"Here Are The Rules" or "I'm Going To Attempt To Control My Class" or even "Learn to Live Outside the Box by First Working from Within It..."

The following are links to various approaches to Middle School and High School choral handbooks found on the web. What I find kind of fascinating and cool, is that they end up being a forum or soapbox for these directors to spread their own personal message-to try and pass on a little of the passion for music that has transformed their lives. That's what makes it more than notes-that's what creates art-personal vision, personal passion.

My favorites are the ones written by those who have taken a personal risk in really opening themselves up and sharing their philosophy about what music can do for you and how it can change lives-ours. Those are the ones I find the most interesting-more than merely rules of conduct for a choral class to keep everything neat and clean...


Take a look-they're from all over the country, but it's a small world after all, it seems...(do NOT start humming that song-I can HEAR you...don't DO it...)



http://www.lewiscentral.org/vnews/display.v/ART/2009/08/01/46d338a4a952a

http://www.waukesha.k12.wi.us/West/Music/CHOIR_WEBPAGE/HANDBOOK.HTML

http://schools.fwps.org/sac/swenson/Choir%20Handbook%2009-10.pdf

http://schoolweb.psdschools.org/rocky/academics/performingarts/choir/Choir_Handbook_2008.pdf

http://cmweb.pvschools.net/~rross/smhschoirs/SMHS%20Choral%20Handbook.pdf