Redefining the Role of the Choral Singer

The full version of my February 2014 article for The Ensemble:

The Fellows had the privilege of meeting inspiring young musicians in Venezuela who are challenging the traditional role of the choral singer. In various ways, we saw how El Sistema supports young choral singers to be teachers that interact with their community. Firstly, an informal teaching style allows directors to act as facilitators and give over the responsibility of teaching as soon as students are able. For example, one choir director was training apprentice directors during the rehearsal, and emphasised the importance of conducting even the youngest children, so students are sub-consciously learning to be conductors.

Secondly, we saw students team-teach with roles including director, vocal coach, accompanist and teaching assistant. This team is often made up of students from the same advanced ensemble, in which they have formed close supporting relationships. Those who teach at other nucleos in the same area benefit from collaborating with their peers who they see on a daily basis for their own rehearsals.

Thirdly, the sequential curriculum they teach is unified among the choirs. The teaching team have themselves learnt the repertoire together and can more easily pass on that knowledge. Likewise, the extensive warm-up routines featured many similar activities, and the repetition allows members of the choir to be confident to lead the warm-up, thus beginning to assume a greater role in teaching.

We can learn from these approaches which empower students to create supportive teaching teams, and redefine the role of a choral singer in the community. By taking on positions of peer leadership and by being positive role models, they become more effective in creating social change in the lives of children.