Academic literature on the topic 'Children's choral songs'

Dimo Boychev (1878–1966) was a choir conductor and music pedagogue, considered the progenitor of children's musical bands and popularizer of children's choral singing and children's operetta in Bulgaria. From 1923 to 1935 he was a singing teacher at the Bulgarian primary school „Josif 1“ in Istanbul, at the same time leading the Exarchate Mixed Choir and the Children's Musical Band „Macedonka“. In the present text, based on materials from the Bulgarian archives, memories and publications in periodicals, we make an attempt to provide a more comprehensive presentation of his musical and pedagogical activity in the city near the Bosphorus. As a teacher of singing, reading and liturgy at the Bulgarian School, he revived the activity of the exarchal mixed choir and established the Children's Music Band „Macedonka“. With their active school and out-of-school events, the two choirs led and conducted by Dimo Boychev unite the Bulgarian community in the city and bring variety to the busy workday of gardeners and dairy farmers. The programs of concerts, parties and evenings, which are held on various occasions, include performances of Bulgarian and Turkish songs, including folk songs, and operettas. Dimo Boychev plays a mediating role between Bulgarian and Turkish musicians.

Born on Moldavian soil, on January 28, 1931, in Bacău, the composer Felicia Donceanu completed her musical studies at the “Ciprian Porumbescu” Conservatory in Bucharest, under the high supervision of some already established personalities of Romanian music. She composed for various genres, from instrumental theater, children's music, to chamber music, stage music, vocal-symphonic, choral, thus exhibiting, with exquisite skill, her mastery of laying down the notes on the musical scale. With a special love for Romanian poetry and literature and beyond, Felicia Donceanu dipped her writing pen in ink to give voice to her music and through the power of her own words. Authentically feeling this vein of poetic art, she also stood out with texts dedicated to various choral works of Romanian composers. She wrote scripts for various musical-choreographic performances, or radio dedicated, and with her painting talent she gave life to illustrations in children's books. As for the admiration that Felicia Donceanu gives to the distinguished man of culture, George Călinescu, it is drawn in two directions, holding a profound respect for the originality of the personality and the works of this illustrious representative of Romanian culture and literature, who ravished souls and became a source of inspiration, both for the young students of the Faculty of Letters and for people of culture in general. It is not surprising that Felicia Donceanu found in the creation of the poet George Călinescu a never-ending source of inspiration. In 1964, the cycle Three songs for Til was born, including the lieds: The Steps, The Leaf and The Living Water. It is based on the love poem structured and rendered in three different forms from a poetic and compositional point of view. Felicia Donceanu thought of the three lieds, in a “suite in pre-classical style: gavotte (The Steps), saraband (The Leaf) and courant (The Living Water)... each of them being doubled by meanings close to popular creation... in the first one, the game..., in the second one, the romance (with depressive, chromatic accents) and in the third one, the enchantment” (Constantinescu, 1966, p. 24). The musical interpretation of the poems is not a simple metaphorical game, the musical character of the poems, in general - far from being just an ornament - being part of the act of creation necessary for a fair reception, because it is created in a certain mood and a special tension of tone, and the reader or listener will have to perceive it in the same tension and texture. The quality of the sound, the form and the point of crystallization of the feeling make up an act of creation and not a borrowing, made by the poet or performer, from life. Poetry is the intimate form of creation, the acquired vocal timbre that identifies itself entirely with the musicality of the content.

