Choralosophy

The First Days of Choir Part 5: Voicing, Reflecting and Redirecting

Even when all the plans are best laid, we sometimes miss. How do we reflect and redirect before we lose the whole school year? Part 5 The episode is the FIFTH part of a series titled “The First Days of Choir,” inspired by Harry Wong’s educational text “The First Days of School.” This particular episode, part five, shifts focus from Wong’s general educational strategies to more music-specific elements relevant to vocal and music educators at the start of the school year. Chris shares insights and live clips from their own choir classes, highlighting experiences with different groups, including an intermediate group in their second year, a third-year group, and an advanced chamber choir. The episode also includes a reflective segment where we discuss the challenges and opportunities of starting a new school year, emphasizing the importance of a strong start and offering encouragement to educators. Choralosophy presented by Ludus. Visit Ludus.com/choralosophy for the cutting edge in fine arts ticketing and marketing solutions. VOICING IDEAS! Discussion on how to get kids plugged in to successful sound making right away. Clips of the first day of school in an actual choir room! Reflection on the start of the year and how to redirect when it’s not going well. Tune in now on YouTube or your favorite podcast app! Tune in, and have your thinking stimulated and challenged. Then, weigh in yourself with your related ideas and experiences on Facebook in the Choralosophers group or over on choralosophy.substack.com Also, don’t forget to grab a reading rope for your classroom wall from the shop! Music Reading Rope Clinician/Presenter Requests Support the Show/Bonus Materials Choralosophy Community Blog Merch Store! July 2025 Newsletter. The Calm Before the Storm by Chris MunceSubscribe for free and never miss out on the conversation. The show is on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube or ANY podcast player! Last month might have been the best yet!Read on Substack Visit Kaleidescope Today! www.sightreadingfactory.com is the best literacy tool on the market today. Enter Choralosophy at checkout to get 10% off memberships for you AND your students! Be Sure to Find Choralosophy on TikTok! For future rehearsal clips, find me on TikTok, Insta and Facebook Harry K. Wong authored over 130 publications, including the leading book in education on how to start THE First Days of School, a monthly column in an online site for teachers, a CD set, and books on new teacher induction, classroom management, and instruction. He co-created an eLearning course on classroom management and appeared in the award-winning video series, The Effective Teacher. His techniques have been adapted by thousands of educators for success in their schools and classrooms. He was called “Mr. Practicality” for his common sense, research-based, no cost approach to managing a classroom for high-level student success. His many journal articles were featured in such publications as Educational Leadership, KAPPAN, Principal Leadership, NASSP Bulletin, American School Board Journal, Kappa Delta Pi Record, School Business Affairs, Education Week, and Instructor. He was credited with transforming schools and turning around the lives of tens of thousands of teachers. Enter Choralosophy at Checkout for a 5% discount when you shop for folders, robes and other gear for your choir program! www.mymusicfolders.com and www.mychoirrobes.com RyanMain.com is now expanding to a family of composers! Visit endeavormusicpublishing.com and of course, enter Choralosophy at checkout for a 10% discount! View this profile on Instagram Choralosophy Podcast (@choralosophy) • Instagram photos and videos @choralosophypodca

