Choral Coaching: Your Choir Can Be Expressive!

I really enjoyed your session. The work you are doing is vitally important -- so many choral directors and their choirs would benefit from working with you. Vance George, Director of the San Francisco Symphony Chorus, after attending the interest session at the 2006 ACDA Western Division Convention in Salt Lake City

Every choral director should be required to attend one of Tom's clinics. Not only are his sessions very informative, but his message tugs strongly at your heart and emotions -- and will dramatically improve your rehearsals and change your choir forever. Diana J. Leland, past president of National ACDA, ACDA North Central Division, and ACDA of Minnesota, after attending the 2009 ACDA-MN Summer Dialogue Conference session

Choral CHARISMA

My name is Tom Carter, and for the past thirty years I've been helping acting and singers create engaging experiences for themselves and their audiences. In 1989, after I sang with the San Jose State University Choraliers, Charlene Archibeque asked me to come back to work with the group on stage presence. I've been working with choirs ever since, and the results have been extremely rewarding. When singers connect deeply and specifically to text and music, their faces and bodies are dynamically expressive, their singing is vibrant and nuanced, and -- most significantly -- their connection draws the audience into the heart and soul of the music. Very exciting stuff!

In 2005, I wrote Choral CHARISMA: Singing with Expression. The book's reception was quite positive, and has led to my working with wonderful choirs across the country, and presenting sessions at local, state, regional, and national conferences. Since this approach works with instrumentalists as well, I also work with orchestras, handbell choirs, and other instrumental ensembles.

What I Offer

Coaching (Master Classes/Workshops/Clinics): As described further below, I work with you and your group/s, provide brief interactive (and fun!) instruction on the basic methods of connection, then dig into the rep, exploring and enjoying what for many is a transformative process. (For other goals -- such as creating a tighter sense of ensemble, or helping timid singers find their creativity and power -- I adjust and adapt.)
Leadership Mentoring: If you are not as confident as you'd like to be in front of a group, or if you would like your "classroom management" skills to be stronger, allow me to mentor you. This could be done "live," with me observing you in the actual space, or it could be done via email or phone. Observing you with Skype (or a similar program) would also be a possibility.
Phone Consultations: After we talk and I get a sense of your particular situation, I provide personalized feedback and an action plan. Topics could be specifically charisma-related, but also might include discipline or classroom management, creating a safe and supportive environment, helping singers overcome stage fright, or strengthening your leadership skills. Since I'm willing to address anything and everything -- and invite you to do the same, I value confidentiality: What you say on the phone, stays on the phone.
Music Research and Preparation: Does your schedule make it tough to investigate the meaning of every single piece of music? Or, are you a little unsure about how to apply 'charisma' concepts to your song/s? Allow me to do the research, creating a text analysis and step by step approach for each piece of music. You e/mail the songs to me, and within a week you receive a set of supplemental rehearsal activities for each song.

More About the Coaching

Usually, I will jump right into the rehearsal situation, establish a common vocabulary, then work with the singers on the repertoire (while the director conducts).

Occasionally, a director wants a more intense "workout" for the singers. Here are some of the activities that I draw from when I work with different groups to meet their particular needs.

Trust Building: The musicians engage in fun exercises which invite total personal commitment, combined with processing and discussion of the importance of trust in any successful group endeavor.
Expression Exploration: After we're on solid ground in terms of the above, the musicians do more extreme "edge-pushing" activities designed to get them in touch with their creative process, and aware of the forces that prevent them from full expression.
Choral Connection Lab: Musicians explore methods of connecting personally to text and music. The activities are designed to facilitate rapid yet comprehensive learning.
The Rewards of Connection: Once the musicians understand the basic concepts, I usually work with the choir and conductor on their repertoire (during a regular rehearsal). I like to watch the first song all the way through, then work with the singers on ways to connect more powerfully and specifically to meaning and music. They try again, I might stop them and give some suggestions, then ask them to continue. The rest of the time with the group usually consists of similar work with more of their repertoire -- stopping, exploring connection, continuing. This process can be repeated indefinitely from rehearsal to rehearsal. Some conductors like to use it as a "concert primer." And it, or the entire experience, could be a "beginning of the season motivator."

Coaching Experience

I have worked with many diverse groups and directors, including...

