The end

Due Friday, May 13, 2011:

• 7 observations
• 7 choralnet
• 2 dickson article annotations
• pick one piece, analyze it textually/musically

Magical Eye

March 1999 Dickson J

The Beginning of the End

Today we discussed how we will end the semester and this is what we talked about:

1.  7 Observation Reports - you need to provide one-page summary of the observations you have done (dates, places).  If you want to really make it easy for me (hint, hint), compile all of your observations into one document and send it to me that way.

2.  7 Blog posts or ChoralNet entries:  Document this for me as well.  I encourage you to copy/paste links into a document that details all of your work in this area.  You may find that "screenshots" of your work to be a good idea - check out a trial version of "SnagIt" to assist you in this area.

3.  You owe me written observations of the Britten exercise.  One of you, one of the person you were assigned to evaluate.

4.  We talked about a "final project" - creating a notebook that would eventually serve as a resource for you in the future.  You need to pick the type of notebook you want to create:

• focusing on church music
• focusing on children's music
• other

This notebook should contain:

• articles from Choral Journal
• Websites
• forum discussions
• music reviews
• actual music that you would use with your future ensemble

You might want to do a digital version of this notebook - maybe a PDF binder.  

Link to videos

Here is the link to your videos from Monday.

All-State Rehearsal Times

Click to embiggen.

All-State Choir Information

Look here for schedule.

Syllabus

Look here.

https://docs.google.com/Doc?docid=0ARavEaU0HOJZZGRkMzg2OGJfMzk4aHJ6cGQ1aGQ&hl=en&authkey=CITpzuYG

More blogs

Peter Haley blog:

Adam King blog:

Alan Taylor blog:

Brenda Odom blog:

Kim's Blog

Kim gives us the ocean (blog link here):

And tells us about herself:

Biographical information:

 

I earned a B.A. in music from Rhodes College and an M.M. in piano performance from The University of Alabama. After teaching private piano for many years, I have become interested in the impact of music instruction on children's development.  I love teaching piano, but it is a fairly select group of students. In order to reach a greater number of children, I have come back to school to earn a music education degree. I believe that in 5 years and in 15 years I will be teaching elementary music.

 

My choral experience is as a choir member in college and church. I have accompanied choirs and conducted sectional rehearsals. My most memorable choral experience was singing in a performance of John Rutter'sRequiem at First Baptist Church, Memphis.

Assignments, Blogs, and Professional Organizations

Here is your assignment:

1. Start a blog on blogger and email me your blog address.
2. Choose one of the assigned books and read 50% of it this week.
3. As you are reading, compose three blog responses to what you have read in week 1. All three must be completed by Sunday evening, 5 p.m.
4. For Monday, January 31, prepare a 10-minute presentation on what you have read - 50% on content you read, 50% application to your life. The way you present your material is as important as what you present.

5. Join the American Choral Directors Association as a student member. When you have joined, send me your membership number as proof you have completed the assignment.

6. Join ChoralNet.  Build a "user profile" and begin monitoring posts - probably via the daily digest of posts and news.

Book Choice

You have three choices for your first assignment - if you have read one of these before, please choose another one.

Getting Things Done (Kindle edition)

Making it All Work (Kindle edition)

Seven Habits of Highly Effective People (Kindle edition)

Email to Class 1/22

January Greetings,

We've added a class member or two since I first emailed the class this message. (we are up to five class members)

Since then, I've developed a class blog based on the replies. If you've not replied yet, please send me the information I asked in the first email.

Also, we need to set up a class meeting time. My first attempt didn't work, so I'm going to ask you to to respond to these options with one of these responses:

Great for me!
I can make this work.
Absolutely not.

Here are the choices for now:

Monday 10:00a - 11:30a
Monday 3p-4:30p
Tuesday 10a - 11:30a
Tuesday 2:30p - 4:00p
Wednesday 10:00a - 11:30a

Thanks, and I'll let you know something soon.

plc

Class member: Brenda Odom

Hello! I am sending you the information you requested. Although we have not met, I would introduce myself by telling you first that I am not a traditional graduate student since I am returning to complete my master’s degree after seeing both our children through college. It has always been a goal of mine to earn a master’s degree and I am finding that my experience as a church musician is a valuable thing as I resume my studies. I may also be somewhat different than most of the others enrolled in this class in that I am not a conductor or a singer, but an accompanist, and if my other classes in church music are any indication, most of the others pursuing this degree are ministers of music.

