music 2830 003

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PRACTICUM IN CHORAL TECHNIQUES, 2830, Section 003

Year: 2013-2014

Course Instructor: Dr. Gerald Neufeld

Room 339, Talbot College

Telephone: ext. 85338

COURSE OUTLINE

Practicum – Thursdays, 9:30 – 11:30pm, Talbot College, Room 101

Lectures – Fridays, 2:30 – 3:30pm, TC101

Office hours – by appointment

Required Materials

1) SD video card to record your rehearsals.

2) A folder of music for 2830 can be obtained from the CBO library. Be sure to inform the

librarian that you are in section 003. Please DO NOT MARK LIBRARY MUSIC IN INK .For purposes of conducting, make a photocopy of the music to mark phrasing, articulation,

entries and your analysis of the score.

Resource Material (on reserve)

Wall, Joan, Robert Caldwell, Tracy Gavianes, and Sheila Allen. Diction for Singers: A concise

reference for English, Italian, Latin, French, and Spanish pronunciation. Dallas, Texas: Pst...Inc.,

1990 (MT883.D52 1990)

Course Objectives

To develop basic skills in conducting choral ensembles in the following areas:

appropriate gestures for conducting choral (and instrumental) ensembles.

score study and methods of rehearsal preparation

rehearsal procedures and techniques

communication of a variety of musical styles from different eras through gesture

leadership and confidence as a conductor

During the first term, emphasis will be given to developing technical means essential for clear

and efficient communication of musical ideas. These will include conducting clearly in all

metric patterns, giving clear and precise cues, conducting fermatas, and learning to conduct

expressively. Rehearsal skills will be developed through conducting the class using repertoirefrom the music folder.

The objective of the Friday lecture series is to introduce the student to a variety of topics

pertaining to the choral art presented by the instructors and guest lecturers.

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Procedures

Thursday sessions will be devoted primarily to developing conducting technique and forrehearsals with the class. Conducting rotations will be designed to give each student a number of

opportunities to rehearse the members of the class each term.

Friday classes are presented in a lecture/demonstration format. Sessions will be presented on avariety of topics relevant to the choral art. Information from these sessions may also be

incorporated into the student's rehearsal procedures.

Evaluation

I. Conducting assignments 65%

II. Review of a choral concert 10%

Due date: Thursday, December 5, 2013

III. Literature review 10%

Due date: Thursday, February 13, 2014

IV. Notebook 5%

Due date: Thursday, April 3, 2014

V. Participation and attendance 10%100%

Attendance Policy

Because of the practical nature of this course, attendance is required for all classes, and 10% ofyour final grade will be awarded for attendance and participation in the activities of the class.

Two marks will be deducted for each absence. Written or verbal explanation of an absence

must be received before the class begins, and conducting assignments missed for unacceptablereasons will result in a grade of "zero" for that assignment. Your colleagues depend on your full

participation as much as you depend on theirs for a rewarding conducting experience.

Please note: Unless you have either the requisites for this course or written special permission from your Dean to

enroll in it, you will be removed from this course and it will be deleted from your record. This decision may not be

appealed. You will receive no adjustment to your fees in the event that you are dropped from a course for failing to

have the necessary prerequisites.

Please note: The Policy on Accommodation for Medical Illness may be found athttps://studentservices.uwo.ca/secure/index.cfm

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PRACTICUM IN CHORAL TECHNIQUES, 2830 003

Course Instructor: Dr. Gerald Neufeld

Year: 2013 – 2014

ASSIGNMENTS

I. Preparation for conducting class rehearsals

A rehearsal plan must be ready for submission to the instructor before conducting the rehearsal.It should include the following:

1) Conductor’s objectives for improvement2) Goals for the choir to achieve in this rehearsal

3) A detailed rehearsal agenda

4) Strategies for correcting problem areas

Submit a photocopy of the music showing:

1) conducting cues2) details of phrasing and articulation

3) dynamic shadings

4) structural outlines5) anticipated problem areas in the music

6) problems in the text

7) other relevant markings (eg. pronunciation, text/phrase endings, changing metres, rhythmicnuances and complexities, etc.)

Conducting assignments will be scheduled a minimum of one week in advance of conducting the

class. The assignment will include preparation and rehearsal of a short choral piece or an excerpt

from a larger work.

