Jon Snyder & Breck McGough – Choral Songs and Choirs
Join doctoral students Jon Snyder and Breck McGough as they present their research related to choirs and choral music.
Andre Thomas – Way Over in Beulah Lan’ (2021 Alleluia Conference)
The session is an in-depth look at the history of the spiritual, performance practice, and the arrangers.
Andre Thomas – Positive Approach to Rehearsal Technique (2021 Alleluia Conference)
This session will focus on making your rehearsal productive and engaging.
Randall Bradley – Building Community through Rehearsals (2019 Alleluia Conference)
We are responsible for creating a hospitable environment in our church choirs. This session will examine strategies for fostering a communal environment in any setting involving choral music. Vulnerability, trust
Jerry McCoy – What the Conductor Does Not Decide, the Singers Will (Alleluia 2019)
The class will take apart a score and discuss and select the myriad choices the conductor must make prior to the first rehearsal. If we don’t make the choices, the singers will!
Jerry McCoy – Warming Up the Brain and the Voice (2019 Alleluia Conference)
Building expressive tone in warm-ups and rehearsals. The class will discuss and participate in vocal, mental, and physical warm-up exercises. The class will also briefly discuss and implement various seating arrangements and
Stephen Gusukuma – Maximizing Rehearsals with your Church Choir (2018 Alleluia Conference)
Dr. Gusukuma will present a variety of strategies for organized, engaging, efficient rehearsals utilizing conceptual teaching, conducting…
David Music – The Beginning Church Choir Director (2018 Alleluia Conference)
This session is designed for musicians with little background or training in choral directing who find themselves leading a church choir. Questions…
John Dickson – Creative Programming (2017 Alleluia Conference)
How much thought do you give to your concert and worship service programming? What responsibility do we have to connect our…
John Dickson – The Influence of Style on Choral Tone (2017 Alleluia Conference)
Historical, compositional, and individual style influence tonal color. Attention to stylistic issues ensures a tone whose…
John Dickson – The Expressivity of Language in Choral Music (2017 Alleluia Conference)
How much importance do we ascribe to text, and how much of this understanding do we communicate to…
John Dickson – Voicing the Choir: Blend by Acoustical Placement (2017 Alleluia Conference)
The consequence of constructing one’s choral tone from the collective blend of individual timbres with emphasis on…
John Dickson – A Kinesthetic Approach to Conducting (2017 Alleluia Conference)
A Kinesthetic approach to the music requires a physical, bodily response to the music. When this approach is employed in rehearsal, the tone…
Pepper Choplin – Choral Techniques for the Real World (2016 Alleluia Conference)
A collection of practical ideas to immediately help the typical church choir sing with passion and a quality sound.
Jo-Michael Scheibe – Vowels, Vowels, Vowels (2016 Alleluia Conference)
Let’s have a look at intonation and the role of consonants. Vowels are commonly the only focus in a choral rehearsal. This presentation will explore…
Jo-Michael Scheibe – Seating, Placement, and Vital Colors for Your Choir (2016 Alleluia Conference)
Placement of voices within an ensemble can greatly affect the overall sound. This presentation will look at schools of thought on choral sound and…
Jo-Michael Scheibe – Effective Rehearsal (2016 Alleluia Conference)
Everyone wants their rehearsal to be efficient and effective. This presentation will explore approaches to rehearsal planning to maximize the use of time and quality of that time spent with singers.
Stephen Heyde – Orchestra Speak for the Church Musician (2016 Alleluia Conference)
A session devoted to suggestions on how to work and communicate effectively with instrumentalists
Jo-Michael Scheibe – Purpose Driven Warm-Ups (2016 Alleluia Conference)
Well-crafted warm-ups are a crucial tool in planning an effective and productive rehearsal. This presentation will explore the purposes of…
Donald Neuen – Score Preparation and Conducting Artistry (2015 Alleluia Conference)
Structural analysis and preparation of the score; and elements of artistic conducting.
Donald Neuen – Rhythmic Interest, Forward Motion, and Phrasing (2015 Alleluia Conference)
Bringing the “mathematics” of notation to musical artistry.
Donald Neuen – SATB Characteristics, Problems, and Solutions (2015 Alleluia Conference)
Description: Discussion of each of the four (SATB) choir sections, and how to specifically teach them. Location: Truett Seminary, Baylor University – Waco, Texas
Donald Neuen – English Diction that Enables Congregational Worship (2015 Alleluia Conference)
Techniques that guarantee text understanding and word-meaning-communication with the congregation.
Donald Neuen – Creating a Great Choral Sound (2015 Alleluia Conference)
The vocal/choral techniques that produce maximum potential for singing that is both beautiful and inspiring.
