Music: Choral Department Mission Statement

The mission of the choral program at CWU seeks to develop and enhance the vocal abilities and skills of students who are pursuing music and choral art as a vocation and avocation. These guidelines are set forth as means to accomplish these objectives.

Repertoire selection

• balance of historical styles, sacred and secular
• varied voicings, i.e. SSAA, SATB
• selected for purposes of building solid vocal technique balanced with audience consideration
• explore music of non-western culture
• selections presented for the public are of exemplary quality
• perform works of a larger musical context, i.e. combined with orchestra

Intonation

• awareness of individual/section responsibility for melodically and harmonically difficult
• identify/anticipate/rehearse passages causing intonation difficulty
• encourage vocal technique that is conducive to good intonation

Tone

• healthy, unforced, well-focused, resonant tone that appropriately responds to the repertoire
• warm, energetic and supported in wide dynamic range
• uniform vowels
• appropriate diction, not overemphasized

Phrasing

• well-wrought musical line with flow, direction and motion
• tempos which reflect the technical/musical capacity of the ensemble and accepted practices
• phrase direction devised from issues of musicianship

Articulation

• variety appropriate to style
• excessively percussive only as effect, to be used as accents to an essentially legato instrument

Musicianship/Academic understanding

• active application of historical/theoretical concepts
• relationship of text to music and music to text
• harmonic function/progression
• use of ensemble as a tool of synthesis for musical and non-musical knowledge

Provide exemplary teaching model for future educators

• effective vocalises for teaching vocal technique
• improve posture and breath management
• improve sight-reading skills
• utilize student accompanists
• conduct with fluid, legato, expressive motion
• use musical terminology/vocabulary
• appropriate rehearsal pacing for vocal health

Last updated July 31, 2008