Individual class registration is not required. Pick which classes you wish to attend, and show up. Workshop registration is encouraged as it helps us to appropriately plan for the numbers of people and the range of interests.
The classes listed are a work in progress. Information will be added here as it becomes available.
General Interest
Hymn Sing
Come join us for a special musical treat to start your Workshop experience! We will be singing along with the organ, as usual BUT – we will be adding something to each hymn. See what fun we can have with hymn harmonizations, interludes and original compositions to make Sacrament Meeting feel like your own little Tabernacle!
Music and Autism (Nancy Bair)
Teaching Young Children (Tara Burke)
Do you WANT prodigies?
I am a music-aholic. I confess to having thoughtfully, intentionally raised a family of deeply talented music consumers and performers. Come listen if your goals include learning the benefits of age-appropriate training techniques, theory lessons, and performance planning. You will be exposed to some uncomfortable truths, some enlightening ideas, and, quite possibly, the motivation to begin your own life-long family pursuit.
Music Chair Boot Camp: Music Matters! (Eric McKirdy)
Music matters! Especially in our wards and stakes. This class will focus on how to magnify your calling as a ward or stake music chairman. We will discuss who makes up your music staff, and key into ideas for how to provide opportunities to involve more members and non-members in our music programs. We will rehearse how we can use music to strengthen testimonies, develop talents, and unify our ward and stake families. As music chairman, you play an important role in blessing lives–yours and others. Music matters after all!
Choral
Basic Conducting (Tom Pixton)
Choral Reading (Laurey Lee)
We will sing some wonderful pieces of choral music appropriate and accessible for ward choirs. There is something for everyone from hymn arrangements, to lovely new pieces, as well as some old favorites sung in a new way. Music for every occasion from a variety of sources will provide lots of ideas and inspiration for choir directors and singers. We will also have a chance to share suggestions and solutions as to how choir directors can meet the challenges they face in creating successful ward choirs. See the proposed list for the choral packet.
Choir Rehearsal Technique: Emotion, Technique, Group Unity—how to get it all! (David Thomas & members of The Portland Choir & Orchestra)
Dr. Thomas and the PCO Adult Choir will engage in a “normal” rehearsal; at least for the first few minutes…comments from class members will direct what happens next. You are welcome to simply observe but we also invite you to throw your voice into the class conversation and influence the flow of this rehearsal. You will not be conducting, rather adding comments, asking questions, and giving feedback on how the rehearsal is progressing. We expect that all of us will come away with new ideas for effective rehearsal management as we work together in this unique class setting.
Conducting Performance Class (Learning by Doing) (David Thomas & members of The Portland Choir & Orchestra)
Observe 3 student conductors (workshop attendees) as they work on polishing hymns in choir performance, using the Portland Choir & Orchestra for demonstration. Nearly titled “Show What You Mean and Mean What You Show”, this class will offer specific guidance on refining the conductor’s physical gestures to more effectively encourage the desired singing from the choir. Dr. David Thomas will coach participants on how to convey through physical movement the desired phrasing, color, dynamics, balance, blend, and more.
Primary/Nursery
Are You Listening? The Power of Engaging Children’s Attention so that You Can Bear Testimony During Primary Singing Time (Sharla Dance)
In this class we will experience a hands on Singing Time example using this year’s songs, and ways to prepare the children to be “engaged and listening” in order to hear your testimony. (Some of the ways may surprise you!) We will also discuss how to choose activities to best fit the song because of what the “essence” of a song is.
I’m a Big Girl Now! The Power of Age Appropriate Activities to Capture Children’s Attention During Primary Singing Time (Sharla Dance)
In this class we will experience more hands on Singing Time examples using this year’s songs, and talk about and experience what is and isn’t appropriate for different ages (which, by the way, contributes to how children will act during Singing Time). We will also discuss what to do if you have both Younger and Older children mixed together.
Fences and Flow: The Power of Making Discipline Problems Disappear in Primary Singing Time. (Sharla Dance)
In this class we will experience another Singing Time example using this year’s songs. We will talk about what it means to be safe in the room, and how to set the boundaries so that it happens. We will discuss the need to move versus the need for reverence. We will explore how the magic of Flow has everything to do with allowing reverence and movement.
What’s Next? The Power of Variety Versus the Need for Repetition in Primary Singing Time. (Sharla Dance)
In this class we will experience a wide range of different activities to teach a song that support the many varied ways our children learn (think Multiple Intelligences). Get ready to move and do! We will examine powerful principles that make for success teaching a song. We will actively move, tap, pop, click, shake, jingle, swish, and puzzle out! Come ready to experience a wide range of activities for this year’s songs.
Organ/Accompaniment
Organ Secrets I – Registration (Eric McKirdy)
All those buttons, all those knobs… what’s a person to do?! This class focuses on the many different ways the organ sound depending on what hymn or piece of music is being played. Say goodbye to using presets for everything, and say hello to taking charge of the organ!
Organ Secrets II – Pedaling for the non-organist (Eric McKirdy)
Most ward organists start off as pianists who get handed the calling by default. How do you use all those pedals down there? We’ll talk about four easy tricks to begin practicing with pedals and incorporating them more into playing in church.
Art of Accompaniment (Julie Higgins)
Organ Secrets III – Playing the hymns with power! (Eric McKirdy)
With registration and pedaling under your belt, now it’s time to talk about how to take the ward organist calling and magnify it — when the calling is magnified, an entire ward (or branch) benefits, both consciously and subconsciously. (And no, it doesn’t take an organ performance degree to magnify the calling.)