CHOR EACH. Hymns: A New/Old Resource for Teaching Choral Music. Jody Blake Baldwyn School District Baldwyn, Mississippi

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1 music (both print and recorded) from across the globe. Young composers, emerging choral groups (check out Room Full of Teeth, the Lorelei Ensemble or Tenebrae, just to name a few), and fresh, creative music is literally only a click away! As a choral editor, I admit that I love the new the excitement of fresh concepts, the juxtaposition of different pallets, texts, and timbres. I am always excited when I see new manuscripts with poignant and intriguing texts from recognized composers and those whose names are new. Often, just their birthdates are enough to amaze me. However, over the past few years, it has become a concern for many in the profession that the standards from the choral canon are being performed less frequently if they are performed at all. Often, this is because they are either unavailable/out of print or they are becoming progressively unknown to many choral directors. Some young teachers are not aware of much of the repertoire that was commonly found in the choral libraries of schools, churches, and collegiate choirs for decades. As educators, conductors, and mentors of potential choral music educators, we must ask ourselves the following important question: With all the new music available, do we have a responsibility to include music from the past, the tried and true jewels from years gone by? I would argue unequivocally, yes! The great masterworks and choral jewels that have been shared with generations of listeners deserve to be brought into the lives of our singers in the twenty-first century. The music of today is influenced by the music of the past. To sing these splendid choral works connects us with our choral heritage. Most importantly, there is an artistic thread that ties the human heart of today with those from hundreds of years ago. With all of the wonderful new literature we see in reading sessions each year, let us not become so enamored of the new that we lose sight of the intrinsic beauty and worth of works that have stood the test of time. Let us not forget that, whether through experiencing the innocent beauty of Bach s Bist du Bei Mir as a member of a children s choir or the beautiful, waltz-like quality and dignity of Handel s And the Glory of the Lord from Messiah as a high school singer, or the playfulness of Certon s chanson, Je ne l ose dirai as a middle school chorister, our students can learn a great deal as singers and musicians. Their lives are made richer by experiencing the ageless beauty of the tapestry known as the choral art! Hymns: A New/Old Resource for Teaching Choral Music Jody Blake Baldwyn School District Baldwyn, Mississippi (Used with permission of the author) As choral music educators, we are constantly looking for ways to improve our teaching, spending countless hours searching for new ideas and hundreds of dollars on new sightsinging and warm-up books. However, there is a resource with nearly endless possibilities for enhancing the choral music curriculum, a resource that has been used by countless music educators for generations. Whether it is an old, dusty Baptist hymnal or a brand-new Catholic hymnal, there is a treasure trove of musical examples for teaching musicianship, vocal technique, and performance repertoire. I explored the possibility of integrating hymns into the choral music curriculum in a recent research project. By researching the history of hymnody in music education and extracting strategies from three approaches to learning/teaching music, I developed curriculum suggestions that could be helpful to many choral music educators. In the research project, hymns are presented as a resource for teaching musicianship and performance. Why use hymns for teaching and performance? There are many reasons, but the practical ones should be discussed first. Hymns are an economical investment for music educators. Most of the great denominational hymns are in the public domain. Using online resources such as hymnary.org, they are easy to find and free, meaning no royalty or printing fees. Educators are free to make arrangements and alterations of hymns. A second reason for the use of hymns is that most hymns are relatively simple to learn. Since hymns were originally intended for use in corporate worship, most hymn tunes are simple, containing few skips and leaps in the melodic line. This fact makes it easy for even a novice singer to learn a hymn melody (whether it is for sight-singing or performance). ChorTeach Volume 9 Issue 2 8