Evaluation of conducting assignments

Evaluation is based on development and improvement in areas that include the following:

1) rehearsal planning and evidence of preparation

2) conducting style3) rehearsal techniques

4) communicating with clarity and enthusiasm

5) knowledge and understanding of the score

II. Conductor Review

Choose a choral concert either at the Faculty of Music or elsewhere that you can attend for the purpose of observing and analyzing the work of another choral conductor. In order to make an

informed assessment of the conductor, try to obtain a copy of the program so that you can

familiarize yourself with the music before observing the performance. Anticipate problems theconductor will have to deal with in realizing each piece and observe how the conductor shows

musical elements such as (but not limited to):

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metric changes in the music

tempo changes, transitions

dynamics

articulation and phrasing best suited to the style of each piece

contrasting styles in various movements

conducting gestures appropriate to the style

leadership skills and the ability to inspire the choir

Review the concert and evaluate the effectiveness of the conductor and how he or she

conducted the concert.

NB. Your comments must be focused on the conductor and how s/he influences the

performance. (This is not a review of the choir.) Consider the following:

The style of conducting. What can one learn from this conductor's approach to conductingtechnique?

What are some of the distinctive elements of this conductor’s performance? What are this conductor's strengths? How was the conductor able to influence the choir's

ability to communicate the music to the audience?

Compare what you observed on the podium with what you feel the music (in the score)requires from a conductor. Are there aspects of the conductor's interpretation of the musicthat you feel were more (or less) successful than others?

Comment on how the choir responded to the conductor. Describe the nature of theconductor's rapport with the performers?

Does the conductor immerse him/herself in the interpretation of the music or is it necessaryfor the conductor to focus mostly on giving clear directions and cues to the ensemble? How

is this evident in her/his conducting style?

Does the conductor focus his/her attention mainly on the musicians or does s/he alsoestablish a rapport with the audience? (Does the conductor seem preoccupied with theaudience’s perception of her/his performance?)

The above list is intended to stimulate your thinking about some of the aspects of conducting a

concert. Include other observations that you feel are relevant to an understanding of how theconductor was able to achieve a good performance. Be creative in your thinking about the

performance you observe. And remember, a review includes positive as well as negative aspects

of critical thinking.

Essays must be typewritten and double spaced! (Please avoid "right justification" or right

alignment when using a word processor. A typical essay will be about 1200 words or 4 pages.)

III. Literature Review

The literature review consists of an annotated bibliography dealing with a variety of literaturefrom books and articles that draw on topics of research for the choral conductor such as the

following. You may add others that you deem relevant.

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1) Conducting technique

2) Rehearsal techniques3) Voice production

4) Score study and preparation

5) Programming6) Choral repertoire7) Teaching choral music

8) Equal voice choirs, SATB choirs, church choirs, community choirs, etc.

9) Other items of interest to a choral conductor

You may choose to focus your bibliography in an area that you hope to teach or that you want to

know more about (eg. children's choirs, secondary school choirs, youth choirs, adult choirs,

church choirs, community choirs, etc.). Organize your citations by subject areas of yourchoosing. For example: conducting and preparation; choral theories and skills; different types of

choirs; vocal health and development; repertoire; style and performance practice; etc. Briefly

describe in point form the contents and essential elements of an article or book. Then analyzeand assess the value of each citation and the quality of its content. It is important to evaluate

each item for future reference.

Only bibliographic citations using a proper format will be accepted. (See Turabian, A Manualfor Writers of Term Papers, Theses, and Dissertations, 7th ed., for examples of bibliographic

format.) Discuss the content and merits of your reading using clear, concise point form.

Research should include books and journals on choral conducting and you should create a filewith a minimum of 20 annotations.

N.B. Late written assignments will only be accepted and graded if permission has been

granted by the instructor in advance of the deadline .

IV. Friday Lecture Notebook

Your notebook will be evaluated on the completeness of its content. This is intended to give you

a selection of resource materials relating to choral conducting that can be used for future

reference. Briefly summarize the essential elements of the lecture with a short reflection on itscontent. What were the highlights for you? Note ideas generated by the presentation and write

your comments. These can be in the form of new ideas, responses to questions or new ideas that,

in your view, could to be addressed in the future. Identify each lecture by date and presenter and

file them in chronological order. Your notebook for the year should form a manual which youcan refer to later in conjunction with your literature review. It should be kept in a three-ring

binder together with handouts from the Friday lectures.

Please note: UWO Senate statement on plagiarism.

Students must write their essays and assignments in their own words. Whenever students take an idea, or a passage from another author, they

must acknowledge their debt both by using quotation marks where appropriate and by proper referencing such as footnotes or citations.Plagiarism is a major academic offence (see Scholastic Offence Policy in the Western Academic Calendar).

Scholastic offences are taken seriously and students are directed to read the appropriate policy, specifically, the definition of what constitutes a

Scholastic Offense, at the following website: http://www.uwo.ca/univsec/handbook/appeals/scholastic_discipline_undergrad.pdf.

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