Brad Holmes – The Trinitarian Act of Creation: 3 – The Spirit (2014 Alleluia Conference)
Understanding the Impact (“Why is choir so ‘touchy-feely’?) What is it that makes music so universally transformative? How…
Brad Holmes – Style and Tone (2014 Alleluia Conference)
What system can I use to teach my singers style? What is possible for “once-a-week’ singers as they attempt different kinds of music?
Brad Holmes – Leadership by Hand (2014 Alleluia Conference)
A review of the principles of clarity and communication required of our hands.
Brad Holmes – The Trinitarian Act of Creation: 2 – The Body (2014 Alleluia Conference)
Unity through Activity (“Mama don’ ‘llow no dancin’ in church…”) The topic shifts from the engagement of mental properties to physical ones. Group imagination is…
Brad Holmes – The Trinitarian Act of Creation: 1 – The Mind (2014 Alleluia Conference)
Envisioning the Idea (“Why’er we doin’ this anyway…?”) How does exercising the group imagination result in improved technique as well as a unified interpretation?
Jerry Blackstone – Working with Male Voices (2013 Alleluia Conference)
How can I get that motley crew of fellows to sound elegant, beautiful, communicative, IN TUNE…
Jerry Blackstone – I Wish I Would Have Known (2013 Alleluia Conference)
Semi-sage advice from an Aging Conductor.
Jerry Blackstone – Efficient and Engaging Rehearsals (2013 Alleluia Conference)
Rehearsals are where the action takes place; where improvisation, based on knowledge and imagination, leads to..
Jerry Blackstone – Compelling Performances (2013 Alleluia Conference)
Why are some performances gripping and others just good? What is the role of risk in the life of the…
Jerry Blackstone – Building the Conductor’s Dream (2013 Alleluia Conference)
The greatest conductors are those with the greatest imaginations. This session will deal with developing the conductor’s…
Lynne Gackle – Understanding the Adolescent Voice (2012 Alleluia Conference)
Experiences in youth choirs are important to the entire church music program. Voice change is an inherent issue when working with the youth choir as it affects literature…
Lynne Gackle – Painting with Sound Creating Harmonious Accord (2012 Alleluia Conference)
Through the use of good technique, voice classification and placement of singers within the ensemble, different hues of sound can be created within the church choir which can enhance…
Lynne Gackle – In the Beginning was the Word (2012 Alleluia Conference)
Interestingly, that the Word which John speaks is Christ Jesus, Himself. And when we sing, it is the in words of our songs that He chooses to not only touch…
Lynne Gackle – Exercises for Systematic Tone Development (2012 Alleluia Conference)
For many of our church choir members, we are the ONLY voice teachers that they encounter. This session will focus on encouraging the development of the…
Anton Armstrong – Body, Mind, Spirit, Voice: Our Calling as Pastoral Church Musicians (Alleluia Conference 2011)
This session will examine several motivating reasons we choose to express our faith through the gift of choral music. In….
Anton Armstrong – Do You Hear What I Hear: Part II (2011 Alleluia Conference)
Two sessions in which Anton Armstrong will discuss rehearsal goals and strategies which nurture our…
Anton Armstrong – Do You Hear What I Hear: Part I (2011 Alleluia Conference)
Two sessions in which Anton Armstrong will discuss rehearsal goals and strategies which nurture…
Anton Armstrong – The Challenges of the Underdeveloped Singer (2011 Alleluia Conference)
In his career, Anton Armstrong has worked with children through adults. This session will explore the..
Alan Raines – You Are Your Choirs Only Voice Teacher (2010 Alleluia Conference)
As choral artists, we teach singing? it is “what we do!” We are the only connection that our singers have to proper vocal pedagogy.
Alan Raines – Equipping your Singers with the Skills to Phrase (2010 Alleluia Conference)
This session explores the role of musicality, artistry and expression in teaching your singers how to discover the phrase for themselves.
Hilary Apfelstadt – Leadership 102: Fundamentals of Effective Conducting (2009 Alleluia Conference)
Conducting leadership is multifaceted. One of the most visible aspects is that of gestural command. Using several…
Hilary Apfelstadt – Leadership 101: Fundamentals of Leadership Style for Conductors (2009 Alleluia Conference)
This session is based on principles about leadership styles among conductors, as well as findings…
Hilary Apfelstadt – How Firm a Foundation: Warmups in the Choral Rehearsal (2009 Alleluia Conference)
Building tone, developing vocal technique, improving pitch and rhythm skills: all these and more can be accomplished…