Episode 257: Music is My Language with Ananya Venkateswaran

Ananya has made music in many places around the world, and she believes that “choir is everywhere” and for everyone. This week, I am discussing music with a unique guest for this show! Ananya Venkateswaran, is a 17-year-old choral High School Student in Abu Dhabi, UAE. She shares her unique experiences as a “third culture kid” and her journey in music. From her roots in Carnatic music to her passion for Western choral traditions, Ananya discusses the importance of cultural identity in music, her education in an international school, and her leadership experiences in choral settings. She reflects on her participation in the European Choir Games, where her trio represented the UAE, and emphasizes the interdisciplinary connections between music, language, and the arts. Ananya’s insights reveal a deep understanding of music’s role in bridging cultures and fostering community. She highlights the differences and similarities between Carnatic and Western music traditions. Ananya believes that aural and visual music learning complement each other. She advocates for a broader definition of choirs that includes various cultural expressions of group singing. Her interdisciplinary interests in social sciences and English enhance her musical understanding. Choralosophy presented by Ludus. Visit Ludus.com/choralosophy for the cutting edge in fine arts ticketing and marketing solutions. Tune in now on YouTube or your favorite podcast app! Tune in, and have your thinking stimulated and challenged. Then, weigh in yourself with your related ideas and experiences on Facebook in the Choralosophers group or over on choralosophy.substack.com Also, don’t forget to grab a reading rope for your classroom wall from the shop! Music Reading Rope Clinician/Presenter Requests Support the Show/Bonus Materials Choralosophy Community Blog Merch Store! Visit Kaleidescope Today! www.sightreadingfactory.com is the best literacy tool on the market today. Enter Choralosophy at checkout to get 10% off memberships for you AND your students! Independent Student Rehearsal By The Second Month Of School School by Chris MunceWelcome back to Choralosophy Community Contributor, Ian Henning! This fantastic article will useful to vocal music educators of all levels. Ian is a great example of a myth buster. Read on Substack Be Sure to Find Choralosophy on TikTok! For future rehearsal clips, find me on TikTok, Insta and FB! Sign up for an annual membership and save over $50 by entering Choralosophy at checkout! Save 15% on monthly or annual subscriptions. Ananya Venkateswaran is a seventeen year old choral director, arranger, composer, and vocalist at the crossroads of several musical worlds. She is of Indian heritage, with US roots and nationality. However, she’s spent most of her life living in the United Arab Emirates and considers it home. Ananya is a classically trained Carnatic vocalist, but also grew up singing in a variety of Western Art Music choirs, and has been a member and soloist in various international honor choirs. Her musical identity is rooted in the multiple musical traditions that she’s grown up in, a love for cross-cultural conversation, and a deep-seated belief in the power of interdisciplinary thought pollination (her love for literature and writing influences her approach to score-studying, directing, and composing, as does her passion for the social sciences). As a choral director and singer, Ananya is a big believer in the importance of authentic musical diversity, the power of music to spark relevant dialogue, and the value of buildable skills like sight-reading. Enter Choralosophy at Checkout for a 5% discount when you shop for folders, robes and other gear for your choir program! www.mymusicfolders.com and www.mychoirrobes.com Ananya was the Founder, Artistic Director, and soprano of ARA | أرى. An unconducted, a cappella youth choir, ARA made history this past summer as the first ensemble to compete for the UAE on the global choral stage at the 2025 European Choir Games in Denmark. The smallest ensemble at the festival, ARA brought home a silver diploma. The ECG trip was a success against all odds, culminating countless hours of hard work, study, rehearsal, and learning on the fly. Additionally, Ananya is the founder of Sound Circle, a community music-making initiative that has hosted events in India, the US, and the UAE across a variety of age ranges. RyanMain.com is now expanding to a family of composers! Visit endeavormusicpublishing.com and of course, enter Choralosophy at checkout for a 10% discount! View this profile on Instagram Choralosophy Podcast (@choralosophy) • Instagram photos and videos @choralosophypodca

Episode 256: Teaching Expression from Day One with Craig Hurley and Rebecca Atkins

