Choosing repertoire can often be a “needle in a haystack” type of process. But Dr. Scheibe has it down to a science. His series began in the 1990s, and many of us in the profession, including myself, may have known his name from the cover of a TON of octavos before we knew his phenomenal work with his choirs. He sets the premise bluntly: “Well, number one, I think I look at my choir. I need to know what my choir is composed of so that I don’t frustrate them. If I don’t have low C’s … Rachmaninoff is not going to work.”

From there, we get practical about process.We dig into musical literacy and materials that actually fit the ensemble. Finally, we talk pacing and philosophy—why sometimes themes can be good, but also can be limiting, and how tricky it can be to create a philosophical hierarchy of programming that balances the needs of your singers with other needs like diversity of time, culture, sound etc as well as with the ever present need to please our colleagues.

Tune in now on YouTube or your favorite podcast app!

Tune in, and have your thinking stimulated and challenged. Then, weigh in yourself with your related ideas and experiences on Facebook in the Choralosophers group or over on choralosophy.substack.com Also, don’t forget to grab a reading rope for your classroom wall from the shop! Music Reading Rope

Independent Student Rehearsal By The Second Month Of School School by Chris Munce

Welcome back to Choralosophy Community Contributor, Ian Henning! This fantastic article will useful to vocal music educators of all levels. Ian is a great example of a myth buster.

For future rehearsal clips, find me on TikTok, Insta and FB!

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Pavane: 

Hal Leonard: 

Jo-Michael Scheibe

Jo-Michael Scheibe chaired the Department of Choral and Sacred Music at the USC Thornton School of Music from 2008 to 2020 and continued to teach and conduct as a full-time professor in the department until the end of December 2022, and awarded the title Professor Emeritus of Choral Music. Scheibe served as National President of the American Choral Directors Association (ACDA) (2011-2013), Western Division President (1991-1993), and National Repertoire and Standards Chairperson for Community Colleges (1980-1989). He served as a member of the board of the International Federation for Choral Music (2020-2023). 

Ensembles under his leadership sang at seven national ACDA conventions, two national conventions of the National Association for Music Education (formerly MENC), the National Conference of the National Collegiate Choral Organization, and the World Choral Symposium in South Korea. He remains professionally active as a conductor and teacher. 

Scheibe collaborated with Luciano Pavarotti, José Carreras, the Rolling Stones, Sir Elton John, the Eagles, and Kenny Loggins and has prepared choruses for Helmuth Rilling, Sir Colin Davis, Michael Tilson Thomas, James Judd, Carl St. Clair, Jeffrey Kahane, and Jamie Martin. Recordings of his ensembles are available on the Albany, Cane, Centaur, NAXOS, Arsis, and ANS labels. 

Music publishers Walton, Colla Voce, Hal Leonard, Santa Barbara Music, and Pavane distribute the Jo-Michael Scheibe Choral Series internationally. Scheibe was the editor and co-authored Teaching Music Through Performance – Choir Volume 4 and Teaching Music Through Performance – Choir Volume 5.

In April of 2023, Scheibe was named one of the fourteen US Fulbright Scholars in Ireland for 2023-2024. His home base was north of Dublin, in Balbriggan, at the Irish Institute for Music and Song for Fall 2023. He conducted the IIMS Chamber Choir at the Institute, and Còr Fingal taught a Conducting Course. During the Fall of 2023, Scheibe was active throughout Ireland and Northern Ireland, working with ensembles of all levels, lecturing, and visiting choirs throughout Ireland. Jo-Michael Scheibe received his DMA from USC (1985) and earned his BA and MM degrees from California State University at Long Beach, where he was named a Distinguished Graduate.

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