Listening Awareness

How choir members listen directly impacts the quality of their music making. Listening Awareness is a practical book that guides choral singers to become more aware of their own sound and the sound of their ensemble. The goal is to help musicians take ownership of the sound they create so singers and musicians learn to provide effective feedback to improve the sound of the entire ensemble. The author's approach is simple: students need to be taught to accurately hear musical concepts before they can apply them in their own music making. He provides a practical and pedagogical approach to concepts such as tone, balance, form, and texture. He also includes reproducible worksheets and exercises that apply aural concepts to style and nuance of historical and contemporary literature, always recommending suggested repertoire, composers, and recordings for each style period. Other topics include: the different levels of listening; the impact of seating position on sound; strategies for starting a new work; and characteristics of harmony and melody.