The article considers some aspects of opera and choral performance on the example of analysis of the theatrical period of creativity of one of the prominent figures of Ukrainian choral culture, founder of the choir of the State Children’s Musical Theater — People’s Artist of Ukraine, Professor Mykhailo Krechko (1925–1996). M. Krechko as the first chief choirmaster of the theater built his individual principles of work and theatrical traditions inherent in such a unique opera choir. SCMT is the second in the world and the only professional opera and ballet theater in Ukraine for children and youth).The established traditions and peculiarities of the choir’s work in SCMT are analyzed, based on the repertoire of the newly created Theater and the genre range of performances of choir artists (opera, ballet, musical, cantata and oratorio works, a cappella music performance).Formulation of the problem in general. The relevance of the chosen subject is due to the lack of basic scientific research into the life and work of the famous Ukrainian choral conductor M. Krechko. This is the first comprehensive appeal to the activities of an outstanding master of choral work, active propagandist and collector of folk songs, composer, publicist, teacher and music and public figure, who devoted his entire creative life to the development of national choral culture. A separate task is to study and analyze the basis of the traditions of opera and choral performance initiated by M. Krechko during his work at the State Children’s Musical Theater. Also, it is important to systematically study the methodology and means of educating opera choristers on the example of the work of M. Krechko.
 Analysis of research and publications to solve the problem. General characteristics of the life and work of Mikhail Krechko are examined in the works of O. Bench-Shokalo, M. Kravchuk, A. Lashchenko, L. Mokanu. The issues of choir and opera choir are analyzed in the works of L. Butenko, O. Letychevska, B. Pokrovsky, K. Pigrov, P. Chesnokov, which explores the functioning of the choir and the nuances of managing this process, as well as the work of specialists in the opera house.The problem of the specifics of M. Krechko’s work with the opera choir was not raised in the scientific literature, which determined the relevance of this article. The research materials of the archive of the “Kyiv Municipal Academic Opera and Ballet Theater for Children and Youth” — programs of performances and concerts, reviews; family archival materials of the Krechko family; publications by M. Krechko and devoted to the work of M. Krechko (booklets, articles in newspapers and magazines, author’s books and reference books). Also, below are a number of personal conclusions of the author of the article while working as a choir artist under the direction of M. Krechko.The purpose of the article is to study the life and work of M. Krechko as an opera choirmaster, his methodology and practical implementation of the multitasking of choir artists in a wide range of synthesis of arts in the opera house.Conclusions and prospects for further exploration in this direction. The article explores for the first time the theme of opera and choral performance in the works of the outstanding Ukrainian choirmaster — People's Artist of Ukraine, Professor Mykhailo Krechko. The above facts from archival materials and analysis of the maestro's artistic activity allow to learn more about the master's contribution to the choral art of Ukraine and its important role in the formation of the vector of development of the State Children's Musical Theater. Emphasis is placed on the specifics and universalism of the theatrical choir. Summarizing all the above, we can say that the modern creative life of the choir Kyiv Municipal Academic Opera and Ballet Theater for Children and Youth is fundamentally based on the high artistic principles laid down by the founder of the choir — Mykhailo Krechko. The Maestro’s great love for the Theater Choir, which he called his “swan song”, high performing skills and a wide range of genres of repertoire, education of followers and like-minded people, and deep traditions established by the choirmaster are a strong foundation and guide to new artistic victories.

