Mindful Thinking about Choral Singing and Its Pedagogy

You may be an undergraduate college or university student who aspires to be a choral teacherconductor. Some research data suggest that your choice initially to pursue this interest may stem from previous participation in a high school or middle school, church, or community choir (Bergee, Coffman, Demorest, Humphreys & Thornton, 2001). The significant meanings you attributed to that involvement possibly motivated you to consider a professional life devoted to enabling such experiences for others. Respect for a particular conductor-teacher may also have been instrumental in your decision (Madsen & Kelly, 2002; Kantorski, 2002). Coursework, observations, and subsequent singing experiences at the university level have likely reinforced your decision if you are reading this book in your junior or senior year; however, your interest now is probably more focused or intense as graduation nears and you contemplate your imminent entrance into the profession.