LACC, Developing Artistry for the Young Singer

24 Pages·2016·4.69 MB·English

Here’s to Song
Developing Artistry for the Young Singer
American Choral Directors Association Western Division Conference
Friday, February 26, 2016 | 9:00 - 10:15 a.m.
Los Angeles Children’s Chorus
Apprentice & Intermediate Choirs
Conductors - Anne Tomlinson, Mandy Brigham, Diana Landis
Pianists - Mitsuko Morikawa, Jahyeong Jackie Koo
LOS ANGELES CHILDREN’S CHORUS
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OUR MISSION
Los Angeles Children’s Chorus provides choral music education of the highest quality to young people who
represent richly diverse racial, economic, and cultural backgrounds.
The program ignites a love of singing and nurtures the full expression of each individual’s potential for artistic
and personal excellence through the collaborative experience of choral music performance.
Through the beauty of inspired and joyful singing, Los Angeles Children’s Chorus brings the transformative
power of music to communities throughout Southern California, the nation and the world.
LOS ANGELES CHILDREN’S CHORUS
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OUR BIOGRAPHY
Los Angeles Children’s Chorus, widely recognized for its agile LACC, recipient of Chorus America’s 2014 Margaret Hillis
bel canto sound and artistic excellence, has been lauded as Award for Choral Excellence, the nation’s highest choral
“hauntingly beautiful” (Los Angeles Times), “astonishingly honor, has toured North and South America, Africa, China,
polished” (Performances Magazine), “extraordinary in its Cuba, Australia and Europe. It appears on the Los Angeles
abilities” (Culture Spot LA), and “one of the world’s foremost Master Chorale’s critically acclaimed Decca recording A
children’s choirs” (Pasadena Star News). Founded in 1986 Good Understanding, and Plácido Domingo’s Deutsche
and led by Artistic Director Anne Tomlinson since 1996, Grammophon recording Amore Infinito (“Infinite Love”).
LACC is celebrating its 30th Anniversary Season. It performs The subject of a trilogy of documentaries by Academy Award®-
with such leading organizations as LA Opera, Los Angeles winning filmmaker Freida Mock, LACC is featured in the
Philharmonic, Hollywood Bowl Orchestra, Los Angeles Academy Award®-nominated Sing!, about a year in the life of
Master Chorale, Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, Pasadena the choir; Sing Opera!, documenting the production of the
Symphony and POPS, Calder Quartet, Jacaranda and MUSE/ LACC-commissioned family opera Keepers of the Night; and
IQUE. The chorus serves more than 400 children ages 6 to Sing China!, chronicling its groundbreaking tour to China
18 from 50 communities across Los Angeles in six choirs – prior to the Beijing Olympics. LACC has performed with
Concert Choir, Chamber Singers, Young Men’s Ensemble, John Mayer on NBC’s “The Tonight Show” and was featured
Intermediate Choir, Apprentice Choir and Preparatory on PBS’s “Great Performances,” BBC Radio and Public Radio
Choir – and a First Experiences in Singing program and International’s nationally syndicated show “From the Top,”
First Experiences in Choral Singing Ensemble for ages 6-9. among other credits.
LOS ANGELES CHILDREN’S CHORUS
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OUR CONDUCTORS
Anne Tomlinson Mandy Brigham Diana Landis
Artistic Director Associate Artistic Director Apprentice Choir Director
LOS ANGELES CHILDREN’S CHORUS
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OUR CHORISTERS
INTERMEDIATE CHOIR APPRENTICE CHOIR
Najya Abdi Hannah Forster Gracie Modean Mateo Ahmad Anna Fratto Gavon Muraoka
Zahrah Abdi* Kristin Haegelin* Hunter Modean Jemma Ancui Lawler Sophi Gilbert Esme Nix
Alejandra Ayala Charlotte Hart Amelia Monsour Victoria Barry Sophia Goretsky Charlotte O’Brien
Gabriela Ayala Aria Haver-Hill* Liana Morrissey* Amelie Besch Cathryn Guthrie Aidan O’Connor
Katherine Besch* Willa Hawthorne Kelsey Mumford* Andrew Bigelow Alejandra Hampton Clara Pierce
Audrey Bland* Clara Henriod Angeline Nim Ian Bogue Mariacatherine Hampton Ethan Ramillano
Isabella Bonfante Karina Ho* Mia Patzakis* Elisa Booth Aidan Helgeson Elena Ruiz
Violet Bretz* Anadelia Hunt* Shelby Perez* Finn Brakeley Nikki Hensley Esme Salzman
Erin Buchanan* Eliza Jacobs Bianca Ramirez Sydney Brakeley Sara Hightower Alina Sanok
Leonie Casper* Amy Joo* Anya Raygor* Hannah Cahalan Eileen Jung Mary-Katherine Seley
Maria Chatila* Clara Kakuk* Sofia Roberts Taryn Chadwick Dahlia Kasson Leah Taylor
Selina Cho* Lily Keating Joseph Sanok Natalie Chan Ian Kim Brendan Terry
Lucinda Clark* Gwenyth Kim* Isabella Sawoski Sean Chan Lola Kim Emma Tio
Sophia Clem-Whiting* Sophie Kim* Amelia Seropian Nitya Chawla Kennedy King Vivian Tullis
Mateo Coleman Ashlinn Kingston* Maya Silverman* Isabel Cucchiaro Joshua Lee Dove Williams
David Contreras Rachel Knell Madison Spitzer Anne-Elizabeth Debreu Joshua Li Michelle Wong
Aiden Correnti Kendal Kully* Brandon Takahashi Rachel DeMerit Phoebe Li Lyric Woo
Alianne Crockett* Madeleine Kwei* Elise Tervalon* Lauren DuBria Ryan Liddy Rachel Yang
Thompson Crockett Ruby Lam* Carmela Vargas- T. Quinn Fagan Emily Manookian Olivia Yochim
Aleina Cummings Beckett Ledahl vonBreymann Atziri Fernandez Natalia Mathias Anna Yoo
Joseph David Sophie Lin* Caitlin Wu* Finley Flanagan Caius McGlothlin Ty Young
Sarah Decker* Rachel Loh* Jessica Yang* Ava Zhang
Claire Denault Charles Luke *Advanced Intermediate Choir
Andrew Deschenes Micah Luna Girls’ Ensemble
Mwï Epalle* Maggie MacKenzie
Anika Erickson* Lars Martin
LOS ANGELES CHILDREN’S CHORUS
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OUR ARTISTIC GOALS
Preparatory Choir
Preparatory Choir introduces singers to the joy of expressive singing in an ensemble. It empha-
sizes education and development, with 2-3 presentations a season for family and friends.
