This week has been full of trial and error on my own part in all of my choir classes. I keep attempting to use ideas of CP in the choir classroom, however the response I tend to receive blank stares from my choir members, and pressure to learn the music. My choir students have a lovely sound and are excited about singing, but most of them (especially in 6th grade) can barely read the music, which makes learning their parts a tedious task. I refuse to just sing or play their notes to them anymore, and I painstakingly have the class write solfege into their music, but sometimes it’s difficult to even get them to open their scores. When all this skill is missing, and there are time constraints to get parts learned, where is the time to dig deeper into their music, or their opinions about their music? I am also faced with resistance from some 6th grade choir members who are having a hard time understanding why they cannot sing the melody like they had before in elementary school. These students are having a harder time learning the harmony therefore become frustrated and give up. There is such resistance to sing in parts that sometimes students close their scores and actually refuse to sing, which is disappointing and frustrating on my end. I don’t know how to keep the morale up, teach skills that will further their musicianship, teach their music, and incorporate CP. Does anyone have any ideas?
My general music classes however, have been a joy to teach. They love to compose, discuss music, and have a slew of opinions. My eighth graders have really started to warm up to me as a teacher, and have been seeking out my help when they are composing. So lately they are what has been keeping me going this week. My personal goal is to take some of their favorite music artists (from their suggestions) and use at least one song, if appropriate, in each of my lesson plans. I guess what I am saying is, that as a teacher I felt prepared for general music classes, but I have no idea how to be a choir director.
2 comments:
This sounds like a real tricky situation, but I think you have to remember that they are still babies in the chorus world. Especially the 6th graders.
Student teaching in the same district and seeing the younger choruses in action, I'll tell you that 3rd grade chorus is their first chorus experience for most of them. All they have are word sheets because its more about singing in such a huge group and learning how to work as such a large team. And most of the lower elementary schools in WW-P give 3rd graders a choice whether to take chorus or not (not my school though, we're the lucky ones who see all the 3rd graders for chorus).
Then 4th and 5th grade is all about singing and getting to hold music! Its more about getting to choose between band, orchestra, and chorus, and developing a choral sound.
So I understand how frustrating it must be for the kids in your choir to not understand the need to sing harmonies, and not be able to read notes. And it stinks that you're their student teacher in the beginning of the year and have to bear the brunt of all their frustrations. But its all about growing up and changes. Have you put it in that light to them? Maybe letting them know that they're working towards singing like high school kids ("high school kids sing in 4 parts, we're gonna try 3 and hopefully work our way to 4 parts!" sort of thing) and giving them and more grown-up idea of what is ahead in choir.
It sounds to me that there is a big jump in expectations in choir from elementary to middle school, and the teachers should be trying to figure that out. Until then, my only suggestion would be to just keep doing what you're doing, not teaching by rote and making them figure it out for themselves, and slowly, but surely, I think it'll make sense to them what's going on. Good Luck!
I completely understand that this is new to them. But what I find frustrating is that they are so resistant to change and its nearly impossible to incorporate CP or even elements of CP like Dr. Schmidt has requested of us.
Post a Comment