The vacation is then clearly hither and everyone has one foot out the door.  We may take just held our holiday concert and are struggling to "fill" the final few days before the break. The students appear rowdy, disinterested, or a combination of the two. What are nosotros going to do?

How do nosotros "Fill up" Those Last Few Rehearsals Before Interruption?

The get-go fashion nosotros do this is by eliminating the concept of "filling" time; instead, we can re-frame the goal of these pre-break rehearsals with "the ability to explore, enhance, and unify an ensemble without the pressures of an upcoming concert."

I believe we demand to railroad train our students to call up beyond the concert the same way students in other bookish areas demand to call back beyond tests.

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In that location are 2 chief goals for creating enriching pre-holiday rehearsals:

  1. to actively engage our students
  2. to connect students to one another with a collective purpose that improves the ensemble

I think of the days before a intermission (and after a concert) as self-contained; I believe in setting specific goals and activities that are express to this rehearsal time (anywhere from 1-5 days later on a concert and/or before a pause).

Before I list 7 activities and ideas that can enrich your students right before the Winter Recess, there are 4 activities I strongly recommend avoiding:

Hither are the 4 commonly called activities that I believe are not effective uses of pre-intermission rehearsal fourth dimension:

1. Watching a movie

Unless the movie is highly specific to your curriculum AND guided questions are given, I believe this activity will come beyond as a gratis period. Students volition not exist actively engaged, nor will they have a collective purpose that improves the ensemble.

2. Viewing an audio/video recording of your contempo concert operation

Students love to spotter themselves, and generally will just sing right along. It usually ends upwards just being a gratuitous menstruation with some music in the groundwork. They are usually not actively engaged, nor practise they have a collective purpose that improves the ensemble. In my stance, information technology'due south better to transport them a link to the concert and provide them with guided questions for homework. This will allow them to cocky-reflect and more actively listen. If you lot truly believe playing the recording in class is important, provide engaging questions that challenge them to listen intently, or have a meaningful discussion after each piece is played.

three. Starting new music for a concert that isn't happening for several months

When a big vacation is about to happen, most people (students or adults) are non interested in looking beyond the break. Before a break, I withal believe in teaching music: cull music with a short-term goal in mind; you may not intend to use this music for any specific futurity performance.

4. Giving students a free catamenia

A free flow is a fashion to say to your students that they are DONE earlier their vacation has actually begun. It as well says the only thing that matters in your form is the concert.

The days before a break tin can be really valuable rehearsal time if we comprehend them every bit special rehearsals free from concert pressure (for the students), and ones that offer the opportunity for varied learning approaches while increasing group connectivity.

Here are seven activities and ideas that can enrich your ensemble members right earlier the break:

1. Teach a new song by rote

Bring your singers out of their comfort zone. Have them stand and practise something totally unlike. Some examples of pieces that are most effective when taught by rote would be Siyahamba, The Storm Is Passing Over (Barbara Baker), or This is the 24-hour interval (the piece I've attached beneath as a YouTube link). If this sounds intimidating to you, remember that you can accept the music in front of you! The goal is that your singers accept no sheet music and respond directly to your voice/piano, gesture, and free energy!

Here is Tony Leach, the brilliant choral director (retired) of "Essence of Joy" who demonstrates his approach to teaching by rote. Several years agone, I watched this video and taught this piece by rote to my self-selected high school choir in around x minutes. You could even use this video and have your students sing forth. All students tin can remain actively engaged if they learn each other's parts in the process!

ii. Teach rounds

You can effectively teach a circular past sight-singing or by rote. Reading a circular is a great manner for choirs that are not usually not bad on reading to experience success quickly. If a round is written on the board, an unabridged choir can successfully engage and sight-sing together. A unproblematic circular like Jubilate Deo, Viva La Musica, Dona Nobis Pacem, or Music Alone Shall Alive can provide quick reading success.

Yous can also teach those same rounds by rote, since everyone can be actively engaged during the learning process. I've provided links for gratis downloads of each round.

Meet: The vii Reasons all Choirs Should Sing Rounds & The v "Rounds" I Apply in my Choral Program Every Year – and WHY!

3. Sing holiday carols

Laissez passer out a bunch of holiday carols and sing them together. Permit singers to improvise. I have several free downloads on my website (Jingle Bells, Joy to the World, Deck the Halls, We Wish You A Merry Christmas, Oh Hanukkah, Dreidel). Since we are not rehearsing for a performance, it's a great opportunity for students to share the holiday spirit while using singing as their means for connectedness.

4. Hand out a mail service concert self-assessment

Without playing a recording of the concert, the students will learn to focus their attending on their private contribution to the performance also as the commonage efforts of the group. You lot don't necessarily need to grade a mail concert in society for it to be an effective tool; in fact, you could utilise information technology equally a starting point for a group discussion. A mail concert self-assessment, similar the one I take linked here, is a way for students to evaluate specific, tangible aspects of the concert. When students procedure exactly what was expected of them (individually and collectively), they will proceeds sensation that could lead to improvement at future concert performances.

v. Facilitate a grouping word virtually the concert

If your group just performed their concert, this is a great opportunity to have a discussion about their experience. The most important aspect of a group discussion is that we serve as effective facilitators. I would suggest kickoff discussing the "wins" of the concert, followed by what could've been better, and last with suggestions for future concerts. Each surface area of give-and-take includes anything from preparation, repertoire option, logistics, audience perception, etc. Another corking idea is to pose a few questions beginning every bit a 5-minute written activity. This will give all students the risk to cull together their thoughts before speaking.

Even if their concert was more 1 week ago, it'south nevertheless possible to take a meaningful give-and-take. This year, my Winter Concert is Th, December 20th, and we won't take our class discussion until we return on Jan 3rd.

Here is Ryan Guth's Choir Ninja Podcast on how to facilitate a productive post-concert group discussion.

6. Have a pre-vacation, in-grade celebration rehearsal

The most important goal of the celebration is that it properly aligns with the core values of the form. In my program we accept a souvenir commutation with inkling cards. The students must figure out who their secret snowfall person is based on 3 written clues. First they must correctly identify their secret snow person. Secondly the clue writer hands the inkling-guesser their gift. If this is a last minute activity, this could be highly effective without gifts, but clue cards. Students would need to figure out who their "connection" is based on the iii clues. The goal is for students to write creative clues that get others to know them better.

seven. Engage the class in an ice-breaker

There are then many bully water ice-breakers out at that place. Find i that suits your group. At that place are ones that are concrete, mental, loud, quiet, etc. Hither is a link to a list 40 Free IceBreakers. From this packet, I enjoy the "Four Facts Game", "Detect Someone Game" (very like to what I mentioned in #6, and the "Birthday Game".

Additionally, I love the game, "Connexion". In this activity, everyone stands in a big circle. One student says their name and begins talking nearly themselves. As they divulge random facts, some other student who shares the exact same fact in common must immediately cut off the original student by repeating the exact same phrase. The showtime student sits down in place and the new student introduces themselves and begins speaking about themselves. The connections mixed in with the awkward silence and the funny anecdotes that people share make this game a positive, uniting experience.

If rehearsals earlier a long holiday consist of effective daily warm-ups, active singing by rote/learning a new round, self reflection/group discussion, and ice-breakers/community bonding, students will likely remain engaged and appreciate choir as more than than but a concert-preparation form.

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