Here’s to Song Developing Artistry for the Young Singer American Choral Directors Association Western Division Conference Friday, February 26, 2016 | 9:00 - 10:15 a.m. Los Angeles Children’s Chorus Apprentice & Intermediate Choirs Conductors - Anne Tomlinson, Mandy Brigham, Diana Landis Pianists - Mitsuko Morikawa, Jahyeong Jackie Koo LOS ANGELES CHILDREN’S CHORUS Page 1 OUR MISSION Los Angeles Children’s Chorus provides choral music education of the highest quality to young people who represent richly diverse racial, economic, and cultural backgrounds. The program ignites a love of singing and nurtures the full expression of each individual’s potential for artistic and personal excellence through the collaborative experience of choral music performance. Through the beauty of inspired and joyful singing, Los Angeles Children’s Chorus brings the transformative power of music to communities throughout Southern California, the nation and the world. LOS ANGELES CHILDREN’S CHORUS Page 2 OUR BIOGRAPHY Los Angeles Children’s Chorus, widely recognized for its agile LACC, recipient of Chorus America’s 2014 Margaret Hillis bel canto sound and artistic excellence, has been lauded as Award for Choral Excellence, the nation’s highest choral “hauntingly beautiful” (Los Angeles Times), “astonishingly honor, has toured North and South America, Africa, China, polished” (Performances Magazine), “extraordinary in its Cuba, Australia and Europe. It appears on the Los Angeles abilities” (Culture Spot LA), and “one of the world’s foremost Master Chorale’s critically acclaimed Decca recording A children’s choirs” (Pasadena Star News). Founded in 1986 Good Understanding, and Plácido Domingo’s Deutsche and led by Artistic Director Anne Tomlinson since 1996, Grammophon recording Amore Infinito (“Infinite Love”). LACC is celebrating its 30th Anniversary Season. It performs The subject of a trilogy of documentaries by Academy Award®- with such leading organizations as LA Opera, Los Angeles winning filmmaker Freida Mock, LACC is featured in the Philharmonic, Hollywood Bowl Orchestra, Los Angeles Academy Award®-nominated Sing!, about a year in the life of Master Chorale, Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, Pasadena the choir; Sing Opera!, documenting the production of the Symphony and POPS, Calder Quartet, Jacaranda and MUSE/ LACC-commissioned family opera Keepers of the Night; and IQUE. The chorus serves more than 400 children ages 6 to Sing China!, chronicling its groundbreaking tour to China 18 from 50 communities across Los Angeles in six choirs – prior to the Beijing Olympics. LACC has performed with Concert Choir, Chamber Singers, Young Men’s Ensemble, John Mayer on NBC’s “The Tonight Show” and was featured Intermediate Choir, Apprentice Choir and Preparatory on PBS’s “Great Performances,” BBC Radio and Public Radio Choir – and a First Experiences in Singing program and International’s nationally syndicated show “From the Top,” First Experiences in Choral Singing Ensemble for ages 6-9. among other credits. LOS ANGELES CHILDREN’S CHORUS Page 3 OUR CONDUCTORS Anne Tomlinson Mandy Brigham Diana Landis Artistic Director Associate Artistic Director Apprentice Choir Director LOS ANGELES CHILDREN’S CHORUS Page 4 OUR CHORISTERS INTERMEDIATE CHOIR APPRENTICE CHOIR Najya Abdi Hannah Forster Gracie Modean Mateo Ahmad Anna Fratto Gavon Muraoka Zahrah Abdi* Kristin Haegelin* Hunter Modean Jemma Ancui Lawler Sophi Gilbert Esme Nix Alejandra Ayala Charlotte Hart Amelia Monsour Victoria Barry Sophia Goretsky Charlotte O’Brien Gabriela Ayala Aria Haver-Hill* Liana Morrissey* Amelie Besch Cathryn Guthrie Aidan O’Connor Katherine Besch* Willa Hawthorne Kelsey Mumford* Andrew Bigelow Alejandra Hampton Clara Pierce Audrey Bland* Clara Henriod Angeline Nim Ian Bogue Mariacatherine Hampton Ethan Ramillano Isabella Bonfante Karina Ho* Mia Patzakis* Elisa Booth Aidan Helgeson Elena Ruiz Violet Bretz* Anadelia Hunt* Shelby Perez* Finn Brakeley Nikki Hensley Esme Salzman Erin Buchanan* Eliza Jacobs Bianca Ramirez Sydney Brakeley Sara Hightower Alina Sanok Leonie Casper* Amy Joo* Anya Raygor* Hannah Cahalan Eileen Jung Mary-Katherine Seley Maria Chatila* Clara Kakuk* Sofia Roberts Taryn Chadwick Dahlia Kasson Leah Taylor Selina Cho* Lily Keating Joseph Sanok Natalie Chan Ian Kim Brendan Terry Lucinda Clark* Gwenyth Kim* Isabella Sawoski Sean Chan Lola Kim Emma Tio Sophia Clem-Whiting* Sophie Kim* Amelia Seropian Nitya Chawla Kennedy King Vivian Tullis Mateo Coleman Ashlinn Kingston* Maya Silverman* Isabel Cucchiaro Joshua Lee Dove Williams David Contreras Rachel Knell Madison Spitzer Anne-Elizabeth Debreu Joshua Li Michelle Wong Aiden Correnti Kendal Kully* Brandon Takahashi Rachel DeMerit Phoebe Li Lyric Woo Alianne Crockett* Madeleine Kwei* Elise Tervalon* Lauren DuBria Ryan Liddy Rachel Yang Thompson Crockett Ruby Lam* Carmela Vargas- T. Quinn Fagan Emily Manookian Olivia Yochim Aleina Cummings Beckett Ledahl vonBreymann Atziri Fernandez Natalia Mathias Anna Yoo Joseph David Sophie Lin* Caitlin Wu* Finley Flanagan Caius McGlothlin Ty Young Sarah Decker* Rachel Loh* Jessica Yang* Ava Zhang Claire Denault Charles Luke *Advanced Intermediate Choir Andrew Deschenes Micah Luna Girls’ Ensemble Mwï Epalle* Maggie MacKenzie