1

MUED 376:Choral Music Materials & Techniques

25S. FINAL EXAM: FA ‘19
NAME___Rachel Pennington___________________DATE: December 12, 2019

You may use any notes or textbooks you would like in the completion of this exam!
(90 minute exam)

QUESTION 1:Class Materials: (5 minutes): (points =5) Please list below the link to
your google drive or Dropbox that has all the materials from this class downloaded to
your own computer or cloud storage.

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1UZoIRimu7W2qMBWAbSTozav0xhPP4Fmn

QUESTION 2: Choral Textbook Review (20 minutes): (points =20)

Please peruse any 2 chapters of specific interest to you from our textbook and answer the
following questions.

Chapter Name:
The search for Healthy and Appropriate Repertoire: A Song Worth Singing-
Selecting Choral Literature for all Levels

Author: Paul D. Head

Things that are important for me in this chapter:

This chapter was important to me, because it taught me ways in which to go about
choosing repertoire, as well as things to keep in mind while doing so. Some of the
main points of the chapter included the variables in choosing repertoire,
establishing a vision, assessing the abilities of the singer and the expectations and
demographics of the audience, making the right choice in choosing repertoire,
repertoire in the eyes of the poet/ composer/ singer, and the repertoire in the voice
of the singer. These all helped me to make informed decisions when choosing
repertoire for my ensembles.

Chapter Name:
The Choral Rehearsal: Planning, Evaluating, Sight-reading, and Singer Placement

Author: Michelle Holt

Things that are important for me in this chapter:

This chapter was important to me, because it taught me efficient ways of planning
and evaluating rehearsals. Some of the main points of the chapter includes layering
rehearsals, testing of musical aptitude, blending and voicing, and sight-reading and

1
 2
literacy. These points were all important, because they taught me effective ways to
plan and execute my choir rehearsals, while also getting the best and most efficient
sound production.

QUESTION 3: Special Needs/Talented and Gifted: (15 minutes) (points =20)

Our visit with Dr. Alice Hammel was an important part of our class this semester, as well
as your methods training for your degree. Write a short essay (5-7 sentences) describing
your learnings in the areas of special needs and talented and gifted.

This reading and visit from Dr. Hammel helped me better understand as a music educator
how I can adapt and teach to each individual student in my classroom. Students who are
gifted are ones who are questioning, interested, and students who learn new complex
topics instantly and completely. These students are at risk in the classroom, because it is
often set up for the average learner, and accommodations that are made are usually for
students with special needs and other types of learning disabilities. Students who are
gifted can often be identified by their traits and learning characteristics but can most often
be tested by an IQ test. These students can either be gifted in music, or in every other
subject but music. It is important to constantly remind these students who are not gifted
in music that it’s okay and learning an instrument can take a long time. This overall,
taught me ways in which I can attend to students who are gifted, and ways to keep them
involved and entertained in my classroom.

QUESTION 4: Throughlines (25 minutes) (points =30)

Following are seven throughlines that have guided our academic inquiry this semester. Pick three of the
seven throughlines and write a short summary paragraph on each throughline, including how you will
continue to transfer this learning into the next stages of your academic career (student teaching and teaching
jobs).

1. What is teaching for transfer, and how do I transfer my own learnings throughout my life into
a gestalt as a musician/choral music educator/conductor?
To me, I think teaching for transfer is being able to teach students how they can transfer subjects
and topics to one another for optimal learning. I can transfer my own learnings throughout my life
to my students by understanding what ways I was taught that helped me to learn best, as well as
correlations that helped me to understand the material, and teach and transfer this to my own
classroom and my students. While student teaching, I can observe my cooperating teacher and
learn the best ways to do this so I can do it when I teach in student teaching, as well as when I
have my own job.

2. What is a reflective process, and how does it lead to teaching for transfer and critical
thinking and metacognitive thinking?
A reflective process is being able to look back on something you’ve done and see in what ways
you can improve on for the future. This can apply to teaching for transfer and
critical/metacognitive thinking because students can also reflect on the work and musicianship
they’ve done and see in what ways they can do better and strive to improve. Their reflection can
lead to new transfers for their musicianship and their life. I can implement this into my future
classroom by having my students reflect and think critically.