2 Historical Significance of Hymnody in Music Education From a historical perspective, using hymns for teaching musicianship is not a new idea but one that has been present since biblical times. The Bible provides evidence that musicians were highly trained. In early Hebrew worship, the Levites were charged with providing music for worship services in the temple and synagogues. 1 The Bible mentions Chenanaiah, the chief Levite appointed to train singers and choirs, providing evidence of musical instruction. 2 During this period, musical instruction consisted of teaching music and theology from the book of Psalms. 3 That book (from the Bible) was the primary source for both theological and musical instruction and is the earliest example of Christian hymns for the church. At the dawn of the medieval period, the church was the primary center for education, responsible for spiritual, educational, and political leadership. Sacred music was at the heart of musical instruction. Under the leadership of Pope Gregory, the church streamlined church music with the organization of plainsong, or Gregorian chant (named in honor of the pope). 4 Later, Guido d Arezzo, an Italian monk, would use chant as the impetus for the development of solmization. Using the hymn Ut queant laxis (Hymn to St. John), d Arezzo developed a system of teaching music literacy that is still in use today. He is also credited with the creation of the musical staff. 5 As historical evidence suggests, hymnody was the primary resource for teaching music in the medieval period. Martin Luther helped begin the protestant reformation, which would change not only religion but education. Known for the great protestant hymn, A Mighty Fortress is Our God, Luther advocated congregational singing of hymns. Active congregational participation in worship was at the center of his ideology. This led to an increase in hymn-writing activities for the protestant church and an increase in the use of hymns for musical instruction. 6 Luther strongly encouraged musical instruction and even assisted with printing songbooks for churches and schools. 7 Similarly, protestant reformer John Calvin made a lasting impact on hymnody and music education. While Calvin used only the Psalms in worship, it was the hymns he derived from the Psalms, called psalmody, which would be carried to America. Hymns made up the hymnbooks that were used in early American music education. 8 The hymns of eighteenth-century England provide some of the finest examples of Christian hymnody. John and Charles Wesley composed many hymns that are still in use today. They published hymnbooks, many of which had instructions for singing properly and singing by note. 9 During the early nineteenth century, in an effort to align hymns with the Common Book of Prayer, the Anglican Church started the Oxford movement, which bridged the gap between evangelical and churchly hymns and birthed the famous hymnal, Hymns Ancient and Modern, in When the Puritans first arrived in America in 1630, they brought with them the Ainsworth Psalter containing thirtynine tunes. 11 Later in 1640, the Bay Psalm Book would be printed; however, the state of singing in early America was declining due to the practice of lining out the tunes. 12 To remedy this situation, singing schools were established around Using hymns as primary teaching material, many tune books would be published for the purpose of teaching music literacy in the singing schools, which became the first formal music education institution in America. With singing teachers such as William Billings, who wrote curricula based on hymns, the singing school became an important educational and social venture in eighteenth-century American society. 14 The singing school was particularly prevalent in the American south where shaped-notes were used in tune books and folk hymnody flourished. 15 Known as the father of music education, Lowell Mason began teaching music in Boston public schools in Laying the foundation for music education in America, Mason composed many hymns and wrote music instruction books that included exercises based on Christian hymns. 16 Based on the sheer number of his publications that include hymns as teaching examples, it is clear that Mason supported hymnody and music education. As historical evidence suggests, hymnody and music education ran parallel on the same plane. Throughout history, the church had close ties to music education and education in general. Hymns became the songs of the people. Congregations were musically literate, and children were taught to read music using hymns. Great music educators from Guido d Arezzo to Lowell Mason used hymnody as the primary vehicle for teaching music. The hymnal was the music textbook. 17 ChorTeach Volume 9 Issue 2 9

