New Haven area school teachers are invited to a professional development day sponsored by the Yale Institute of Sacred Music. Register here.
10-11:30 am: Conducting Review: A short conducting Boot Camp, reviewing fundamentals of gesture, posture, and facial affect; as well as a review of meter, asymmetrical meetings, and use of the left hand with Dr. Felicia Barber, associate professor adjunct of Choral Conducting at Yale Institute of Sacred Music and conductor of Yale Camerata.
11:30-1 pm: Conducting Masterclass. Participants will be provided excerpts of two pieces to prepare for the day. The session will be led by Dr. Jeff Douma, professor of Choral Conducting at Yale College and Yale School of Music.
Dr. Felicia Barber is associate professor of Choral Conducting at the Yale School of Music and Yale Institute of Sacred Music and conducts the Yale Camerata. In addition to teaching graduate-level choral conductors and aspiring undergraduate conductors, Barber is developing a new initiative designed to prepare Yale students to work with young musicians on choral music in school and church settings. Previously she worked as director of Choral Activities at Westfield State University, in Westfield, Mass., where she led the Chamber Chorale, Gospel Choir, and University Chorus and taught classes in conducting, choral music education, and pedagogy. Read more.
Dr. Jeffrey Douma is the Marshall Bartholomew Professor in the Practice of Choral Music at the Yale School of Music, and has served since 2003 as director of the Yale Glee Club, hailed under his direction by The New York Times as “one of the best collegiate singing ensembles, and one of the most adventurous.” He also heads Yale’s graduate program in choral conducting and serves as founding director of the Yale Choral Artists and artistic director of the Yale International Choral Festival. Read more.