The article reveals the peculiarities of conducting and choral training for students of the second (master’s) level of higher education, specialty 014.13 Secondary education (Music art). The Hryhoriy Levchenko Department of Music of Poltava V. G. Korolenko National Pedagogical University has considerable experience in training masters of music art, in particular, in specialties 8.010103 Pedagogy and methods of secondary education. Music, 8.02020401 Music art, 014.13 Secondary education (Music art). Conductor and choir training in the educational and professional programs of master’s training occupies an important place and is carried out within the courses “Choir Conducting,” “Conducting,” and “Solo Singing and Conducting.” In the process of studying educational components, general competencies are formed (the ability to affirm humanistic ideals, democratic values, and traditions of Ukraine; the ability to critically analyze and evaluate modern pedagogical and artistic phenomena, generate new ideas when solving practical tasks, complex and innovative problems; the ability to form, based on self-knowledge own style of pedagogical and artistic and creative activity; the ability for self-improvement and self-education) and professional competence (the ability for artistic (instrumental, vocal, conducting and choral) and cultural and educational activities, for a competent assessment of artistic and pedagogical phenomena; the ability to justify and implement a pedagogical and performing idea and interpret a musical work by means professional and pedagogical speech). Program learning outcomes are the ability to take into account the specifics of artistic directions, styles, and genres in the verbal and performance interpretation of musical (artistic) works; mastery of basic means and methods of performing musical works; skills to integrate complex performing techniques (instrumental, vocal, conducting) in professional activities; formation of an individual style of pedagogical and artistic and creative activity through self-discovery, self-improvement and self-education in the educational space. The specificity of the educational discipline involves the implementation of the educational process in the form of individual practical classes. They have an established structure: checking the performance of individual independent tasks; analysis and characterization of works of the educational repertoire; intonation of choral parts; instrumental performance of choral scores; work on conducting equipment; conducting choral works; self-accompanying performance of songs from the children's repertoire. The main principles of successful training are the pedagogical direction of special conducting training; gradual complication of tasks, directing them to the creative level of mastering the course; providing conditions for the master’s student to choose ways and means of solving specific executive tasks; taking into account personal experience during the formation of professional competences; constant attention and demand for professional literacy; creating an emotional background, a creative atmosphere as a guarantee of the effectiveness of classes. Compilation of individual work programs is carried out on the basis of a thorough and systematic study of personal, and professionally significant abilities and qualities of the master’s student; development, correction, and optimistic forecasting of these qualities in the direction of integral professional training of the future specialist; correspondence of the educational material to individual abilities, the level of their general musical development and conducting technique; diversity of the repertoire in terms of content, style, genre, form, texture. Control and evaluation of educational achievements takes place in the form of the current, modular, and final evaluation of the achievements of master’s students in all types of classroom and extracurricular educational activities. The criteria for evaluating classroom work are executive conducting, vocal and instrumental interpretation of choral works; systematic, effective, purposeful work of a master's student to improve conducting and choral skills; highly artistic performance of works of the educational repertoire. The conducting and choral training of master’s students is carried out in the conditions of formal and non-formal art education, in particular in the creative laboratories of the Hryhoriy Levchenko Department of Music of PNPU.

The article highlights the process of formation of professional competencies of future music teachers in the process of mastering professionally-oriented disciplines, in particular, during a workshop on school repertoire. The article argues that during the mastering of the workshop from the school repertoire is the formation of theoretical knowledge, skills needed in practical work in the study of school repertoire; mastering the vocal-choral and instrumental repertoire of the current school program "Music", other experimental programs; mastering various methods of studying and working with works of the school repertoire; formation of the ability to lead a children's choir, to accompany songs of the school repertoire, to read from a sheet and transpose vocal choral works, to select by ear easy melodies by interval composition, accompaniment to them by means of the main functions. Since the subject of the discipline "School Repertoire Workshop" is the process of perception and reproduction of musical works of the school repertoire, correlating them with professional competencies, we can say that the main ones are: expanding, deepening and consolidating professional and pedagogical knowledge of teachers and professional competencies musical art; gaining experience in analyzing its essence, content, structure, levels; acquaintance with the civilizational changes influencing formation of professional competence of teachers of musical art; improvement of organizational, communicative, constructive, creative skills; preparation for professional functions The question of the need to develop soft skills, such personal characteristics, skills that allow a future music teacher to successfully interact in a team when solving any issues. In our opinion, the formation of soft skills in the process of professional training of future teachers of music is a systematic and purposeful process, as a result of which during educational activities is the formation of necessary for modern teachers skills for interpersonal communication and non-standard problem solving (disputes, conflicts). pedagogical interaction on the principles of respect, tact, tolerance, team awareness, which, of course, will have a very positive effect on the quality of the educational process in general secondary education.

This article is devoted to the study of the history of music education in Uzbekistan. Generalized questions about the changes in the field of music that occurred after the establishment of Soviet power in Uzbekistan, the subordination of music education to the ideas of communist ideology, the organization of local music, choral schools, schools of folk music, which focused on the promotion of European music.
 Analyzed information about the first institutions of music education organized in the region at the beginning of the 20th century, the representatives who carried out their activities there, as well as the transformation processes that took place in this area, the formation of the music education system, ranging from elementary schools to higher musical education.
 Considered such issues as the creation of textbooks, textbooks on music education, the publication of collections of children's songs, other books for schools and kindergartens, since the 30s of the twentieth century.
 The opening of musical institutions in a number of regions of the country in the 60s of the twentieth century was important in the positive solution of the personnel question in the musical sphere, the organization of special classes on Uzbek folk musical instruments in all these institutions were positive changes in the musical sphere, these data are highlighted based on archival sources.
 At the same time, the article describes the changes that occurred during the years of Soviet power in the field of music education in Uzbekistan, in particular, the organization of primary music schools, music schools, changes in this area, problems, information about the material and technical base of music education institutions.
 The essence of such issues as widespread promotion of music schools mainly in large cities of Uzbekistan, training in these educational institutions in most cases only urban children, problems existing in this field, the proportion of representatives of local nationalities, teaching music theory in secondary schools, special music schools, colleges and conservatories was one of the most serious problems.

