John Jacobson - one of America's best-loved musical personalities is known for sharing his passion, humor and insights with students and teachers, helping them to revitalize and re-energize. Now, he has created a collection of 366 short essays - one for each day of the year, including Leap Year - to help educators rediscover the fervor and creativity that brought them into teaching in the first place, and inspire the artist that stirs within! Through the readings in this beautifully designed daily companion, a teacher will reawaken the mind, spirit and body to the connection between one's personal art and the art of teaching, tapping the restorative power of creativity in nourishing the soul.

This practical resource offers a wealth of information about how to run a successful choral program. The authors are two veteran teachers who give helpful advice on dozens of issues facing the choral director. Introduced by Paul Salamunovich, the book includes a CD-ROM of bonus material and eleven chapters:

1. Get Ready... The calendar for the year, the choir handbook
2. Get Set... Preparing for class, rehearsal structure and techniques, selecting literature, blueprint for teaching choral literature, effective classroom management
3. Go! Conducting do's and don'ts, memorization, contests and festivals, programming themes and variations, enrichment opportunities for students, "The Blessing of Added Extras," identifying prospective audiences
4. After All, They Do Call You a Teacher! Grading policies, paperwork, teaching sight-reading and music literacy
5. Taking Care of Business: Copyright law, the art of the interview, teacher observations and evaluations, professional resources
6. How to Get Along and Play Well with Others: Building your support system, recruitment and retention of choir students, effective publicity and public relations
7. How to Do Stuff: Fund-raising, uniforms, music library organization and maintenance
8. How to Keep the Tail from Wagging the Dog: Show, pop, jazz and swing choirs, chamber singers and madrigal groups
9. Who Says Choir Is Boring? Choir traditions, fun and games, trips, tours, parties and banquets
10. All the Rest That's Fit to Print... Topics overlooked in MusEd 101, the great miscellany of it all
11. Vaulting Into the Big Leagues... VIPs of the profession, "You are cordially invited...", international travel epilogue, table of contents for CD appendix, index This is a fascinating read for every choral director, at a bargain price!

Organizing a choral music program can be like a jigsaw puzzle! Make your life easier with this one-of-a-kind resource designed just for you, the choir director, with everything in one essential collection. Packed with helpful charts, calendars, reproducible forms and tips for a successful choir, this guide will help you stay organized and plan ahead for the whole school year. Highlights include: 40 weekly rehearsal/lesson planning charts; 12-month calendar; reproducible forms for student information; music performance evaluation; audition forms; concert planning; assessment rubrics based on the National Standards and more!

This valuable collection of quick-to-read yet deeply insightful strategies is like finding expert trade secrets from around the world all placed in one easy source! Only 126 pages long, the book has articles by 57 well-known choral conductors, teachers, clinicians and writers. The authors provide favorite "recipes" that range from overviews of successful choral programs to specific topics that will inspire all levels and types of choirs. Biographical notes are included for all the contributors. This is a bargain at any price!

This book was written to assist the choral conductor in the educational process of improving choral sound, especially in the junior high and high school. It is a practical approach to presenting various topics: The International Phonetic Alphabet; Ear Training; Effective Rehearsal Techniques; Lesson Plans For A Choral Techniques Class; The Physical Mechanics Of Singing; Plans For Effective Auditions; Vocalises To Properly Warm Up A Choir; Effective Seating Plans; Singing And Pronunciation Guides For 6 Foreign Languages - Italian, French, German, Hebrew, Latin and Spanish, and more. The page layout includes wide margins for notes, and there are many illustrations and examples given. Plus, it is spiral bound to allow it to lie flat. Don't pass up this excellent resource tool.

Editors' Choice
True artistry is a mastery of details, and Henry Leck's treatise on the choral art discusses virtually every aspect of choral music with clarity and expertise. The first of its two sections contains practical and scholarly discussions of choral topics including director preparation, Dalcroze, Kodaly, and the boy's expanding voice. The second section contains almost 200 pages of forms, policies, discipline guidelines, tour preparation, press releases and volunteer handouts that can be adapted to fit any directing environment. A complete resource for the choral director, this is a defining document for anyone who aspires to musical artistry from a true choral master.

Here is an amazing choral resource that demonstrates how movement while singing helps to harness the natural kinesthetic learning processes in males. Featuring the acclaimed St. Mary's International School Varsity Ensemble, conducted by Randy Stenson, the DVD includes warm-ups and exercises to improve tone, intonation, phrasing, articulation, special vocal effects, head voice and vocal agility. Through these exercises, the singer develops his own individualized shaping gesture, which leads to improved musicality during rehearsal, versatility and expressiveness. The companion book includes the notated exercises, additional instructional material, suggested seating charts, learning strategies and much more.

Dictionary of Dance features over 450 choreography terms, defined and demonstrated with the music teacher in mind. The movements are alphabetized and numbered for ease of use, with easy to follow definitions, diagrams and dozens of demonstration photos for further visual reference. The video features step-by-step instruction of these movements as demonstrated by John Jacobson and 4 student dance models, and presented in the same order as the book version for your quick reference. Sold separately, or together in a pak, this book & video reference is a must for your music library! Available: Book, Video (set of 2), Book/Video pak. For all ages. 1 p.

For many young people, the most intense performing experiences they may have are as part of a cast in a musical or play. Or, they may fall in love with a Broadway or touring production to the extent that they jump headlong into the pursuit of such a dream without the necessary planning and thought that should accompany such a big decision. Veteran actor and educator David Ladd has created a practical guide for performers, teachers and parents to help the decision-making process for aspiring performers as they contemplate their futures in the theatre. Drawing on his experience as a singer/dancer, including a sabbatical year in New York where he chronicled his challenges and successes, Ladd presents the full range of information students need before setting their sights on a music theatre career, including a full range of interviews from professional actors detailing the significant obstacles to success in the field, statistics on costs of housing, transportation and training, and the audition/casting process for a new, non-union performer. The final section of the book guides readers as they explore their own career options, with thought-provoking questions, journaling opportunities and career resources, making this especially useful for teachers working one-on-one with students or in the classroom. It's not an easy path, but if performing is your passion, pursue it with an open mind and listen to your heart - the successes can be glorious!

Movement enhances even the simplest musical settings. It can bring energy to a dynamic show choir number or simple elegance to a beautiful concert piece without your choir ever leaving the risers! John Jacobson's ideas for staging and choreography on choral risers have been compiled in this easy-to-use resource for the beginning or veteran choral director. Covering basic formations, visual effect and simple gestures that enhance the lyrics, this practical guide will help you incorporate all kinds of staging into your performance. This is an exceptionally important resource for virtually every school choral director!