3 The Decline of Hymnody in Modern Repertory How does all of this history relate to choral music education today? Hymns have been around for hundreds of years and are tried and true resources as demonstrated by the historical narrative above. So why are hymns being removed from the repertory for choral musicians, both in the education and sacred settings? Choral singers in churches and classrooms alike are unfamiliar with even the most basic hymns. Hymns are being erased from worship services in churches and from choral performances at schools. David Gordon suggests contemporaneity is the primary cause of this decline. In his book Why Johnny Can t Sing Hymns, Gordon describes contemporaneity as a value, or a value system, that prefers what is new to what is old. 18 This value system is common in modern society where emphasis is placed on the new and fresh, as opposed to the traditional. Commercialization of Christian music has been detrimental to the survival and growth of hymnody. 19 Most of the great hymns are performed less in the church and more in the concert hall. As a result, fewer music students are exposed to traditional hymnody. Singing hymns in church encourages communal singing and provides young singers with knowledge of the standard repertoire of quality music. Without these experiences, students are lacking a foundation for singing in choir. What is the Solution? Choral music educators are the solution! We should be sure to introduce hymns to our singers. Whether the choral director teaches in a public, private, or church setting, hymns can be used as instructional material. While teachers in private schools and churches have more license to incorporate the theological aspects of teaching hymnody, there is a precedent for teaching hymns in the public school. Reasons to include hymns include: Providing a wealth of musical knowledge, including basic concepts in music theory and history Easy arrangement of four-part (typical) hymns to fit any educator s classroom needs (two-part and three-part) Excellent resource for music theory analysis (e.g., chords, inversions, form, etc.) Melodic shapes that are easily memorized Singable yet simple in structure Opportunities to increase vocabulary and to study poetry Teach intervallic relationships While the theological and spiritual dimensions of hymnody are numerous, these factors can be applicable to any choral setting public, private, or church. Hymns are a cornerstone of choral music literature and should not be allowed to disappear into the folds of history. Choral music educators must keep them alive so these great examples of repertoire will be preserved for generations to come. Hymnody in the Choral Music Curriculum Using concepts from the Kodály approach, Comprehensive Musicianship through Performance (CMP), and Music Learning Theory, the author has developed a theoretical framework for teaching musicianship and performance through hymnody. 1) The Kodály approach, a method of teaching music developed by Hungarian composer and educator, Zoltán Kodály, focuses primarily on teaching music literacy. For more information on this approach, educators may refer to Lois Choksy s The Kodály Method: Comprehensive Music Education. 2) Comprehensive Musicianship through Performance (CMP), a method of teaching music based on the Contemporary Music Project (1965), was developed by the Wisconsin Music Educators Association. For more information on this approach, educators may refer to Patricia O Toole s Shaping Sound Musicians. 3) Music Learning Theory, a set of theories focusing on how people learn music developed by Edwin Gordon, posits the idea that sound should be introduced before symbols (like a language is learned by children) in learning music and is based on the development of audiation skills (inner hearing). For more information on this approach, educators may refer to Eric Bluestein s The Ways Children Learn Music: An Introduction and Practical Guide to Music Learning Theory. ChorTeach Volume 9 Issue

4 These three concepts were found to be complimentary and appropriate for teaching hymnody in a choral setting. Using them as a theoretical framework for teaching, hymns were selected based on historical importance and denominational Table 1. Theoretical Framework usage (Table 1). Based on the CMP model, the strategies and outcomes are intended to provide choral music educators with ideas for integrating hymnody into the choral rehearsal. Each strategy Kodály Comprehensive Music Learning Approach Musicianship Theory Uses the voice as primary instrument singing is most important Moveable-do Curwen hand signs Rhythm syllables Authentic folk music and good quality composed music Focus on teaching music literacy (sight-singing) Mostly performance-based assessment (teacher observation) Rehearsal oriented Provides students the opportunity to be listeners, performers, composers, and scholars. Curriculum based on performance