It’s a New Year, now what?

Finish a concert, wrap up a unit of study, finish that last assessment, and you’re home free! Celebrate the success, take a bit of time to breathe and refresh, and, then, come back ready for the next step.

As a middle school choir teacher, just WHAT is that?

For me, in January, it’s a reset and regroup time. I like to take some time to celebrate what we’ve accomplished (personally, and as a group), set some new goals, and create a plan to achieve those goals.

As a choir, January-March finds us working on our contest music and continuing rhythm and sight singing work. I’ll introduce note names, review performance etiquette, and, closer to our contest time, introduce/review adjudication terms and expectations.

In the first couple classes in JANUARY, I like to find out more about my students’ voices, goals, and choir relationships.

I teach classes of 30-85, so doing individual voice testing is almost impossible. When my class size is way too big to get it done and maintain some semblance of control, I use a vocal range video like THIS ONE.

Prepare the students:

1. Teach them how to know when they’ve reached the lowest spot and highest spot in their vocal range.

2. Practice moving down and up the scale a few times with you at the piano. I like to have them use the sound “doo” when they’re singing each pitch.

3. Explain that you’ll be playing the video while they sing along to the given pitch on “doo.” When they get to the lowest pitch, write the LETTER and NUMBER that was on the screen when they hit that pitch. Then, explain that you’ll do the same thing with the highest pitch.

4. My Voice Test worksheet has a spot for them to write these in.

You can get a simpler version of this worksheet for FREE by clicking HERE.

5. This is a good starting point for finding students who have similar ranges.

(Now, I’m a believer that middle school girls can sing anything – their voices haven’t settled, and won’t for quite a long time. I never say “that’s so high”, or “that’s super low”, or anything like that. I sing it like it’s super easy. And, I’ve found that they don’t react with fear if I demonstrate it like it’s “nothing”. lol. I will be honest and say something like “this is where my voice stops sounding good” or “this is the last note I can hit and still sing with healthy technique.” Obviously, middle school boys’ voices are a totally different ballgame. More on that in a different post. )

And, if you’re a goal setter and want to encourage your students to set choir goals, this is a great time of year to do so! I will use THIS GOAL SHEET for my students in January. This sheet, the voice range worksheet, and others are available in my New Year Bundle.

I wish you the best in January! I hope you’ve been able to rest and reset. What are you most excited about for the New Year?

Until next time! – Teresa