The Choraliers of San Jose State University: Charlene Archibeque
San Ramon Valley High School Concert Choir: Ken Abrams
University of Nebraska-Lincoln Varsity Men's Choir: Peter Eklund
Howell High School A Cappella Choir (Michigan): Rod Bushey
California State University East Bay Choirs: Buddy James
San Francisco Girls Chorus (Chorissima): Susan McMane
Chelsea High School, Middle School, and Elementary Choirs (Michigan): Steve Hinz
Southern Nazarene University Chorale: D. Brent Ballweg
Spokane Area Children's Chorus (Ensemble Choir): Kristina Ploeger
Western Washington University Concert Choir: Leslie Guelker-Cone
Western Washington University String Class: Staff
Mt. Eden High School Chamber Singers: Ken Rawdon
Hamburg High School Concert Chorale (New York): Norm Zogaib
Aragon High School Choirs: David Martin
West Valley College Chamber Singers: Lou De La Rosa
Crystal Children's Choir: Karl Chang & Jenny Chiang
University of Kentucky Choirs: Jeff Johnson, Lori Hetzel, Frank Eychaner, and John Flanery
Fullerton Union High School Academy of the Arts Vocal Ensemble: Scott Hedgecock
Walla Walla High School Choirs (Washington): Norbert Rossi
Camerata Singers: John Koza
Stillwater Junior High School Choirs (Minnesota): Sue Gilsdorf
Liberty High School Choirs: Sue Stuart
UC Berkeley Choral Ensembles: Mark Sumner
Davis Senior High School Choirs: Karen Gardias
Marysville-Pilchuck High School Choirs: Jeff Tillinghast
Vivace Youth Chorus of San Jose: Peggy Spool
Ygnacio Valley High School Choirs: Geoff Carter
San Francisco School of the Arts [High School] Chamber Chorus: Ilan Glasman
Junipero Serra High School Men's Chorus: Jay Jordan
WomenSing: Martin Benvenuto
New Choir: Eileen Chang
San Francisco State University Chamber Choir: Josh Habermann
San Jose State University Chorale: Elena Sharkova
Viva la Musica!: Shulamit Hoffmann
Lexington Singers (Kentucky): Jeff Johnson
Peninsula Women's Chorus: Martin Benvenuto
Ragazzi (Boys Choir): Joyce Keil
Los Altos United Methodist Church Choir: Shulamit Hoffmann
Mount Whitney High School Choirs: Brad Hayashi

Conventions, Conferences, Clinics, & Workshops

ACDA National Convention 2009 in Oklahoma City, Interest Session: "The Fully Expressive Choir: A State of the Art Approach." Demo choir was the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Varsity Men's Chorus, directed by Peter Eklund

ACDA Western Regional Convention 2006 in Salt Lake City, Interest Session, "Choral Charisma: Singing with Expression." Demo choir was theHamilton High School Vocal Jazz Ensemble, directed by John Hamilton

Michigan Music Conference of 2010, choral headliner presenting four sessions: "The Conductor as Leader & The Fully Committed Singer, Movement & The Singer, Empowering Singers with Authentic Expression, Pre-Planning Through Performance & Soloist Workshop," Demo choir was the Howell High School A Cappella Choir, directed by Rod Bushey

ACDA-MN Summer Dialogue Conference 2009, Interest Session & Dialogue, August 7, 2009. Demo choir was the Detroit Lakes High School Laker Singers, directed by Kathryn Larson

Washington Music Educators Association Conference 2010, presenting two sessions: "From Gum to Glory: Creating a Safe and Supportive Environment," and "Choral Charisma: Leading the Expressive Choir," with the Mount Vernon High School Concert Choir, directed by Megan Lizama

Oklahoma ACDA Convention 2009: Demo choir was the Norman High School Chamber Singers, directed by Darin Chapin

Washington State ACDA Summer Institute, Co-headliner with Charlene Archibeque, July 22, 2009: Demo choir was a fabulous volunteer choir of music educators (I called them the WashingTones), directed by Kristina Ploeger

Cobb County Music Teachers' Workshop in Atlanta, Georgia, August 2006: Melissa Arassi

Choristers Guild of the Greater San Francisco Bay Area, August 2006: Carteena Robohm and Joanne Wang

Bay Area Handbell Seminar, September 2006: David Ruder

Columbia Basin (Washington) Music Educators Association Clinic, October 2007: Norbert Rossi, with the Walla Walla High School Chamber Choir and singers from Richland High School (Greg Fryhling), Kamiakin High School (David Wright), and Pasco High School (Mel Haug)

I Cantori di Carmel Choral Workshop Series, October 2007: Sal Ferrantelli

Spokane Area Directors' Clinic, July 2008: Kristina Ploeger, with the SACC Ensemble Choir

Music Association of California Community Colleges State Conference, with the Honor Choir directed by Dr. Iris S. Levine, November, 2008

California Coastal Region ACDA Conference, with the San Francisco State University Chorale, directed by David Xiques, November 2008

Festivals

University of Kentucky Choral Invitational, October 2005: Jeff Johnson & Lori Hetzel

While 'singing with authentic expression' may be an uncommon focus for a festival clinician, the impact on the many singers at this event was "transformational," according to several directors present.

Affordable Fees

I want the members of the music community to know about this transformative approach to rehearsal and performance, and I'm willing to do all I can to make this happen. Therefore, since tight budgets can sometimes make it tough to hire outside clinicians....

Coaching is on is a sliding scale from FREE to $125/hour or $500/day. Presentations and retreats slide from $500 to $750/day. I am only charging what your budget will allow, plus expenses (travel, food, lodging, miscellaneous). This includes workshops necessitating national or international travel (I live near San Jose, California).

Contact Info

If you have any questions, or would like to discuss the possibility of my working with you or your group, please email me at tpcarter@earthlink.net. I look forward to it, and am constantly grateful to be able to support so many wonderful people.

And if you haven't done so already, feel free to check out the rest of the website to learn more about the process, and find out what people are saying about the coachings and the book.

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