A an honorary addition to the “First Days of Choir Series” could not have been more serendipitous. In this episode, the two researchers and I delve into effective strategies for teaching musical expression with experts Craig Hurley and Rebecca Atkins. We explore how integrating expression from the start can transform choir performances, and learn about innovative techniques such as using physical movements to teach dynamics, the importance of auditory cues, and the role of emotional connection in music. I learn a lot about how to engage students with both auditory and visual elements, and get to hear inspiring stories about fostering creativity and expression in young musicians. Whether you’re a seasoned conductor or new to teaching, this episode offers valuable insights and practical tips to elevate your teaching approach. Teaching expression should start from the beginning of the learning process. Visual elements can enhance auditory expression but must align with it. Building a musical expressive vocabulary is essential for students. Engaging students in the creative process can lead to better musical outcomes. Choralosophy presented by Ludus. Visit Ludus.com/choralosophy for the cutting edge in fine arts ticketing and marketing solutions. Tune in now on YouTube or your favorite podcast app! Tune in, and have your thinking stimulated and challenged. Then, weigh in yourself with your related ideas and experiences on Facebook in the Choralosophers group or over on choralosophy.substack.com Also, don’t forget to grab a reading rope for your classroom wall from the shop! Music Reading Rope Clinician/Presenter Requests Support the Show/Bonus Materials Choralosophy Community Blog Merch Store! Visit Kaleidescope Today! www.sightreadingfactory.com is the best literacy tool on the market today. Enter Choralosophy at checkout to get 10% off memberships for you AND your students! Independent Student Rehearsal By The Second Month Of School School by Chris MunceWelcome back to Choralosophy Community Contributor, Ian Henning! This fantastic article will useful to vocal music educators of all levels. Ian is a great example of a myth buster. Read on Substack Be Sure to Find Choralosophy on TikTok! For future rehearsal clips, find me on TikTok, Insta and FB! Sign up for an annual membership and save over $50 by entering Choralosophy at checkout! Save 15% on monthly or annual subscriptions. Craig Hurley is currently in his second year as the Artistic Director of the Spivey Hall Children’s Choir Program, where he leads both the Children’s Choir and the Tour Choir. Prior to this role, he led the Spivey Hall Young Artists, the preparatory ensemble of the organization, for 18 years. Dr. Hurley has been a guest clinician for honor choirs across the southeastern United States and is the immediate past president of the Georgia Chapter of the American Choral Directors Association. In addition to his role at Spivey Hall, Dr. Hurley serves as the music specialist at Ford Elementary School in Cobb County, Georgia, where he instructs general music for students in kindergarten through fifth grade. He has led interest sessions at various state, regional, and national conferences including the 2024 ACDA Children’s & Community Youth Choir Conductors’ Retreat. His research focuses on expressive choral performance pedagogy and has been published in the International Journal of Research in Choral Singing, Bulletin of the Council for Research in Music Education, & The Choral Journal among others. Dr. Hurley was honored as the Teacher of the Year in both 2002 and 2016, and he was recognized as the 2020 Cobb County Elementary General Music Teacher of the Year. In 2021, he was named the Educator of the Year by the Georgia Music Educators Association. Enter Choralosophy at Checkout for a 5% discount when you shop for folders, robes and other gear for your choir program! www.mymusicfolders.com and www.mychoirrobes.com Dr. Hurley earned his degrees from Shorter College, Berry College, and the University of Georgia.Rebecca L. Atkins is an Associate Professor of Music Education (Vocal/Choral) and was awarded the General Sandy Beaver Professorship 2022-2024. Previously she was the Assistant Professor and Coordinator of Music Education at the University of Tennessee-Chattanooga (2013-2016) where she supervised student teachers, conducted Women’s Chorale, and taught Choral Methods, Design, Instruction, and Evaluation for Music Education, and Ear-training. She also taught graduate courses in Psychology of Music, Research Methods in Music Education, and supervised projects and thesis. She received her Ph.D. in Music and Human Learning at The University of Texas at Austin (2013), an M.M. in Choral Conducting at Missouri State University (2008), and a B.M. in Music Studies at The University of Texas at Austin (1994). Dr. Atkins is an active clinician, adjudicator, performer, and music education researcher. Her current research focuses on the effects of attention on vocal tone quality. She is also drawn to research questions that pertain to the development of performance skills and the refinement of pedagogy. Before her collegiate career, Atkins successfully directed middle school and high school choir programs for 14 years in the public school systems of Texas, Alabama, and Tennessee, earning superior and excellent ratings consistently at competitions. RyanMain.com is now expanding to a family of composers! Visit endeavormusicpublishing.com and of course, enter Choralosophy at checkout for a 10% discount! Spivey Hall Children’s Choir Program: https://spiveyhall.org/education/childrens-choir/ Hurley Personal Teacher PD Page: https://express.adobe.com/page/C995ybF6tQiWP Rebecca Atkins UGA https://music.uga.edu/directory/people/rebecca-atkins View this profile on Instagram Choralosophy Podcast (@choralosophy) • Instagram photos and videos @choralosophypodca

The First Days of Choir Part 4: Repertoire with Intent

“In an effective classroom, students should not only know what they are doing, they should also know why and how.”- Harry Wong. Part 4 In this episode, we delve into the critical role of repertoire selection in shaping music education. Discuss with me how the right choice of music can inspire, challenge, and elevate both students and the educators. We will explore expert insights from Harry Wong, share success stories and failures, and uncover the transformative power of a well-curated repertoire. Whether you’re a seasoned conductor or a budding choir director, this episode offers valuable perspectives to enhance your choir’s journey. Tune in and let the music guide you! Choralosophy presented by Ludus. Visit Ludus.com/choralosophy for the cutting edge in fine arts ticketing and marketing solutions. Principles from Harry Wong related to selecting our learning materials Strategies for aligning repertoire selection to later learning The importance of teaching classroom procedures THROUGH the repertoire Tune in now on YouTube or your favorite podcast app! Tune in, and have your thinking stimulated and challenged. Then, weigh in yourself with your related ideas and experiences on Facebook in the Choralosophers group or over on choralosophy.substack.com Also, don’t forget to grab a reading rope for your classroom wall from the shop! Music Reading Rope Clinician/Presenter Requests Support the Show/Bonus Materials Choralosophy Community Blog Merch Store! July 2025 Newsletter. The Calm Before the Storm by Chris MunceSubscribe for free and never miss out on the conversation. The show is on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube or ANY podcast player! Last month might have been the best yet!Read on Substack Visit Kaleidescope Today! www.sightreadingfactory.com is the best literacy tool on the market today. Enter Choralosophy at checkout to get 10% off memberships for you AND your students! Be Sure to Find Choralosophy on TikTok! For future rehearsal clips, find me on TikTok, Insta and Facebook Sign up for an annual membership and save over $50 by entering Choralosophy at checkout! Save 15% on monthly or annual subscriptions. Harry K. Wong authored over 130 publications, including the leading book in education on how to start THE First Days of School, a monthly column in an online site for teachers, a CD set, and books on new teacher induction, classroom management, and instruction. He co-created an eLearning course on classroom management and appeared in the award-winning video series, The Effective Teacher. His techniques have been adapted by thousands of educators for success in their schools and classrooms. He was called “Mr. Practicality” for his common sense, research-based, no cost approach to managing a classroom for high-level student success. His many journal articles were featured in such publications as Educational Leadership, KAPPAN, Principal Leadership, NASSP Bulletin, American School Board Journal, Kappa Delta Pi Record, School Business Affairs, Education Week, and Instructor. He was credited with transforming schools and turning around the lives of tens of thousands of teachers. Enter Choralosophy at Checkout for a 5% discount when you shop for folders, robes and other gear for your choir program! www.mymusicfolders.com and www.mychoirrobes.com RyanMain.com is now expanding to a family of composers! Visit endeavormusicpublishing.com and of course, enter Choralosophy at checkout for a 10% discount! View this profile on Instagram Choralosophy Podcast (@choralosophy) • Instagram photos and videos @choralosophypodca