Background. The article deals with the choral creativity by the famous Ukrainian composer Mark Karminskyi. The weight of M. Karminskyi’s choral works in the legacy of the composer and in choral art in general stimulates research interest in this area of his activity. However, there are relatively few scientific studies that examine the composer’s choral work; most of them are aimed at reconstructing his general creative portrait or at examining other pages of his heritage. The scientific novelty of this research is determined by the comprehensive coverage of children’s choral creativity by M. Karminskyi and the consideration of his unpublished choral works. The research methodology, synthesizing analytical and generalizing approaches, is based on the traditions of national musicology and is determined by the specifics of vocal and choral genres, first of all, by the inextricable link between musical drama and text. The purpose of the article is to recreate the most complete picture of M. Karminsky’s choral work for children and to determine its role in contemporary choral performing. The results of the research. The composer’s early works were distinguished by meaningfulness, optimism, brightness of musical images, which was embodied in easy, convenient and accessible tunes. Many Soviet-era songs created for children of different school age were included in the “Songs for Students” collections as a new program material for choral singing of Ukrainian secondary schools students in music lessons. Several works of the author became known throughout the country and published in the leading music publishers in Kiev and Moscow: “What Boys Are Made Of” (lyrics by R. Burns translated by S. Marshak), “Quicker to the Gathering” (by L. Galkin), “Balloons” (lyrics by Ya. Akim). The songs about Victory in the Second World War are popular: “Victory is celebrated by the people” (S. Orlova), “The soldier has forgotten nothing” (E. Berstein), “Red Poppies” (poems by G. Pozhenyan). The composer combines his songs into vocal-symphonic suites. One of the main genre of choral creativity of the author has become a miniature that is able to absorb a variety of musical expressive means to expand and deepen the content of the work in a small area of the form. The works by M. Karminskyi revealed such features of choral miniature as philosophicity, attentive attitude to the word, its emotional and semantic meaning, which is reflected in the detailed development of the thematic material. Most of the composer’s choral works are written for a cappella choir. The collections of “Choral Notebooks” (1988) and “Road to the Temple” (1995) have reflected the artist’s thoughts for several decades. The figurative content of “Choir Notebooks” includes the lyrical states caused by contemplation of pictures of nature; the collection “Road to the Temple” represents philosophical reflections not only of a personal nature, but also thoughts about the universal problems of today. The cycles reveal the principles of the composer’s thinking and are one of the pinnacles of his creative heritage. The article looks at one of the best works of the cycle “Road to the Temple”, the choir “Remembering Drobitsky Yar” (lyrics by E. Yevtushenko) for children’s choir, soloist (tenor) and piano. Also, the article deals with unpublished choral works by M. Karminskyi “Paraphrases on the Sonata of Mozart” and “Guitar” on F. G. Lorka’s poems. In the work “Guitar” on Lorca’s poem (translated by M. Tsvetayeva), the composer uses signs of Spanish color: imitation of techniques of playing the guitar, rhythmic copyism of the castanets playing and other. The poetic text “decorated” by flexible, broad, expressive melody that gives words greater emotion. The piece is full of sharp changes of genre signs of melodic structures (vocal without text, dance, austinous repetitions) revealing the semantic implication of the poem. The basis of the “Paraphrase on the theme of Mozart’s Sonatine” was the fourth part (Allegro) of Sonatina No. 1 in C Major from the Six Vienna Sonatas by W. A. Mozart. M. Karminskyi noticed the vocal nature of many parts of this cycle and skillfully made a “translation” of one of them for the children’s choir. Unlike many of his contemporaries, he wrote music that does not fundamentally claim to be innovative. As a true professional, he pays attention to the integrity of the compositions elaborating the smallest details. He strives for the laconism of expression and, at the same time, is able to saturate the choral texture with modern expressive means, if the artistic image of the work requires it. Natural expressive intonation, intonation as emotional content of vocal language distinguishes choral music by M. Karminskyi. A special role in intonation is played by breathing, it is inextricably linked with melodic movement and energy. The breath of the melodies of the author is enriched by the lively intonations of the language, which reveal her “soul”, give a feeling of warmth, strength, caress, greatness, truthfulness. Musical form of the composer’s works is determined by the intonation of the music. Based on linguistic-vocal intonations, most of the author’s works have strophic forms that follow from the semantic aspect of the literary text. Karminskyi is a master of choral unison. This mean of expressiveness, which is not often used by composers, in Karminsky’s works is a carrier of expressive melodism and suppose the performance with a great inner feeling. Features of declamation always find a place in his choirs, they reproduce the living human language, the spiritual experiences of a man. Conclusion. The works for the children’s choir have a special purity and cordiality that is so subtly perceived by children. Mark Karminsky’s music is capable of drawing children’s attention to musical values that purify the soul and nurture personality. His music makes you think and feel! M. Karminsky’s creativity has forever entered the concert practice of children’s choirs of Ukraine.

