Home Practice Assignments will be posted in Canvas each Wednesday evening.
Schedule a minimum of four practice sessions per week. The length of practice sessions for each choir level is specified in the Enrollment Agreement as follows:
- Debut Prep: As instructed by the Music Director.
- Debut: 15 minute sessions 4x per week
- Encore: 20 minute sessions 4x per week
- Advanced Ensemble: 30 minute sessions 4x per week
Debut and younger Encore singers need an adult present during their practice sessions. Some basic responsibilities of this adult include:
- Ensure the singer properly warms up their voice
- Help the singer read the solfege in their sheet music and use the hand signs while practicing. Help the singer count rhythm if needed.
- Remind the singer to stand in choir stance and use proper breath techniques.
- Help the singer project by sitting across the room and encouraging them to sing to you.
- Help the singer practice choreography as needed.
Here are some tips to make the most of your home practice sessions:
1. Begin by opening the audio tracks in Canvas and having the singer’s binder in hand.
2. Singers should stand tall, in choir stance (feet together, knees loose, hands behind back.)
3. Choose a mid-range note for “do” and sing the solfege scale (“do-re-mi” etc) a few times, using the hand signs. Use some of the solfege practice videos posted below, if desired. Encore and Advanced Ensemble singers should also warm up with the solfege Tendency Drill.
4. Work on the week’s home practice as assigned. Use the audio and video tracks in Canvas as directed.
5. Sing through each assigned piece at least 3 times. Note the meanings of the following instructions:
- Count Rhythm means to use the sheet music and count the notes as singers do in rehearsal. To do this, note the time signature, and count the beat by tapping or clapping.
- Practice on Solfege means to sing JUST the solfege (do-re-mi, etc), NOT the words. Learning solfege is an important part of training the singer’s ear. Solfege should be thoroughly memorized on a song before adding words.
- Memorize on Solfege means the singer should be able to sing the entire song on solfege from memory before that week’s rehearsal.
- Practice on Words means to practice singing the words to the song. This should be done only after the singer is confident on the solfege.
- Memorize on Words is the final step – this means the song should be completely memorized on words before that week’s rehearsal.
Here are some videos to use for solfege practice and warmup:
- Solfege demo with Maya
- Solfege tendency drill part 1 with Maya
- Solfege tendency drill part 2 with Maya
- Hand sign review with Megan
- Major scale with hand signs with Megan
- Tendency drill introduction with Megan
- Singers can also warm up along with our Staff Instructor, Maya, in the following video: