Ferrell

Caron, I'm teaching my first Zoom conducting class soon. Have you experimented with teaching a group class online?

Daley

With my undergraduate class I am doing both: meeting as a group + individual coaching. I use the group class for lecture-style delivery on topics such as rehearsal technique and diction. Students chat questions or raise their hand. So far it's been very positive---we all enjoy seeing one another!

Ferrell

What are you doing beyond gesture-related assignments?

Daley

Greater focus on rehearsal technique, and students are writing rehearsal plans. This gives more opportunity to discuss sequence and secondary strategies. Score listening/reading assignments: follow a score in multiple listenings, each time with a different aural focus, and write about what was easiest/hardest to hear.

Powell

Conductor analysis assignments using YouTube videos of professional conductors: what do you see? What do you hear? How does their choir respond? I try to use a piece with which they are familiar.

Joseph

Repertoire sharing assignment via a Google doc. Each week we pick two pieces, and share with the class.

Lamartine

We've experimented with a collaborative video assignment. One student will record themselves conducting part of a piece silently, and share that video with another student who will record themselves singing their part of that piece while watching the student conductor. That recording goes back to the original conductor for self-analysis to come up with a rehearsal plan.

Douma

I've been toying with structured memorization to test the student's knowledge of the score.