Relevance of the research topic. Music for children’s choir is represented by a significant layer in the creative heritage of Ukrainian composers. However, children’s choral music has hardly been considered in musicolo-gical research. Among the composers of the Kharkiv region, the choral works of V. Drobiazhina received special recognition. The lack of musicological research on the composer’s work has determined the relevance of this work.
 The purpose of the article is to analyze the peculiarities of the artistic aesthetics and compositional style of V. Drobiazhina’s choral music for children.
 The methodology of the theoretical analysis combines fundamental methods and approaches to modeling a holistic picture of the composer’s children’s choral heritage: genre-stylistic; functional-structural; systemic.
 The results. The first collection “Merry Songs” for junior children’s choir, was published in 1976. Jazz rhythms and harmonies, alternating recitation and singing, consonant intonation characterize this cycle. “In the Forest Workshop” is the most popular one among V. Drobiazhina’s works, and it is performed by many children’s choirs in Ukraine. The choir imitates the sounds of the winter forest and creates a premonition of spring. “Spring” is one of V. Drobiazhina’s last compositions. The artist’s extremely delicate sensual soul, passionate love for Ukraine and its musical culture are fully reflected here.
 The scientific novelty of the research. The genre-stylistic aspect of V. Drobiazhina’s choral music for children, the peculiarities of aesthetics and composer’s style are highlighted in the article for the first time.
 The practical significance of the article lies in the fact that these materials can be used in the courses “Choral Literature” and “History and Theory of Choral Performance”.
 Conclusions. Music for children’s choir is one of the most outstanding pages of V. Drobiazhina’s composi-tional heritage. The uniqueness of V. Drobiazhina’s children’s choral music lies in the combination of the extraordinary richness of the musical material with accessibility both for perception and performance. The composer’s music organically combines Ukrainian national traditions with modern means of expression.

Second graders through sixth graders ( N = 343) listened to 10 musical selections in music classes and marked their preference and perception of each selection's tempo on rating scales. Listeners responded to children's songs played with nine electronic keyboard sequenced accompaniments, including popular to more traditional folk styles. The tenth accompaniment style featured simple chords with piano timbre, included to represent a typical acoustic piano accompaniment. All selections were performed at the same tempo. Three versions of the survey, recorded with various song-style combinations, were prepared. Responses indicated lower preference for older students, but also revealed that students across grades judged styles more similarly than the songs. The most preferred styles were those labeled Hip-Hop, Heavy Rock Shuffle, Samba, and Funk2; the least preferred were Polka, March, Bluegrass, and Piano Chords. Song and style combinations affected children's musical preference. There was a significant correlation between perceived faster tempo and style preference for third through sixth graders, but not second graders. All styles except Samba revealed a significant but modest positive relationship between faster perceived tempo and greater preference. Students perceived the piano-chordal accompaniment to be much slower than the other styles.