The First Days of Choir Part 3: The Feedback Cyle

“Assessment continues learning,” -Harry Wong. When we are making decisions about what gets “graded” it is important first to decide, “what is crucial?” This list might be different for all of us. But if it isn’t crucial, don’t grade it. Audience members Bruce Rockwell, Chy Billings and Laura Huizinga feature some of their “First Days” go to tips! Part 3 In part 3 of the “First Days of Choir” series, we are talking about grading. There are different philosophies related to grading. Some even want to not “grade” at all, others want grading to be more traditional. This episode attempts to chart a bit of a “middle path.” We need to incentivize students to work hard using language they (and their parents) understand. And they understand the need to get good grades. However, there are real and legitimate criticisms of traditional grading in schools. This episode seeks to thread the needle by providing both the incentives AND the feedback students need from our grade books. Choralosophy presented by Ludus. Visit Ludus.com/choralosophy for the cutting edge in fine arts ticketing and marketing solutions. Description of various assessment examples and grading procedures Access to rubrics and syllabi for paid subscribers Strategies for building a grading system that students understand, Admin can support, and parents can learn (if they decide to read it.) Tune in now on YouTube or your favorite podcast app! Tune in, and have your thinking stimulated and challenged. Then, weigh in yourself with your related ideas and experiences on Facebook in the Choralosophers group or over on choralosophy.substack.com Also, don’t forget to grab a reading rope for your classroom wall from the shop! Music Reading Rope Clinician/Presenter Requests Support the Show/Bonus Materials Choralosophy Community Blog Merch Store! July 2025 Newsletter. The Calm Before the Storm by Chris MunceSubscribe for free and never miss out on the conversation. The show is on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube or ANY podcast player! Last month might have been the best yet!Read on Substack Visit Kaleidescope Today! www.sightreadingfactory.com is the best literacy tool on the market today. Enter Choralosophy at checkout to get 10% off memberships for you AND your students! Be Sure to Find Choralosophy on TikTok! For future rehearsal clips, find me on TikTok, Insta and Facebook Sign up for an annual membership and save over $50 by entering Choralosophy at checkout! Save 15% on monthly or annual subscriptions. Harry K. Wong authored over 130 publications, including the leading book in education on how to start THE First Days of School, a monthly column in an online site for teachers, a CD set, and books on new teacher induction, classroom management, and instruction. He co-created an eLearning course on classroom management and appeared in the award-winning video series, The Effective Teacher. His techniques have been adapted by thousands of educators for success in their schools and classrooms. He was called “Mr. Practicality” for his common sense, research-based, no cost approach to managing a classroom for high-level student success. His many journal articles were featured in such publications as Educational Leadership, KAPPAN, Principal Leadership, NASSP Bulletin, American School Board Journal, Kappa Delta Pi Record, School Business Affairs, Education Week, and Instructor. He was credited with transforming schools and turning around the lives of tens of thousands of teachers. Enter Choralosophy at Checkout for a 5% discount when you shop for folders, robes and other gear for your choir program! www.mymusicfolders.com and www.mychoirrobes.com RyanMain.com is now expanding to a family of composers! Visit endeavormusicpublishing.com and of course, enter Choralosophy at checkout for a 10% discount! View this profile on Instagram Choralosophy Podcast (@choralosophy) • Instagram photos and videos @choralosophypodca