Anika Erickson* Lars Martin LOS ANGELES CHILDREN’S CHORUS Page 5 OUR ARTISTIC GOALS Preparatory Choir Preparatory Choir introduces singers to the joy of expressive singing in an ensemble. It empha- sizes education and development, with 2-3 presentations a season for family and friends. Preparatory Choir introduces singers to: • Bel canto vocal production with emphasis • Choral singing facility including blend and on breathing and breath management unification of vowels o Vocal freedom and development of ease in head voice • Listening skills to develop fine intonation o Vowel shaping and placement o Development of tone with beauty • One to two additional languages of color from middle C to E (10th higher) • Beginning musicianship skills • Effective communication of text • Development of identity as an ensemble and esprit de corps • Choral rehearsal and performance decorum REPERTOIRE Includes unison masterworks, arts songs, folk songs, and rounds LOS ANGELES CHILDREN’S CHORUS Page 6 OUR ARTISTIC GOALS Apprentice Choir Apprentice Choir seeks to sustain and nurture the joy of expressive singing in an ensemble. It places emphasis on education and development, with opportunities to perform in LACC self-produced and community outreach concerts. Apprentice Choir seeks to develop: REPERTOIRE • Beautiful head tone based on bel canto • Acute choral listening skills focusing on technique adapted for ages 9-12 beautiful choral blend • Selected to build vocal and choral skills for this stage of development • Comfort in an expanded range: middle • Choral rehearsal decorum and C to F (11th higher) professional performance decorum • Selected from the breadth of the Western canon, both sacred • Acute pitch sense • Confidence and poise among members and secular; authentic global of the ensemble folk repertoire; American folk • Resonant vowels & communicative songs; gospel and jazz; newly consonant production • Esprit de corps commissioned works for LACC • Phrasing, text sensitivity, some dynamic • Parental understanding and support for • Includes 2-3 languages in the fall contrast objectives and 3 in the spring (fall preferably Latin, Italian) Apprentice Choir will support: • Emphasis on fine unison singing; some 2-part • Musicianship skills development • Individual vocal development LOS ANGELES CHILDREN’S CHORUS Page 7 OUR ARTISTIC GOALS Intermediate Choir Intermediate Choir seeks to sustain and nurture the joy of expressive singing in an ensemble. It places emphasis on education and development with increased opportunities to perform in LACC self-produced concerts and a limited number of performances with artistic partners. Intermediate Choir seeks to develop Building on the foundation from Intermediate Choir will support: and secure: Apprentice Choir, Intermediate Choir seeks to continue to develop: • Musicianship skills development • Beautiful head tone based on bel canto technique adapted for ages 10-16, • Phrasing, text sensitivity, and expanded • Individual vocal development, encour- expanding the color of the voice adding dynamic contrast aging each unique voice some chest resonance REPERTOIRE • Acute choral listening skills focusing on • Comfort in an expanded range: A below beautiful choral blend and balance of • Selected to build vocal and choral skills middle C to A two octaves higher parts for this stage of development • Fine intonation • Choral rehearsal decorum and • Selected from breadth of Western canon, professional rehearsal decorum both sacred and secular; authentic global • Resonant, unified vowels and folk repertoire; American folk songs; gospel and jazz; newly commissioned communicative, stylistically sensitive • Confidence and poise among members works for LACC consonant production of the ensemble • Includes 3-4 languages in spring and fall • Esprit de corps • Continued emphasis on fine unison • Parental understanding and support for singing; 2- and 3-part singing objectives LOS ANGELES CHILDREN’S CHORUS Page 8 VOCAL RANGES The vocal ranges shown in Examples 3.9-3.14 are designed for consideration when choosing song literature for the grades indicated. The tessituras given are the comfort zones in which the majority of pitches should be written. These ranges and tessituras do not follow the trend of lowering song ranges. Rather, the limited vocal range in the primary grades is gradually raised and lowered until a full two ocataves is used in the sixth grade. This is, of course, based upon the assumption that the three-reigster concept and the necessary vocal techniques are taught in order to permit students to learn to sing an ever-expanding range throughout the elementary grades. From Teaching Kids to Sing by Kenneth H. Phillips, p. 59-60 LOS ANGELES CHILDREN’S CHORUS Page 9 WHERE TO BEGIN WITH THE YOUNGEST SINGERS Identify your goals and use them as the basis of all that you do Choristers will Develop an elementary Become comfortable in head Understand a simple model for Develop understanding of understanding of posture and voice vocal production: vowel formation breathing breath, space, aim (Wendy Caldwell) “Good posture, proper breath support, and pure vowel sounds are the fundamentals upon which a beautiful choral tone is built.” -Jean Bartle LOS ANGELES CHILDREN’S CHORUS Page 10