WILLIAM BOLCOM: Songs of Innocence and of Experience. Christine Brewer, Measha Brueggergosman, Hana Davidson, Linda Hohenfeld, Carmen Pelton (sops), Joan Morris (mezzo-sop), Marietta Simpson (con), Thomas Young (ten), Nmon Ford (bar), Nathan Lee Graham (speaker/vocals), Tommy Morgan (harmonica), Peter ‘Madcat’ Ruth (harmonica and vocals), Jeremy Kittel (fiddle), The University of Michigan Musical Society Choral Union, Chamber Choir, University Choir, Orpheus Singers, Michigan State University Children’s Choir, Contemporary Directions Ensemble, University Symphony Orchestra c. Leonard Slatkin. Naxos 8.559216-18.AARON COPLAND: Inscape. ROGER SESSIONS: Symphony No. 8. GEORGE PERLE: Transcendental Modulations. BERNARD RANDS: …where the murmurs die… . The American Symphony Orchestra c. Leon Botstein. New World 80631-2.KYLE GANN: Nude Rolling Down an Escalator: Studies for Disklavier. New World 80633-2.

The purpose of this study is to introduce Korean choral repertoire to the United States and to help American choral conductors understand and prepare Korean choral music. I chose the selected choral compositions of Jung Sun Park because they are based on Korean traditional children's songs. Jung Sun Park was one of the pioneers in the use of Korean children's songs in choral compositions, merging them with twentieth-century compositional techniques. Recognizing the artistic value of Korean traditional children's songs and their intimate place in the heart of Korean culture, Jung Sun Park integrated Korean traditional children's songs into highly sophisticated choral compositions for professional performance by musically trained choirs. In these compositions, He merges Korean traditional tunes and rhythms with twentieth century compositional techniques and is the first to create such new music.I selected four of his choral works as the subject of this study: Sum Bag Ggog Jil [hide and go seek], Rope Skipping Song, Wal Wa Ri Cheong Cheong [a welcoming song of the first full moon of the new year], and Mom and Sister. In this study, I analyze and examine his music both from Korean and twentieth-century western theoretical perspectives. In addition to my own analysis of these choral works based on children's songs, I conducted a phone interview with Jung Sun Park to obtain his motivations, insights, and personal thoughts for his works.The intent of the study is to analyze the four selected pieces to determine how Jung Sun Park combines his unique musical language with the melodies and rhythms of children's songs. As part of the analysis, I examine the general characteristics of Korean children's songs. In addition, I analyze Jung Sun Park's integration of representative Korean music and cultural expression into his choral works, and observe the characteristics of the original children's songs in his compositions. I also provide performance suggestions for the four choral compositions, focusing on intonation, melodic structure, rhythmic accentuation, and pronunciation.

碩士<br>國立東華大學<br>音樂學系<br>101<br>Tang Hua-Ying (born in 1951), who was named “The principal of music” was involved in music education for almost 40 years in Taoyuan County. He has composed over 200 songs including Chinese, Taiwanese, Hakka, aboriginal, and Buddhist. Tang Hua-Ying is one of the important composers of the Modern Hakka songs as well. His composition combined with creative fusion of Western classical music and acoustic techniques. Also, his Hakka fold ballads used fresh melodies and interesting accompaniments, in accordance with the Hakka intonation. Therefore, the Hakka choral music has become an important creative source. The Hakka creative music of Tang Hua-Ying include folk songs, children’s songs and traditional adapted songs. This study mainly focused on his twelve Hakka creation songs for children choir. I hope that by studying these Hakka choral music, will learn the use of currently teaches in elementary school. The study is divided into five chapters: the first chapter is for motivation and objective research methods. The second one is a literature review, an overview of Hakka nursery rhymes and the Hakka pronunciation from four different countries. Chapter three is about Tang Hua-Ying’s brief biography and writing style which formed via interviews. Chapter four is about analyzing choral works of Tang Hua-Ying’s Hakka creative songs so that we can understand the creative backgrounds, musical forms, styles and pronunciations as a means to interpret their construction. The fifth chapter is the conclusion and suggestions; each chapter focuses on an integrated summary suggestions and sharing experiences.

