Dr. Felicia Barber, Director of Choral Activities at Westfield State University will present on Friday, April 1st from 12-12:50pm on the Performance Practice of Dialect for African American Spirituals
Nabenhauer Recital Hall or Zoom Meeting ID 924 0140 3685, Passcode 554032
Performance Practice: A Linguistic Approach to Dialect for African American Spirituals: The interpretation of a piece of music is dependent on several factors, which may include its melody, harmony, and rhythm. However, in vocal music, it is the text that serves as a defining characteristic. The pronunciation and interpretation of the text are key to understanding its meaning, as well as cultural interpretation. One of the most persistent problems found in the performance practice of African American Spirituals is its dialect. This presentation will review the history of the languages and dialects that developed out of the African Diaspora; discover how to apply the chief phonological features found; and instruct teachers how to employ these findings, using the International Phonetic Alphabet, to enhance the performance practice of spirituals.
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Dr. Matthew Garrett, Matthew L. Garrett, Associate Professor of Music Education, Director of the University Center for Innovation in Teaching and Education (UCITE), and Coordinator of Undergraduate Studies in Music Education at Case Western Reserve University will present on Friday, May 6th from 12-12:50pm on honoring Trans and Gender Expansive Students in Music Education
Nabenhauer Recital Hall or Zoom Meeting ID 924 0140 3685, Passcode 554032
Honoring Trans and Gender Expansive Students in Music Education: Trans and gender-expansive (TGE) singers deserve safe and empowering spaces to engage in high-quality choral music experiences. Drawing from his recent Oxford University Press book, Honoring Trans and Gender-Expansive Students in Music Education, Dr. Matthew Garrett (he/him) will provide context and practical suggestions for working with students who inhabit a variety of spaces among gender-identity and gender expression continuums. Stories and lived experiences of TGE collaborators and their school music teachers will anchor inclusive ideas for honoring students in choral music classrooms. Participants will have opportunities to reflect on their own choral experiences, engage in discussion of policies, consider ways to build and maintain trust with TGE students, and practice healthy group vocal techniques (e.g. semi-occluded vocal tract exercises) that will honor singers from all age groups.