ofChorus: Positioning a Co-Curricular Choir within a Faculty of Education
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Authors
Hurst, Katryn
Date
2016-04-27
Type
thesis
Language
en
Keyword
Choir , Singing , Co-Curricular , Education , Well-Being , Community , Inclusivity
Alternative Title
Abstract
ofChorus was a co-curricular choir established in September 2014, at the Queen's University Faculty of Education in which anyone at the Faculty could participate. In order to ensure the opportunity to participate was made available to as many Faculty of Education community members as possible, no previous musical training or singing experience was required and no auditions were held. Membership in ofChorus did not hinge on attending each and every rehearsal, as the academic demands of the pre-service teaching and graduate programs to not permit much leisure time. Members attended as many or as few rehearsals as they wished in order to maintain a healthy work-life balance. To promote the notion that singing and making music truly are for everyone, the repertoire we engaged with reflected the diversity of Canadian society, with a focus on new arrangements of Canadian content. In its inaugural year, ofChorus performed four times, recorded nine pieces, three of which were composed and arranged by its members. This document describes the process of creating ofChorus. It explores the curricular objectives for ofChorus, those of well-being, inclusivity, teaching and learning, social justice. Also included in this document, are a discussion of how ofChorus activated community within the choir itself and the Faculty of Education, as well as description of the routines and structure of ofChorus (i.e., scheduling, rehearsals, arrangements performances and recordings). This document provides teachers and choral directors with an example of how to run a co-curricular or community choir.