With the Choral Fest fast approaching, anticipation building among students. For Ms. Brown, the choir teacher guiding her students through every note, the journey to performance day was one filled with excitement, growth, and dedication.
“I felt excitement and anticipation,” Ms. Brown shared when asked about her initial thoughts leading into Choral Fest. “Ensuring that the choir students were prepared and felt confident going into their performance was my top priority.”
Confidence is a key theme in Ms. Brown’s approach. She believes strongly in the capabilities of her students, expressing full faith in their abilities. “Absolutely, all of my students are capable of singing beautifully,” she said. “The performance part is what we’re preparing for and I believe that they all want a good performance.”
However, even the most dedicated performers face challenges. When asked about her concerns for future performances, Ms. Brown pointed to two critical elements: volume and confidence. “They go hand in hand,” she explained. “In the future, I’m sure there’d be moments where I’d have to address if those qualities were lacking.”
For her current group, though, she has nothing but words of encouragement. “Smile and enunciate while singing, ” she advises her students. “Being able to pronounce certain words when singing is very important, but also making sure that the performance is appealing and that they’re able to show that they’re enjoying their own presentation.”
Teaching choir has also offered Ms. Brown new insights into how students learn best. One technique she’s found especially effective is using visual direction to guide pitch. “This has helped my students quite a bit,” she said. “Whether they are singing higher or lower, drawing an arrow helps them visualize the direction.”
For students who may be considering singing beyond the classroom, Ms. Brown offered practical advice: “You can’t expect to be good at singing without practicing. Whether it’s within or outside of class, you need to make time to improve yourself. That doesn’t only apply to singing but other hobbies as well.”
As performance day nears, the atmosphere in Ms. Brown’s classroom is shifting. “The focus increases not just for me but for my students as well,” she said. “We want our performance to turn out the way we want, so we put more effort into preparing.”
With the dedication of a passionate teacher and the hard work of her talented students, this year’s Choral Fest is sure to be one to remember.