This book addresses the development of children’s artistry in the music classroom and children’s chorus. It unveils children’s artistry, identifying its characteristic behaviors, its progression of development and necessary components for growth, and guides the practical application of principles addressed. The book addresses the development of children’s artistry from the perspective of both the choral art and the process of music learning, with each informing the other, rooting artistry in music learning and developing artistry in an ongoing manner throughout childhood. It presents the musical mind as the gateway to children’s artistry. It discusses the power of movement in the embodiment of children’s artistry. It examines song and its role in the development of children’s artistry, demonstrating how rhythm, melody, and text—independently and together—influence children’s developing artistry musically, expressively, and vocally, at all ages and stages. Musical examples throughout demonstrate principles presented, provide professional development with tonalities, meters, movement, and songs, and offer a multitude of songs of increasing difficulty for the music classroom and children’s chorus that compel the musical mind, prompt artistic expression, and enable vocal technique. Practices and techniques that facilitate the development of children’s artistry are included, and the book can be used with any methodology. This book leads teachers to draw artistry out of every child and draw every child into the choral art. Content is intended for application with children from kindergarten through seventh grade, though it is also appropriate with older singers in the process of developing artistry.

Chapter 3 examines song and its role in the development of children’s artistry. It addresses the need for songs of increasing musical difficulty throughout childhood, and how rhythm, melody, and text, individually and together, affect the development of children’s artistry musically, expressively, and vocally. This chapter offers musical examples and songs that demonstrate the progression of children’s artistry in song with children as young as five through advanced choristers. Chapter 3 presents the findings of many years of classroom research on song as it relates to both music learning and the choral art in the development of children’s artistry. It brings together research on music learning and the process of choral development to highlight the need for songs for the development of children’s artistry that compel the musical mind, prompt artistic expression, and enable vocal technique throughout childhood. It applies concepts presented in the first chapter and practices presented in the second chapter in the context of song, the vehicle for the expression of children’s artistry in both the music classroom and children’s chorus. Songs and principles presented in this chapter can also be used with older singers.

Etude 1 helps the teacher with getting started in giving voice to children’s artistry and provides materials for implementation in the music classroom and children’s chorus. It is designed to help the teacher reach and teach the musical mind. It provides songs and chants for tonal and rhythm narratives in the various tonalities and meters, with very short art songs that draw children deeper into tonality and into the choral art. This Etude can be directly applied to the music classroom or children’s chorus for activities, recordings, or warm-ups. This Etude is also designed for professional development, so the teacher can work independently with the various meters and tonalities as needed to develop greater competence and confidence in using them with children. The materials of this Etude can be used with singers of all ages.

Etude 2 expands the material presented in this book on using movement for musicality. It offers guidance in applying movement specifically for momentum and the energy of the line in the classroom or choral rehearsal. The Etude employs movement in a broad variety of musical challenges to propel momentum, capture musical nuance, and improve performance at every level. Songs and professional guidance in this Etude lead directly to use in the classroom or children’s chorus, as well as providing the opportunity for professional development. The teacher can engage in this Etude without children, as needed, in applying movement to music and becoming more confident and competent in using movement to engage in and invite musicality. Insights gained from this Etude can be applied to all levels and repertoire to improve performance of any choral ensemble.

Etude 3 offers a wide variety of songs that give voice to children’s artistry, clustered by difficulty, and guides the process of selecting songs for children. A Song Selection Guide helps in choosing songs that meet the musical needs of children through various levels of development. Comments about the musical, vocal, and expressive challenges of each song inform the process of choosing a comprehensive set of songs for each group of children that includes a variety of tonalities, meters, texts, expressions, and vocal challenges. Repertoire presented in this Etude serves like a song reading session for professional development. Songs selected in this Etude can be used in the classroom, children’s chorus, and concert, and can be used with a broad variety of ages and stages. Insights gained from this Etude can be applied to all levels of song literature for the music classroom and children’s chorus.

