Erica Messinger

Assignment #3: Observation Reflection #6

The observation took place over a 45-minute YouTube video from the channel RafCHS.

The classroom is very colorful with a large window on one side of the room. The teacher is at

the front of the room at the piano but throughout rehearsal, he frequently moves around the front

of the room while conducting. The students are sitting in a classic choral arc. Overall, the

classroom has a warm and welcoming atmosphere and seems to be a great environment for

learning.

The class begins with a moment of silence so that the students can get their minds

focused on the rehearsal ahead of them. Then, they begin warm-ups, working on high yawns,

staccato, and legato exercises, using hand motions to aid with all of them. They continue with

more vowel- and range-focused exercises. Warm-ups wrap up with scales in rounds. Before

beginning to work on their repertoire, the teacher allows students to make announcements about

choir events or school events that the entire choir should know about. Then, they begin working

on a Rachmaninoff piece, in which they practice an excerpt on one syllable and then practice it

on solfege. They continue working on other sections of the piece, working mainly on staying

together as a choir and studying how the parts fit together. They continue this rehearsal process

with the next piece they rehearse, which I did not catch the name of. They pay close attention to

every little detail to perfect each excerpt. The class time is used effectively, as they are working

right up to the bell. The lesson is paced perfectly for high schoolers and the content is very

appropriate for their prior knowledge and skill level.

 The students stay focused and engaged throughout the whole lesson. They participate

actively in the class, answering questions to their best ability when asked. The students also are

quiet and respectful when the teacher is working with other sections. They exhibit excellent tone

quality and singing technique and are amazing sight-singers. The students also make metaphors

to aid in understanding how parts fit together. For example, in one spot, the students said the

parts make a sandwich.

The teacher is incredibly enthusiastic throughout the entire class period. He keeps the

students focused and moving forward. He is sure to involve all students in the question, moving

around the room frequently when asking a question to prompt students to volunteer to answer.

He projects his voice so that students can hear him, loud and clear and he reinforces proper

singing posture throughout class to make it a habit for students. The teacher asks plenty of

reflective questions to the students, like “How can we improve this section?” He repeats

instructions to clarify and keep students on track. He also has a sense of humor, which I believe

is a big factor in students remaining engaged. During rehearsal, he breaks down sections of the

music, and guides students by snapping the pulse and telling them when to breathe. He

constantly encourages students to listen and pay attention to small details. I thought he was a bit

too aggressive at some parts, but otherwise, I think he was a great teacher.

This observation was a very useful one, as it showed me how to keep students engaged in

the learning taking place and it also showed me how much enthusiasm might be too overbearing.

I learned that humor can go a long way in making students enjoy a class, as it seems as though

the students really enjoy this class and learn a lot from it.

Honor Code: I affirm that I have upheld the highest principles of honesty and integrity in my

academic work and have not witnessed a violation of the Honor Code. -Erica Messinger
Erica Messinger

Assignment #3: Observation Reflection #23

The observation was of a high school women’s choir rehearsal. The class took place in a

large classroom and there were bleachers were students stood. There was a large projection

board at the front of the room that projected the choir’s music. The classroom environment was

very professional and students were focused mainly on producing a great musical product, rather

than having fun.

The class begins with students identifying the key of the song they are singing. It is in a

minor key, so they explain how they know it is minor. They practice their parts on solfege

silently before trying it all together. The transition time between pieces was fast, switching to

another piece after their quick warm-up. They sing through their first piece on solfege. As they

continue to work, they work on tuning chords among the sections. They also discuss how

everyone’s lines are unique, yet connected. To end the rehearsal, they work on dynamics and

expression in the piece. The repertoire and techniques worked on in class were very appropriate

for the grade level.

The students have exemplary voices and they sound lovely together as an ensemble.

They sing in tune very well and have a lot of prior knowledge of solfege and both major and

minor keys. They sound really great for a high school intermediate-level choir and they have an

excellent unified choral sound.

The teacher did a great job answering everyone’s questions and keeping the class

moving. He has the students reflect on what they are singing and learning about with their

music. He encourages a unified sound in the students with matching pitches, tone qualities, and
dynamics. He gives great feedback to the students and conducts cleanly, as well as giving clear

and concise directions. He could improve on loosening up a bit and having some fun in the

class. He is a little too serious at times.

This observation was very impressive, mainly because the choir was so talented.

However, the class was run a bit like a machine and I think it would be helpful for the teacher to

loosen up and incorporate some fun activities into the class.

Honor Code: I affirm that I have upheld the highest principles of honesty and integrity in my

academic work and have not witnessed a violation of the Honor Code. -Erica Messinger