Product Description

In shaping choral tone, directors often wish to improve the sound of their choir, but are challenged to pinpoint underlying problems or to guide singers toward solutions. Now, in Prescriptions for Choral Excellence, skilled vocal pedagogue Shirlee Emmons and leading choral director Constance Chase equip choral directors with the practical tools they need to help singers achieve peak choral performance.
Drawing on years of experience, Emmons and Chase help choral directors and singers effectively diagnose and resolve problems. They cover topics ranging from breath management and diction to range and intonation, and much more. Beyond describing vocal difficulties, the book provides concrete instructions on how to apply the concepts in day-to-day rehearsal and performance. The numerous practical exercises and planning aides allow directors to maximize both time and talent to elicit the highest potential from their singers. While grounded in the most up-to-date research in voice science, the discussion of vocal anatomy and function is accessible to readers with no previous knowledge of voice science. Going beyond other vocal and choral guidebooks, the authors also apply the most current theories in leadership principles and group dynamics to choral settings, helping directors translate their natural musicality and charisma into inspiring and motivational leadership.
A comprehensive and unique blend of practical expertise, voice science, and leadership psychology, Prescriptions for Choral Excellence is an invaluable guide for all choral directors seeking to create memorable and remarkable performances.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #72212 in Books
• Published on: 2006-02-02
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 352 pages

Review

"As a conductor with more than thirty years' experience, I found this book to be rigorous, comprehensive, and dynamically user-friendly. The book presents an abundance of practical tools. The less experienced conductors will find this book indispensable and immediately accessible. This is a must read for choral directors at any level as well as for singers and teachers of singing.--American Music Teacher
"This book provides a wealth of vocal information for choral conductors, ranging from matters of basic technique to physical health and the effects of various medical conditions on singing. Facilitating good singing in the choral ensemble benefits everyone and serves to break down barriers, true or false, between the singer as a 'soloist' and the singer as a choral musician. This should be an essential addition to every choral conductor's reference library."--Hilary Apfelstadt, Professor of Music and Director of Choral Activities, The Ohio State University
"Adopting a unique format, Emmons and Chase have authored a text for every Choral Director and student of choral singing. Providing clear and concise answers to the fundamental questions of vocal technique and choral leadership, this is a text that will be read and re-read again and again. It should be a staple in every choral musician's library."--Donald Simonson, Professor of Music Voice Division Chair, Iowa State University
"The doctor is in! Prescriptions for Choral Excellence is the medicine that choral directors and singers need for success. Applying the latest principles and techniques of leadership psychology, this detailed guide is an invaluable resource for meeting many of the demands that all directors face."--Marshall Goldsmith, executive coach and author of The Leader of the Future, Coaching for Leadership and Global Leadership: The Next Generation

About the Author

Shirlee Emmons is a voice teacher of considerable renown. She has taught at Columbia, Princeton, Boston, and Rutgers Universities, as well as at universities in Korea and Austria. She is author of Tristanissimo and co-author of The Art of the Song Recital, and Power Performance for Singers. She is an Obie award-winning singer and the first and only female Chair of the prestigious American Academy of Teachers of Singing.
Constance Chase is a conductor and voice teacher noted for her expertise in training choirs and singers in vocal technique and performance. As Director of the Cadet Glee Club, United States Military Academy at West Point, she conducts scores of concerts, live national television appearances, and recordings for film and commercial release.

Customer Reviews

Pleased with results
As soon as I had a chance, I started using the techniques in my rehearsals with my high school choir. It has been about a month since I received the book, and already they sound better. It is because of several different things. 1. I am not able to better diagnose the problems that I hear in the choir because I know possible things they are doing incorrectly and 2. I know HOW to correct it, using techniques from the book.

This book is very practical and one that I will go back to over and over again. It is thorough, and I would recommend it to anyone who is leading a choir. It was exceptionally helpful because I only have a general music ed degree and I took maybe 2 classes on voice, and this is helping me improve my knowledge so I can improve them.

Must-have for every choral director.
This is a book that belongs on the shelves of every choral director. It's the one book that I use when preparing for every rehearsal. The authors present the material in a meticulously-researched, scientific manner. If your choir has a specific problem that needs to be fixed, this is the book to consult. The solutions are presented methodically and thoroughly, and everything I have used from this book has been a success with my choir. The focus is on solving choral problems through a greater understanding of vocal anatomy and physiology--that's what I love about this book. Too many other books of this type use an abstract, unscientific approach to vocal pedagogy. This is a book I'll use my whole life!!

Great book! Very practical
I met one of the authors (Constance Chase) at the ACDA National Convention in March. We both rode on a bus going to the convention center one morning. I just sat down and we started conversing. She is really amiable, and recommended the book to me since I told her I was going into my student teaching this fall. I haven't read through all of it, but I can tell that this will be an excellent resource in the years to come.