Planning Meeting: An orientation meeting is held on-site with Education Programs Manager, Teaching Artists, participating teachers and administration.

Classroom Visit: The Lead Teaching Artist and Education Programs Manager visit each classroom for student orientation and to administer an assessment tool.

Week One: Orientation

• Access the creative mind: theater games
• Free-form writing using the five senses
• Discussion of basic song structure

Week Two: Songwriting Skills

• Theater/music games and guided meditation
• Writing exercise based on meditation
• Discussion of tangible and intangible

Week Three: What is Our Song About?

• Games of rhythm and pitch to make melody
• Introduce and apply song writing tools
• Groups collaborate to create lyrics for the chorus

Week Four: The Chorus Gets a Melody

• Reinforcement of collaborative skills
• Groups find rhythm and pitches for the chorus
• Groups record their rhythmic/melodic lines

Week Five: The Song Gets a Musical Structure

• Artistic team demonstrates rough drafts of songs
• Groups revise first draft: lyrics, melody, structure
• Gauge and advise small group collaborations

Week Six: Presentation of Nearly Finished Songs

• Artistic team presents each song in current condition
• Artistic team addresses tasks to be accomplished
• Collaboratively revise, edit, and finalize shape of song

Week Seven: Choral Techniques

• Following the conductor: do we know our songs?
• Singing technique: breathing, posture, bright eyes, etc.
• Choral technique: singing as one voice

Week 8: Dress Rehearsal

• Each song is staged and rehearsed
• Reinforce attentive performance skills
• Discussion on being a good host/visitor

Week 9: Final Concert Performance

• Groups from each school/ class meet their “co-composers”
• Final dress Rehearsal with students and Chamber Singers
• Performance for schoolmates, family and friends

Week 10: Program Evaluation and Follow Up

• Lead Teacher Wrap-up visit to classroom
• Administer post-program student assessment tools
• Audition for Voices Within Children’s Choir

Teacher/School's Responsibilities

• Participating teachers and administrator attend Planning Session and are an integral part of the planning process.
• Think creatively about how this program can fit into your academic curriculum.
• Work on specific exercises that you and the teaching artists have agreed upon in between visits.
• Teacher serves as the fourth artistic team member, actively participating in weekly classroom instructional sessions.
• We require that an administrator be assigned to the program, to attend the initial orientation meeting and serve as the second contact person for the Master Chorale staff during the residency.
• School will assist in funding portion of program costs.

Master Chorale's Responsibilities

• Provide artistic personnel and administrative support of the program.
• Be available for guidance, mentoring and serve as a school resource.
• Provide printed materials and resources to supplement the program.
• Collaborate with teachers to customize the program curriculum for each class.