Chapter 2 addresses the power of movement in the development of children’s artistry. It presents movement as the embodiment of children’s artistry, propelling the awakened musical mind to full body engagement. It addresses the importance of flowing movement and weighted movement in terms of both music development and choral artistry. It applies movement in the development of vocal technique and energy in singers and addresses movement in rehearsal and performance. It applies movement directly to the teaching of a new song, implementing ideas presented in this book up to this point. This chapter builds on concepts presented in Chapter 1, moving the foundations of artistry into sheer musicality in both the music classroom and children’s chorus. Insights gained from this chapter can be applied to singers of all ages and used with any methodology. Understandings from this chapter can lead to improving choral performance at all levels.

Abstract Trygaeus’ children (114-18). Dactylic hexameter parody will figure largely later in the play. The main action from the entrance of the chorus to the rescue of Peace is marked off by recurrences of the same stanza-form, at 346ff., 385ff. and 582ff. The stanza combines trochees and cretics, so that these are the rhythms that dominate the first half of the play. Between the first and second antistrophae, the two attempts to rescue Peace are accompanied by songs (463ff.=49off. and 512ff.) which combine anapaestic, iambic, and (in the first song) cretic in different proportions. The parabasis comes in two parts, 729-818 and 112.7-90, and each part has its own parabasis-song which is quite distinct metrically from the songs which belong to the action of the play. The first parabasis-song, 775ff.=796ff., uses metres of tragedy and high lyric for a complex combination of allusion and parody.

Abstract Yoshinao Nakada (1923–2000) is a popular and well-known composer of art songs and choral music in Japan. However, his music is not much known in the United States, and it has not been fully investigated. This essay examines his musical language in his art songs from the collection From the Poems of Matinée Poétique (1950) and also draws a few examples from Six Songs for Children (1947). In his songs, a Romantic harmonic idiom, a French impressionistic style, and an unmistakable Japanese melodic writing coexist, and together they interact and successfully establish an individual style that came to popularity. Nakada’s songs evoke nostalgia to pre–World War II Japan, which appealed to the Japanese affinity to the past.

You are about to embark on an exciting journey, whatever level you teach, and whatever your preferred methodology. These Etudes can help you on that journey. They are designed to support you in the practice of giving voice to children’s artistry. They provide a multitude of materials with guidance for direct implementation in the music classroom and children’s chorus. They also provide professional development with tonalities and meters, movement, and song. Use these Etudes as needed to enhance your own growth, to amplify the material presented earlier, and to develop children’s artistry....

Abstract The ethnomusicologist, J. Messenger, who was studying the Anang lbibo Tribe in Nigeria in 1958, gave the following account of their musical activities: We were constantly amazed at the musical abilities displayed by these people, especially by the children who, before the age of five, can sing hundreds of songs, both individually and in choral groups, and, in addition, are able to play several percussion instruments and have learned dozens of intricate dance movements, calling for incredible muscular control. We searched in vain for the ‘non-musical’ person, finding it difficult to make enquiries about tone-deafness and its assumed effects because the Anang language possesses no comparable concept ... They will not admit, as we tried so hard to get them to, that there are those that lack the requisite abilities. This same attitude applies to the other aesthetic areas. Some dancers, singers, and weavers are considered more skilled than most, but everyone can dance and sing well (Messenger 1958, pp. 20-2).

Abstract In traditional societies, where children do not go to school, the primary method of socialization is usually apprenticeship. Whereas school teaches rote learning and the manipulation of abstract concepts, apprenticeship is on-the-job training that teaches skills. Fathers teach their sons farming skills, and mothers teach their daughters household skills by letting them help with simple tasks, gradually introducing them to more difficult chores. Children are always present: They listen to adult conversation and quarrels, participate in celebrations, observe births, deaths, and marriages, and the comings and goings of neighbors and family servants. The women we interviewed did not teach their children about caste differences; instead, children learned about expected behavior by observing the adults. Observation and practice, rather than reading and memory, are the methods of learning in apprenticeship.