repertoire and elements of music Performance and written assessment Comprehensive: analysis, outcomes, strategies, assessment Highly structured approach Focuses on patterns in music Based on audiation & teaching sounds before teaching symbols Uses six stages of audiation and seven types Whole/part/whole curriculum with three types of learning sequences: skill, tonal, and rhythm Physical movement may be included while teaching rhythm Rote teaching may be used Synthesis Use of moveable do and Curwen hand signs to enhance music literacy and sight singing skills. High quality Christian hymn literature will be used in teaching Strong focus on teaching comprehensively using the elements of music Performance and written assessment Focus on developing audiation (hearing in your head) Develop whole/part/whole curriculum using teaching musical patterns Christian Hymnody Sight-sing hymns using Curwen hand-signs Quality hymn literature Isolating melodic and rhythmic patterns Text and music: spiritual and historical foundations Use audiation to comprehend sounds of hymns Analyze a work based on the elements of music ChorTeach Volume 9 Issue

5 and outcome is categorized by one of the three outcome domains: skill, knowledge, and affect. The theoretical framework is integrated into the strategies and outcomes. For the Kodály component, students will demonstrate music literacy by reading music notation using moveable do (doh) and Curwen hand signs and demonstrate singing in two-part harmony. For the CMP component, students will read music notation, recognize and define historical themes and people, and demonstrate appreciation of hymns. In the Music Learning Theory component, students will develop and enhance audiation skills by recognizing and analyzing melodic and rhythmic patterns using hymns (Table 2). Table 2. Suggested Outcomes Kodály Comprehensive Music Learning Approach Musicianship Theory The student will sight-sing hymns in two-part harmony. The student will read music using moveable-do and Curwen hand signs. The student will sing/perform hymns with melodic and rhythmic accuracy. Skill Outcome: The student will read music notation within the context of hymns. Knowledge Outcome: The student will recognize and define historical themes and people within the context of hymns. Affective Outcome: The student will learn to appreciate hymns and use them in corporate and private worship. The student will develop enhanced audiation skills by singing and listening to hymns. The student will recognize and analyze melodic and rhythmic patterns used in hymns. Synthesis Reading notation Singing two-part harmony Recognize and analyze patterns in the music Develop audiation skills Hymn literature appreciation and application Define historical and spiritual themes Christian Hymnody Scriptural/theological analysis Simple rhythmic and melodic patterns Analyzing harmonic structures Recognizing poetic rhyme schemes Defining important hymn writers and composers ChorTeach Volume 9 Issue

6 Skills and Strategies Following are three skills (Melodic/Tonal, Rhythmic, Technique and Expression) and strategies to deal with each: Melodic/Tonal 1. Teach melodic patterns first. Displaying the melodic patterns in small groupings on flash cards may be helpful. 2. Emphasize melodic and intervallic relationships. 3. When teaching melody, have students use Curwen hand signs. 4. Sing the melody alone, allowing students to listen. (whole) 5. Sing partial phrases of the melody, allowing students to echo phrases. (part) 6. Sing the melody in its entirety, allowing student to sing along. (whole) 7. Students should write in solfège syllables as needed after learning the melody. If students have not learned solfège syllables, neutral syllables may be used. Rythmic 1. Teach rhythmic patterns first. Displaying rhythmic patterns in small groupings on flash cards may be helpful. 2. Emphasize macro and micro beats. 3. Clap/tap/count the rhythm alone, allowing students to listen. (whole) 4. Clap/tap/count partial phrases of the rhythm, allowing students to echo. (part) 5. Clap/tap/count the rhythm in its entirety, allowing students to perform. (whole) 6. Students should write in counts or rhythm syllables as needed after learning the rhythms aurally. 7. Have students incorporate movement and keep a steady beat while teaching rhythms. Technique and Expression 1. Emphasize the importance of breath control by demonstrating diaphragmatic breathing. Students should imitate teacher. 2. Have students place check marks or breath marks between musical phrases to show where to breathe. 3. Have students write in slur markings above legato phrases. 4. Emphasize the importance of dynamics by teaching dynamic symbols with meanings. 