Virtual Choir

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.

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