Virtual Choir
As I mentioned in a
previous post, technology can be used to virtually link classrooms that can
create music together. Eric Whitacre, a popular contemporary choral composer
and conductor, uses this idea to an extreme. In the following video, Whitacre
combined hundreds of video submissions into a final choral piece using voices
of people who have never met. Whitacre first recorded a video of himself
conducting the piece and musicians recorded themselves singing the song while
following his conducting. More information on his projects can be found here.
In urban classrooms,
choirs are often very small if they exist at all. This concept allows for
individuals or entire choirs to contribute to a larger collaboration created by
students around the world. Less advanced choirs have the option of only singing
as many parts as they are capable of mastering. With this in mind, many less
developed choirs can collaborate by singing different harmonies that can be
combined into a final masterpiece.
This project also addresses
many common core music standards including performing and analyzing music. For
example, students will be recording their performances on youtube. They can
then evaluate their performance and use personal and peer feedback to improve
their performances.
In general, the purpose
of this project is to link musicians of various cultures and abilities together
through music. Classrooms all over the world can collaborate and generate
feedback for one another. Click here for more resources on using Skype in the classroom. This is especially useful in urban environments where
choirs are small and underdeveloped. The technology and collaboration involved
will help engage students and get them excited about making music with others.
The opinions expressed here by me (and those providing comments) are mine or theirs alone, and do not reflect the opinions of AUSL, NLU, or any employee thereof. Neither AUSL nor NLU are responsible for the accuracy of any of the information supplied here or in any linked web site.