5. Many hymns do not have dynamic markings. Teach students to write in dynamic markings that reflect and complement text meaning. 6. Teach students to make score markings by circling important musical symbols. Knowledge and Strategies Following are two areas of knowledge and strategies to deal with each: Music Theory 1. Teach students to recognize and define basic harmonic structures within the melody and harmony. 2. Students can practice analyzing basic harmonic structures by labeling chords using both Roman numerals and chord symbols. 3. Have students label intervals within the melody, identifying both quality and numeric distance (e.g., M3, P5, m2, etc.). 4. Teach students to recognize and define key signatures and common chord progressions. Many follow a circle progression. ChorTeach Volume 9 Issue

7 5. Have students circle and label non-chord tones within the harmony so that they may identify which voice part has a non-chord tone. 6. Teach students to recognize and define melodic themes, motives, and sequences. 7. Students can complete both micro and macro analyses of the hymns by labeling harmonic structures and recognizing the form employed. 8. Have students compose their own hymn tune. Be sure to set clear parameters and goals. (Example: Write a hymn tune in the key of C major using common time and whole, half, and quarter notes only.) 9. Teach students to recognize and label scale patterns within the hymn tune melody. Music History and Listening 1. Students should learn basic biographical facts about hymn composers and authors of texts. 2. Help students recognize and define the major periods of music history, identifying the period of music to which each hymn belongs. 3. Teach students to relate hymn composers and text authors to major composers throughout music history. 4. Have students learn the tune name and the title of each hymn. 5. Students should learn and define the elements of music and describe their use in hymns. 6. Be generous in allowing students to actively listen to quality hymn recordings with the goal of recognizing musical elements and structures. 7. Compare and contrast the compositional style of hymn composers with major composers of a particular musical era. Affective Areas and Strategies Following are two affective areas and strategies to deal with each: Appreciation 1. Teachers should encourage students to express their feelings about the music and text of the hymn through oral and written discussions. 2. Students can respond to and evaluate the text and music of a hymn by describing the appropriateness of musical/ text setting. 3. Teachers may ask students to write an appreciation for a hymn (lyricist and/or composer). 4. Students should develop a personal philosophy about the importance of singing and learning hymns. 5. Teachers may have students write a journal about the value of hymns in both corporate and private worship. 6. Teachers may have students complete a project on their favorite hymn by having them describe how the hymn s music and text inspires them. Connection 1. Students should develop an awareness of hymnody s relationship with other subjects. 2. Teachers may have students answer questions such as: How are hymns related to history, religion, art? 3. Teachers may have students write a modern hymn text and melody incorporating various modern topics. 4. Teachers may encourage teachers from other disciplines to use hymns in their classroom as a teaching tool. Based on the curriculum planning method used by CMP, I selected hymns for teaching. The example hymn data includes the following: ChorTeach Volume 9 Issue

8 Title hymn name Tune name name of the melody Composer person who wrote the music Lyricist person who wrote the text Origin place where the hymn originated Historical information pertinent facts about the hymn s history The data collected can also include major concepts from the elements of music. Melody listing of primary intervallic relationships Harmony listing of major harmonic structures Rhythm listing of rhythms used within the hymn Expression/technique listing of teaching techniques within the hymn Timbre description of overall tone quality exemplified by the hymn Form overall structure of the hymn Difficulty level three levels of difficulty were employed, one being the easiest, with few skips or leaps in the melody and three being the most difficult, with several skips or leaps within the melody. Denomination listing of denominations using the hymn. Baptist (B), Catholic (C), Episcopal (E), Lutheran (L), Methodist (M), and Presbyterian (P) were the major Christian denominations included. Hymn meter listing of the meter (poetic) for the text. Numbers represent syllables per line of text. Each number represents one line and is separated by a period. Multiple hymn tunes may be used for hymn texts. Biblical