Episode 205: Teaching Our Choirs to Listen with James Jordan

“If you don’t learn what listening is, your choirs will never sing in tune.” James Jordan is one of the most prolific choral conductors in the modern era. Not just in terms of performance and recordings, but also in scholarship and pedagogy.
Introducing, the NEW GIA/Walton Series on Choralosophy!
I recently had the privilege of attending two sessions given by Professor Jordan at my home convention in Missouri. I was coming out of my chair with excitement anticipating this conversation. The presentations were about choral intonation in our rehearsals, and the often forgotten relationship between intonation and vocal pedagogy. The ideas presented were exciting, revolutionary and even outside the box.
In this conversation we discuss the often missed elements that impact a choir’s ability to sing in tune. Tongue position, vocal registration, the conductor’s breath, Music Learning Theory, and even rhythm! We also discuss the importance of harmonic context and the ability for the singer to be flexible and tune as they go. “When there is a problem with a note, don’t just teach the note. Fix the notes around the note.”
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