Jazz Ears: Other Variations: Vocal Tutor

'Yankee Doodle' with variations is the most concise way to describe the piece commissioned by the New Haven Symphony Orchestra to commemorate Conneticut's participation in The United States Bicentennial. 'Yankee Doodle' a tune dating back to the Middle Ages in Holland and England (and used by the British as early as 1755 to poke fun at untrained American troops in the French and Indian war) is interwoven with other folk and national melodies to stitch a patchwork or a musical collage. It is a personal view of American history.'To explain my approach to They All Sang Yankee Doodle I must explain my own background because the piece is made up ofmusical memories imprinted from early childhood.My earliest musical memories are a juxtaposition of sounds - hymns and Bach chorales from the church next door where my mother was choir director; early twenties jazz from my oldest brother's dance band; classical piano from my middle brother and my mother's piano studio; and cowboy songs and turn-of-the-century ballads that I have always identified with my father. Concord California where I was born was once part of a land grant from the Mexican government and the Spanish-Mexican influence remained strong even as the town expanded from a sleepy settlement into an American microcosmos with a wide variety of ethnic groups. Over fifty years ago most of us who sang 'Yankee Doodle' in Concord could not trace our ancestry to the founding fathers. Those of us with Anglo-Saxon names were at the end of the Westward push our forefathers having left behind the Eastern cities a few generations before settling for a time mid-continent then restlessly pushing further West. Little is known of my paternal grandfather for instance except that he had come to California from Indiana walking across Nevada desert to become one of the first settlers in Mordoc Indian territory.Of course the native American the Indian was there to greet each new migration and it is his

Blueprint for the Exceptional Choral Program-Excellence is not something stumbled upon by accident. You won't achieve great things while flailing about in paperwork nor partake of true musical artistry by folly. Success requires a concrete plan of action: a big-picture planfollowed by all the little details that together create a complex mosaic that forms a beautiful and intricate picture of choral excellence. This practical text offers a wealth of information for running a choral program. The twosuccessful veteran teachers offer advice for dozens of solutions to issues facing the choral director. Includes a CD-ROM of bonus material an introduction by Paul Salamunovich and these chapters:1. GET READY...The Calendar for the Year The Choir Handbook.2. GET SET... Preparing for Class Herhearsal Structure and Techniques Selecting Literature Blueprint for Teaching Choral Literature Effective ClassroomManagement.3. GO! Conducting Concert Dos and Don'ts Memorization Contests and Festivals Programming Themes and Variations Enrichment Opportunities for Students The Blessing of Added Extras IdentifyingProspective Audiences.4. AFTER ALL THEY DO CALL YOU A TEACHER! Grading Policies Paperwork Teaching Sight-Reading and Music Literacy.5. TAKING CARE OF BUSINESS Copyright Law for the Choral Director The Art of the Interview Teacher Observations and Evaluations Professional Resources.6. HOW TO GET ALONG AND PLAY WELL WITH OTHERS Building Your Support System The Recruitment and Retention of Choir Students Effective Publicity and Public Relations.HOW TO DO STUFF Fund-Raising Uniforms Music Library Organization and Maintentance.8. HOW TO KEEP THE TAIL FROM WAGGING THE DOG Show Pop Jazz and SwingChoirs Chamber Singers and Madrigal Groups.9. WHO SAYS CHOIR IS BORING? Choir Traditions Fun and Games Trips Tours Parties and Banquets.10. ALL THE REST THAT'S FIT TO PRINT... Topics Overlookedin MusEd 101 The Great Miscellany of It All.11. VAULTING INTO THE BIG LEAGUES VIPs of the Profession “You Are Cordially Invited...” International TravelEpilogue Table of Contents for CD