathing, voice-part classifications, vocal ranges, the reed-flute tone continuum, change-of-color points, and audition preparation techniques. UNIT 2 covers the objectives of vocal training, the singing mechanism, open throat, personal warm-up, care of the voice, vocal resonance, good singing tone, attacks and releases, & effective practice. UNIT 3 deals with dynamic levels, extending vocal ranges, head resonance and head tone, humming, basic musical styles, correct phrasing, vocal flexibility, intonation, and use of the phonetic alphabet. UNIT 4 discusses the concepts of balance and blend, lip and tongue positions for singing vowels, diphthongs, articulation, singing consonants, enunciation, and pronunciation. Many of the materials presented are accompanied by valuable diagrams. Every concept is an essential building block for constructing a fine choir, and this book presents them in a precise and orderly manner. It's obvious that "Key Choral Concepts" truly contains a wealth of valuable knowledge every choral musician should acquire!