2
 3
3. What is the pedagogy of teacher effectiveness and how can I more consciously implement
elements of this pedagogy to shape both my success as a teacher and the success of my
students?
The pedagogy of teacher effectiveness, I think, is to be able to implement subject matter in the
most beneficial and effective way for the students in a way of pedagogical teaching. The teacher
is able to carry out effective lesson plans and work to meet the needs of each individual student
that may vary day to day. They will not only meet the need of individual students, but the
classroom as a whole and the conditions of each class. I will work to implement each of these
traits and qualities into my classroom to be the most effective and efficient teacher.

QUESTION 5: Practicum (20 minutes) (points =10)

Please write a short essay (3-7 sentences) about your most important pedagogical and social
learnings from our practicum at VMRC.

VMRC was a very enriching experience that I wasn’t expecting to enjoy as much as I did.
One of my two main takeaways from this practicum is that music can happen at any age.
This choir showed up every week eager to learn the repertoire and excited to be singing
and involved in music. They’ve given their time to do something they love, and not
because they have to, but just because they want to. This was eye-opening to me and
inspired me to always keep singing. My second biggest takeaway was learning to be
confident in myself. At the beginning of the semester, I was nervous to go up and teach,
and I still was up until the last 3 or 4 weeks. I’m not sure what changed, but I felt
prepared, and that really changed my outlook of the choir, and their outlook of me. This
was a growing experience that I’m grateful for.

QUESTION 6: Pedagogical Axioms (10 minutes) (15 points, + bonus points if you
desire)

Below are several very familiar pedagogical axioms that you have used as throughlines and
curricular focal points in many different classes within your choral music education degree
at JMU. Choose 5 of these and write a 3-sentence reflection on each axiom of your choice.
More than 5 axiom definitions may be used as bonus points.

JAHEE:
To me, this means to block out anyone negative in your life (JAHEES) that isn’t
contributing to your wellbeing or your happiness. Although people around you may act
differently, I think it’s important to be confident but stay humble, and to show kindness
even when they don’t show it to you. “Shred’m” by being the bigger and better person
and walk away even when your natural instinct may be to not.

Transfer
A transfer is something that you’ve learned at another point in your life and you apply it
to a current situation or task. This to me means being able to connect things in your life
and in your teaching together, as well as being able to connect and transfer things to your
student and for your students. It is important as a teacher to also transfer points from
other classes or previous units for optimal understanding.

3
 4

Throughlines
Throughlines are phrases and axioms that are used to help you further understand a
concept or an important transfer for life. They are used to connect points and help you go
into deeper thought about a concept, and often how they can pertain to your life or
current situation. Thorughlines have sometimes helped me to remain grounded.

Be the Music:
I think this through-line means just like people say be the light in a world of darkness, be
the music. There will be hardships and obstacles that we must face through life, but
learning to be the song, and one with music, will help you get through it. We as
musicians must advocate for the music, and give it credit it deserves.

Who claps for you?:

This philosophy statement, to me, means that at the end of the day, who supports you and
stands by you no matter what you do or what you’re going through? These people that
“clap” for you, should be the people that will stick with you no matter how tough life
gets. The same people that clap for you are the same people that you, too, should clap for.

It’s OK, and even when it’s not OK, it’s OK.
I think it means that even when things are not okay, they will be. Sometimes it’s okay to not be
okay, and things don’t always have to be great and perfect all the time. This through line stood
out to me, because this semester was a tough one. Trying to make sure all the graduation
requirements are filled, preparing myself for my last semester at JMU, and preparing myself to
student teach were all things I didn’t feel ready for, and I didn’t feel okay about. But with each
requirement filled and each thing I checked off my to-do list, I realized that it’s okay and
everything will work out that way it’s meant to.

You don’t know what you don’t know.:

I think this line is important to keep as a constant reminder. I think it means to not be upset or
apologetic when you don’t know something, it’s not always your fault! Along the same line,
however, if you don’t know something, don’t act like you do!