references listing of references on which the text is based. First verse listing of the first verse of hymn text for poetic study. The example hymn also includes three teaching applications and additional teaching suggestions. Teaching music literacy using melodic patterns Teaching music literacy using a two-part exercise Choral warm-up to improve vocal technique Additional suggested teaching strategies/goals vary based on curriculum topics such as history and culture or choral musicianship. Background and Teaching Information Historical Background One of the most widely sung hymns in Christendom, Holy, Holy, Holy and its tune, Nicaea, are inseparable. The tune, named for the Council of Nicaea, which formulated the doctrine of the Trinity, was composed by John B. Dykes, who wrote the tune specifically for Reginald Heber s text, which refers to the Trinitarian doctrine of God in three persons. Elements of Music Concepts Melody Intervals: 3rds, 4ths, 5ths Table 3. Example Hymn Holy, Holy, Holy Hymn: Holy, Holy, Holy Composer: John B. Bykes ( ) Lyrics/Text: Reginald Heber ( ) Tune Name: Nicaea Origin: Great Britain Difficulty: 1 Denominations: B, C, E, L, M, P Harmony Key: D Major Harmonic structures: major/minor triads Rhythm Meter common time Quarter vs. half (Short, short, short, short, long, long) Dotted quarter followed by eighth Whole, half ChorTeach Volume 9 Issue

9 Expression and Technique Diction [o], [i] Musicality Legato vs. staccato Timbre Holy, Holy, Holy has a darker sound due to the rounded vowels and exclamatory mood of the hymn. Form Strophic Text Hymn Meter First Verse Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty! Early in the morning our song shall rise to thee; holy, holy, holy! merciful and mighty, God in three persons, blessed Trinity! Figure 1. Applications for the Choral Education Setting Warm Up 1. Practice singing crescendos and decrescendos 2. Use caution with the word Almighty at the end of the phrase. Emphasis should not be placed on [ti]. 3. No breath should be taken between the second and third measures. & # # 4 œ œ Ho - ly, ho - ly, ho - ly! Lord God Al - migh - ty! Interval Study NOTE: X note-heads indicate key teaching patterns or intervals. Diamond note-heads indicate a caution pattern or interval. & # # œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ D M S L S M S D T S R S L S D M S L S D S L M F R D Sight-singing in Two Parts Original melody has been rhythmically altered to exclude dotted rhythms. S A # & # 4 # & # 4 œ œ œ œ w w S # & # œ œ w A # & # œ œ w ChorTeach Volume 9 Issue

10 Biblical References Isa. 6:3, Rev. 4:8 Isa. 6:2-3, Rev. 4:6-10 Isa. 6:3-4, Rev. 4:11, Rev. 15:4 Rev. 4:8, Rev. 5:13 Additional Application Goals and Objectives Music Theory The student will circle the pitches that outline the G major triad within the melody of the hymn tune. History and Culture 1) The student will research the Council of Nicaea and the Nicaean Creed and 2) the student will explain the relationship of the Council of Nicaea and the Nicaean Creed to the text of the hymn. Spiritual and Poetic The student will read the Bible verses related to the text of this hymn and summarize the meaning of the text. Aesthetic The student will evaluate the hymn tune s relationship to the text Hymns: A Flexible Curriculum Ultimately, the choral music educator knows his or her choir best. It is up to the educator to make solid decisions when selecting literature for teaching. The Kodály Approach, CMP, and Music Learning Theory are educational approaches that lend themselves to effective teaching practices. As demonstrated, hymns can be a valuable tool for utilizing these practices and effectively enhancing the choral music curriculum. Not only do hymns provide fresh opportunities for teaching new concepts, but they also are historically important in choral music history. It should be our job as choral music educators to keep these great treasures alive in our schools and churches. While the theological value of hymns cannot be understated for churches and private schools, it is reiterated that public school music educators can use hymns as historically based resources and as a tool for teaching music literacy and vocal technique. The author hopes that the curriculum suggestions provided will give choral music educators fresh ideas for achieving this goal. Happy hymn-hunting! Suggested Resources Beamer, Chris. Standards for the Singing Church: A Guide to Musical Worship. Belleville, Ontario: BMR Publications, Bluestine, Eric. The Ways Children Learn Music: An Introduction and Practical Guide to Music Learning Theory. Chicago: GIA, Choksy, Lois. The Kodály Method; Comprehensive Music Education from Infant to Adult. Englewood Cliffs, N.J.: Prentice-Hall, Dowley, Tim, and Sugu J. M. Chandy. Christian