YES! YOU CAN TAKE YOUR ELEMENTARY CHORUS TO LGPE HERES HOW! USING - PDF document

DAVID NECHES GMEA INSERVICE CONFERENCE davidneches.com January 25, 2020 (706) 832-3319 dneches@gmail.com YES! – YOU CAN TAKE YOUR ELEMENTARY CHORUS TO LGPE – HERE’S HOW! USING LGPE PARTICIPATION TO INGNITE YOUR CHORUS PROGRAM What is LGPE? • LGPE stands for Large Group Performance Evaluation. Run by GMEA band and choral divisions • Provides the opportunity for performing groups to be evaluated against a standard of excellence by experienced adjudicators. • Each GMEA district holds its own LGPE festival for both band and chorus. Most districts require middle and high school music teachers to take at least one performing group to LGPE. No such expectation on the elementary level. How Do I Participate? Open to all groups where the director is a GMEA member Register through GMEA Opus Deadline to Register: around November 12 Benefits of LGPE Participation • Benefits to Students o A chance to hear rubric based evaluations from someone other than their teacher o Opportunity to hear older chorus groups sing o A chance to listen critically to other chorus groups • Benefits to Teachers o Possibly only chance all year to get a chorus based evaluation all year o Positive LGPE comments make a worthwhile addition to your evaluation portfolio o Going to LGPE pushes you as the director to be at your absolute best o Connectional possibilities by participating in LGPE • Benefits to your program o Participation helps build a sense of pride within the choir. o Sets up a framework to take all of your pieces to the “next level” – not just LGPE selections o Serves as a recruitment tool for chorus o Provides positive exposure for the chorus both during AND after the event o Expands performance opportunites

Planning your chorus year for LGPE success • Summer o Keep LGPE in mind when reviewing pieces for next year. o Be on the lookout for a really strong Unison piece or two • Choose the right two pieces! o pick one medium/fast tempo and one slower tempo o If one piece is in 6/8 or 3/4, make sure the other piece is either 4/4 or 2/4 o avoid popular/Broadway style songs o select pieces that your chorus can do WELL. There are NO points given for presenting your challenge piece! o At least one piece should be unison. o If you do a song with harmony – make sure it’s harmony that can be done well. Partner songs, ostinatos, descants are all good harmony approaches for LGPE. Extensive parallel thirds? – maybe not. o Pieces must be performed exactly as specified. If an instrument is listed and is not optional – it must be included in performance. • Beginning of school year o Begin with the Unison song you picked out o Check GMEA Opus for deadline filing date. Note location of venue. Can be near or far. • Early November o Assess your chorus. Where are they now? o Where might they be in March? o Which piece will work as a 2 nd piece for LGPE? o Have your Chorus perform that Unison piece o Register for LGPE before deadline – leave piece selection as TBA • Mid -November through December o Holiday Insanity • January o Start working on second piece if you have not done so already. Keep reviewing first piece o Have you lined up your accompanist yet? o Arrange for transportation. Many districts pay for LGPE transportation – if they do, make sure they pay for your school. o Amend your registration to include your two selections. • February o Arrange for when your accompanist will attend rehearsals. The more the better! Having only one rehearsal with accompanist before LGPE is NOT ideal! o Request a performance time slot that works for you from the district coordinator. Elementary schools have less schedule flexibility than High Schools.

• Beginning of March o Your accompanist is coming to rehearsals o Is the LGPE venue local? Consider a visit. o Confirm transportation, parent chaperones, permission slips, etc. o Explain LGPE to your chorus: ▪ Key concept – judging against a standard (rubric) of excellence rather than a competition between groups. ▪ Expectations for critical listening of other group ▪ Show and review score sheet. Do not overemphasize this part. • Middle of March o it’s LGPE. HAVE FUN! Take some pictures • After LGPE o Have a chorus party at next rehearsal to celebrate a job well done. o Stress the positive learning experience over any particular score. o Extract comments from judging sheet and share with chorus. Enjoy pointing out how the judges make the same the same corrections as their teacher. o Make a hallway poster celebrating the chorus accomplishment. Use pictures and positive comments from the judges. How to score well at LGPE – Cracking the code • What are the judges looking for? o Judges want to hear the things that you as a choral director should be working on with your group o pitch accuracy, unified vowels, musicality, phrase shaping, dynamics, etc. • Sample judging sheets can be found at GMEA Opus in the Application/Forms section • Tips for scoring well at LGPE o You chose the right two pieces! o Get the best accompanist you possibly can – rehearse multiple times o Perform pieces exactly as specified – including instruments o Bring three copies of every piece with EACH measure number marked o Time your preparation so both pieces are at their peak o Have your chorus prepared in all musical aspects • I want my chorus to: o Have a well supported sound featuring a clear unforced head voice o Be stylistically appropriate for each piece o Understand and respond to my conducting gestures o Be able to execute the demands of the music o Be physically and rhythmically present in the music

• Using LGPE participation to boost your choir program. o Make sure that your Principal appreciates the achievement and gives public recognition o Make sure your parents understand the and appreciate the acheivment o Accept the love from music colleagues and use it to leverage concert engagements SONGS FOR LGPE Unison Songs The Song That Nature Sings – Ruth Elaine Schram Bri-Lee Music Barn Dance – Richard McKee Cosmic Possum Music She’s Like A Swallow (w/flute) – Lori-Anne Dolloff Boosey and Hawkes Be A Candle of Hope - Becki Slagle Mayo – Lorenz This Little Light of Mine (w/cello) – Ken Berg Colla Voce Music Like A Radiant Light – Mark Patterson Bri-Lee Path To The Moon – Eric Thiman Boosey and Hawkes On Silver-Tipped Wings Mark Patterson Choristers Guild I Will Sing For Joy ???? Who Has Seen The Wind – Mark Patterson Rounds/Cannons, Two-Park Jubilate Deo - Dorren Rao – Boosey and Hawkes A Peaceful Allelu – Jill Gallina Shawnee Press One Little Candle – Audrey Snyder Alfred O Desayo – Elliot Levine Colla Voce Shiru L’Adonai – David Neches Bri-Lee Music D idn’t My Lord Deliver Daniel – Roger Emerson Hal Leonard