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Cantabella Children’s Chorus is offering a workshop for teachers presented by professor Tom Shelton of Westminster Choir College in Princeton, N.J. He also is director of Children’s and Youth Choirs at Princeton United Methodist Church and conducts two ensembles with the Princeton Girlchoir.
The workshop is dubbed “Getting Out of the Rut — Ideas for Introducing a New Song to Developing Voices.”
“We all have our individual teaching styles when introducing new music,” Shelton said. “Sometimes we lose our creativity, fall into a ‘rut,’ and introduce new songs the same way every time. This session will explore creative ways to introduce a new song to young singers.”
The creative ways include focusing on multiple learning styles — aural, visual, kinesthetic — and incorporating musical literacy, he added.
At Westminster, Shelton teaches classes in conducting, sacred music and music education. He has taught middle school choral music in North Carolina for 18 years, and has conducted numerous choral festivals and presented workshops in 21 states, as well as in Hong Kong and Jakarta.
The local workshop, being held in conjunction with the 2020 Young Voices in Harmony Festival, will take place from 6-9 p.m. April 17 at the Bothwell Arts Center, 466 Eighth St. in Livermore.
It is open to all music professionals, educators and students plus anyone who is interested in learning to be a better choral director. The fee is $45 for early-bird registration and $30 for college students.
Light refreshments will be served from 6-6:30 p.m., prior to the workshop, offering an opportunity for networking and conversation with fellow teachers and choral directors.
Registration for the workshop before March 18 will include a complimentary packet of music appropriate for middle school and high school choirs. Each piece is introduced in a different way, using warm-ups, sight-reading exercises, games and movement activities.
To register, visit cantabella.org or contact Bee Chow, director emeritus and workshop coordinator at bee@cantabella.org.