Preparatory Choir introduces singers to:
• Bel canto vocal production with emphasis • Choral singing facility including blend and
on breathing and breath management unification of vowels
o Vocal freedom and development of
ease in head voice • Listening skills to develop fine intonation
o Vowel shaping and placement
o Development of tone with beauty • One to two additional languages
of color from middle C to E (10th
higher) • Beginning musicianship skills
• Effective communication of text • Development of identity as an ensemble
and esprit de corps
• Choral rehearsal and performance decorum
REPERTOIRE
Includes unison masterworks, arts songs, folk songs, and rounds
LOS ANGELES CHILDREN’S CHORUS
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OUR ARTISTIC GOALS
Apprentice Choir
Apprentice Choir seeks to sustain and nurture the joy of expressive singing in an ensemble.
It places emphasis on education and development, with opportunities to perform in LACC
self-produced and community outreach concerts.
Apprentice Choir seeks to develop:
REPERTOIRE
• Beautiful head tone based on bel canto • Acute choral listening skills focusing on
technique adapted for ages 9-12 beautiful choral blend • Selected to build vocal and choral
skills for this stage of development
• Comfort in an expanded range: middle • Choral rehearsal decorum and
C to F (11th higher) professional performance decorum • Selected from the breadth of
the Western canon, both sacred
• Acute pitch sense • Confidence and poise among members and secular; authentic global
of the ensemble folk repertoire; American folk
• Resonant vowels & communicative songs; gospel and jazz; newly
consonant production • Esprit de corps commissioned works for LACC
• Phrasing, text sensitivity, some dynamic • Parental understanding and support for • Includes 2-3 languages in the fall
contrast objectives and 3 in the spring (fall preferably
Latin, Italian)
Apprentice Choir will support:
• Emphasis on fine unison singing;
some 2-part
• Musicianship skills development
• Individual vocal development LOS ANGELES CHILDREN’S CHORUS
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OUR ARTISTIC GOALS
Intermediate Choir
Intermediate Choir seeks to sustain and nurture the joy of expressive singing in an ensemble.
It places emphasis on education and development with increased opportunities to perform in
LACC self-produced concerts and a limited number of performances with artistic partners.
Intermediate Choir seeks to develop Building on the foundation from Intermediate Choir will support:
and secure: Apprentice Choir, Intermediate Choir
seeks to continue to develop: • Musicianship skills development
• Beautiful head tone based on bel canto
technique adapted for ages 10-16, • Phrasing, text sensitivity, and expanded • Individual vocal development, encour-
expanding the color of the voice adding dynamic contrast aging each unique voice
some chest resonance
REPERTOIRE
• Acute choral listening skills focusing on
• Comfort in an expanded range: A below beautiful choral blend and balance of
• Selected to build vocal and choral skills
middle C to A two octaves higher parts
for this stage of development
• Fine intonation • Choral rehearsal decorum and
• Selected from breadth of Western canon,
professional rehearsal decorum both sacred and secular; authentic global
• Resonant, unified vowels and folk repertoire; American folk songs;
gospel and jazz; newly commissioned
communicative, stylistically sensitive • Confidence and poise among members
works for LACC
consonant production of the ensemble
• Includes 3-4 languages in spring and fall
• Esprit de corps
• Continued emphasis on fine unison
• Parental understanding and support for singing; 2- and 3-part singing
objectives
LOS ANGELES CHILDREN’S CHORUS
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VOCAL RANGES
The vocal ranges shown in Examples 3.9-3.14 are designed for
consideration when choosing song literature for the grades indicated.
The tessituras given are the comfort zones in which the majority of
pitches should be written. These ranges and tessituras do not follow
the trend of lowering song ranges. Rather, the limited vocal range
in the primary grades is gradually raised and lowered until a full two
ocataves is used in the sixth grade. This is, of course, based upon the
assumption that the three-reigster concept and the necessary vocal
techniques are taught in order to permit students to learn to sing an
ever-expanding range throughout the elementary grades.
From Teaching Kids to Sing by Kenneth H. Phillips, p. 59-60 LOS ANGELES CHILDREN’S CHORUS
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WHERE TO BEGIN WITH
THE YOUNGEST SINGERS
Identify your goals and use them as the basis of all that you do
Choristers will
Develop an elementary Become comfortable in head Understand a simple model for Develop understanding of
understanding of posture and voice vocal production: vowel formation
breathing
breath, space, aim
(Wendy Caldwell)
“Good posture, proper breath support, and pure
vowel sounds are the fundamentals upon which a
beautiful choral tone is built.”
-Jean Bartle
LOS ANGELES CHILDREN’S CHORUS
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