Music: A Global History. Minneapolis: Fortress Press, Eskew, Harry, and Hugh T. McElrath. Sing with Understanding: An Introduction to Christian Hymnology. Nashville, Tennessee: Bradman Press, Gordon, T. David. Why Johnny Can t Sing Hymns: How Pop Culture Rewrote the Hymnal. Phillipsburg, N.J.: P & R Pub, Hymnary.org: A Comprehensive Index of Hymns and Hymnals. Accessed November 5, HymnSite.com - Christian Online Music. Accessed November 5, Jones, Paul S. Singing and Making Music: Issues in Church Music Today. Phillipsburg, N.J.: P & R Pub, O Toole, Patricia Ann. Shaping Sound Musicians: An Innovative Approach to Teaching Comprehensive Musicianship Through Performance. Chicago, Ill: GIA Publications, Reynolds, William Jensen, Milburn Price. A Survey of Christian Hymnody. Carol Stream, Ill: Hope Pub. Co., Free Music Backing Files for Churches - Piano, Band, and Pipe Organ. Accessed November 5, ChorTeach Volume 9 Issue

11 NOTES 1 Michael L. Mark and Charles L. Gary, A History of American Music Education (New York: Schirmer, 1992), 5. 2 Paul S. Jones, Singing and Making Music: Issues in Church Music Today (Phillipsburg: P&R Publishing, 2006) William J. Reynolds and Milburn Price, A Survey of Christian Hymnody (Carol Stream: Hope Publishing, 1987) 2. 4 Ibid., 5. 5 Mark and Gary, A History of American Music Education, Harry Eskew and Hugh T. McElrath, Sing With Understanding: An Introduction to Christian Hymnology, (Nashville: Church Street Press, 1995), Mark and Gary, A History of American Music Education, Ibid., Eskew and McElrath, Sing With Understanding: An Introduction to Christian Hymnology, Ibid., James A. Keene, A History of Music Education in the United States (Hanover: University Press of New England, 1982), Edward Baily Birge, History of Public School Music (Philadelphia: Oliver Ditson Company, 1928), Harold F. Abeles, Charles R. Hoffer, and Robert H. Klotman, Foundations of Music Education (New York: Schirmer Books 1994) Keene, A History of Music Education in the United States, Reynolds and Price, A Survey of Christian Hymnody, Keene, A History of Music Education in the United States, Jody N. Blake, Hymnody in Music Education: Integrating Hymnody into the Music Curriculum (Educational Specialist project, Auburn University, 2016), T. David Gordon, Why Johnny Can t Sing Hymns: How Pop Culture Rewrote the Hymnal, (Phillipsburg: P&R Publishing 2010), Marilyn Houser Hamm, Exploring Communal Song and Memory Through Historical Hymnody, Choral Journal 53, no. 9 (2013), 48. The Complexity of Singing Gabriela Hristova University of Michigan-Flint Flint, Michigan (Used with permission of ACDA Michigan, September, 2016) Teaching and making music with a choir is a complex process. I would compare it with the playing of an instrument, except that the instrument in our case is a group of people with various personalities and emotional sensitivities, different life experiences, and individual understanding of music as an art. We then add factors such as musical skill levels, singing experience, vocal health, and commitment to the goals of the ensemble that are inevitable and playing a significant role in the overall process. While the two music-making processes might be different on many levels, they are also the same on many levels. When I reflect on my piano practice sessions and the habits developed over the years, I also think of my teaching methods, various techniques, and approaches that I use to cultivate musicality, expression, and healthy technique in the singers. The teaching of basic musicianship, singing skills, ensemble habits, and understanding of interpretation, which we all repeatedly do in our rehearsals semester after semester, season after season, often makes me compare what we do with what athletes do. The number of years devoted to our craft, the commitment, discipline, and perseverance required by demanding rehearsal schedules and performances, are similar. They are meant to build, develop, and strengthen us and our students, not only as skilled musicians, but also as teachers and performers in tune with their inner selves. Then we are able to communicate the finest nuances of musical context through singers hearts and souls. As I reflect on my years of training, teaching, and performing, I realize that the amount of information that needs to be transmitted, cultivated, and assimilated in the choir room is vast. The gradual steps required for building healthy vocal technique and ensemble awareness, the depth of musical detail explained, the motivation and encouragement involved in the singing process, are infinite. Yet, there is a magical simplicity in all of this, a simplicity that makes the process enjoyable and fulfilling. I ask myself these questions: a. What are the ChorTeach Volume 9 Issue