MUED 376: Choral Music, Materials & Techniques (M2 & T)

Developing Choral Excellence Through Teaching and Performance:

TASK ANALYSIS - Musical
(Use the back to list/graph: What is involved (musical elements and learning outcomes
that we discussed in class) in what order, and what degree of IMPORTANCE?)

NAME:_Emily Bryson_________________________________________
CHOIR: (REAL OR IMAGINARY)_Imaginary Non-Audition High School Choir
Weighting Order Tasks
(Strong, med, weak)

Strong 10 Artistic performance by musically independent choir

Strong 9 Context

Strong 8 Vowels

Strong 7 Reflective Thinking

Strong 6 Solfege

Strong 5 Blend

Strong 4 Critical thinking

Strong 3 Life-long learning

Strong 2 Breathing

Strong 1 Pitch matching

As the music director in Bryson High School’s general non-
audition choir I work hard to ensure that the academic and social
needs of my choir is met. One way of accomplishing this, and to
strengthen my choir both musically and as individuals is to
consistently think about what elements I value as a director both
generally and for this specific ensemble.
In the list above I ordered 10 musical elements and learning
outcomes that I value highly and ranked them from 1 to 10. When
creating this list I first thought about what I did not value highly
enough to put on the list, and set it aside. I then worked from my
most valued element, to my number 10 most valued element,
slowly while comparing what was already on my list, with a
separate list of 36 elements and learning outcomes. Some of the 36
elements were not included in my list, because I felt they could be
incorporated into something that was already on my list. An
example of this is music history, which I believe is closely related
to the context of a piece.
The first element on my list is pitch matching, which I
believe is the first step to productive singing. The following
element is breathing, which is also crucial to proper singing, and
helps to support the voice, which avoids injuries of the vocal
chords. The next two values on my list include life-long learning,
as well as critical thinking. Reflective thinking is also on my list,
further down. As a music educator I believe that musicians build
many applicable skills, aside from their musicianship. These three
skills are those that I hope all my students will strengthen or build
an appreciation for.
I also included blend, solfege and vowels in my list. Both
blend and vowels are important aspects of choir singing, and create
the best sound, which in turn helps to create flow! A knowledge in
both blend and vowels can also translate to any singing, which I
hope my students will continue to enjoy singing, in their journey of
life-long learning. In regard to solfege, I believe learning solfege is
similar to learning another language. It helps to build critical
thinking skills, and is a skill students will be able to use in their
future musical endeavors.
The last two musical elements I listed are context and an
artistic performance by a musically independent choir. I hope my
choir understands the context of every song as more than an
assignment, or a part of a concert. As the director I think about
repertoire choices and spend time choosing songs with a relevant
and meaningful context. For this reason, I want my students to
learn about and explore the context of the repertoire pieces, as well
as the context of their favorite songs and albums. I also think
context can include parts of music history, such as the composer’s
life, the historical events during the time the song was written, and
the relevance the song holds in today’s society. Lastly, I hope my
students can create an artistic performance independently, which
shows my ability as a teacher to provide the skills and knowledges
my students need to succeed.
I also work to incorporate the many musical elements and
behaviors that I do value that do not fall on my list. Some
examples of these include rhythm, literacy, sight reading, concert
readiness and stage presence. Many of these values are also closely
related to those I mentioned in the list, and all contribute to
creating a balance between the academic and the social.