Choral Repertoire: Promising New Directions for Music Theory Teaching

Choirs are an integral part of music departments and schools, particularly at institutions with large choral education programs. In its standards for music education, the 2022 NASM handbook states that “Teachers should be prepared to relate their understanding of music… both in general and as related to their area(s) of specialization.” Yet despite the large number of students participating and/or specializing in choir, choral music is nearly absent from music theory textbooks. Perhaps as a result, research has shown that high school choir directors struggle with harmonic score study (Rowher et al. 2014) and, anecdotally, choir students and teachers are sometimes stereotyped as weak in music theory. This poster will demonstrate how choral music can be applied to all levels of music theory instruction, using a comprehensive list of examples by a diverse range of contemporary composers. In addition to demonstrating standard music theory topics such as chromatic chords, modulation, and form, these pieces bring unique considerations often neglected in the music theory classroom, particularly text painting. Choral music is an important repertoire to many who choose to study music, and incorporating it has the added benefit of a diverse set of peoples and musics within the repertoire. By diversifying examples, both in composer and repertoire, students will be better equipped to apply music theory beyond the college classroom. Studying choral music will help choral education majors apply music theory and analysis to their own practices and repertoire, helping them to understand music in their specialization on a different level, and allow them to teach their students the same skills through the music they sing