a brief professional bio about you - your education/employment history
I received my B.S. degree in Music Education and piano from Judson College. It was while I was in college that I realized God was leading me into music ministry. Even in the years I was home with my children when they were small, I was always active in the music ministry of my church. Last August I celebrated my twentieth anniversary on the staff of First Baptist Church Pleasant Grove where I currently serve as worship associate.
I am the church pianist, accompanying worship, the choir, soloists and ensembles. In addition, I coordinate the children’s choir ministry. I also work with the worship pastor in every aspect of the music ministry by administrating and planning, working with committees associated with the music ministry and basically handing details that make the music ministry run effectively.

what times are best for you to take the class (since it is TBA)
Mondays will work. Tuesdays are not good for me. I have an 8:00 Beeson class on Tuesdays and after that I have staff meeting which usually lasts until lunch. Wednesdays are not great because of preparation for choir rehearsal at church that night, and Thursdays after my 8:00 class will work, although that is not my first preference. Friday is my off day so that is good.

your professional outlook - where do you want to be in 5 years, where do you want to be in 15 years
I hope in five years to be doing at least some part of what I do now. Because my responsibilities are so varied, it’s possible that at some point I could focus on just a couple of them and move away from some of the others. If so, being a worship accompanist would be the main thing I would want to continue. I also enjoy the people aspect of music ministry-the relationships and ministry opportunities-and I would want to be in a position to continue that, whatever that looks like.

your most meaningful choral experience
My training and experience is as a pianist and not a vocalist or conductor, so to relay my most meaningful choral experience would be to talk about the years of experience I have in accompanying our choir. I have been privileged to work with skilled and experienced ministers of music-several have been Samford graduates and all have had seminary degrees-so I have many experiences with our choir that were not only meaningful musically but also spiritually.

If you would not mind providing a list of the book(s) we'll need, I think I would like to see if I can find them on amazon or something rather than the bookstore.

Class member: Adam King

I've attached a little "resume" for you and you can check out my website (www.adamkingmusic.com) if you like.

My BEST days are Tuesday and Thursday. Worst days are Monday morning and Friday afternoon. Wednesdays are almost entirely out as I have to commute to Cullman, AL to my church job.

I have done a lot of choral teaching in both the church and university setting, and am currently the "MOM" at a church. I do enjoy concert piano artistry/worship, but still want to get back into the college professorship again (if just on an adjunct basis).

My greatest choral experience was under the direction of Dr. Kenneth Bergdolt as we sang in the Cathedral of Worms -- I was allowed to play organ for the mass and for the choir.

I look forward to meeting you! Would you be open to coffee before our first class meeting? My treat!

Class member: Peter Haley

Peter Haley:

Here we go...

BA in Music at Wingate (approximately 80% of Music Ed coursework completed)
MM in Church Music at Samford, in progress
Worked as Director of Music Ministries at St. John's UMC in Center Point from June 2009-June 2010
Currently Minister of Music at Crosscreek Baptist Church in Pelham, began September 2010

Best times: Most any time on Mondays before AC and W/F besides 11-12:20 and AC. Tuesday-Thursday, anytime after 8am classes. My voice lesson is also TBA at this point.

I'd like to have a full-time church position 5 years from now, looking toward beginning doctorate work in Sacred Music, Music Education, or Choral Conducting.

15 years from now, I'd like to have established myself as a professor of church music, and have some kind of conducting responsibility as well.

My most meaningful experiences as a conductor have come when conducting the Wingate University Singers in the spring of my junior year, and conducting Samford's A Cappella Choir this past December. As a singer, I particularly treasure singing in the SACDA HS Honor Choir in 2004, singing at the NCACDA conference in 2007, and performing some particularly difficult choral works during my time at Wingate.

I've just renewed my ACDA membership.

First message to class

Emailed on December 29, 2010:

Seminar in Choral Conducting Class,

Christmas Greetings!

You are currently signed up for Seminar in Choral Conducting - 20941 - MUSC 5221 - 01 and I am preparing for that class over the holiday break.

I'm wondering a couple of things about each member of the class and I would like for you to give me some information about you:

• a brief professional bio about you - your education/employment history
• what times are best for you to take the class (since it is TBA)
• your professional outlook - where do you want to be in 5 years, where do you want to be in 15 years
• your most meaningful choral experiences

I know that one required component of the class will be membership in the American Choral Directors Association - so plan towards that. I would like you to have joined by our first class period at the end of January.

ACDA Website: http://acda.org/

Thanks!


--
Dr. Philip L. Copeland