Jason Vodicka, Amelia Garbisch, and James Jordan have assembled a vast and practical application of the Music Learning Theory of Edwin Gordon for the choral rehearsal. Using an accessible work by Dan Davison, the authors guide teacher/conductors through a re-imagined rehearsal process with important supporting pedagogies that help teachers reach new levels of musicianship with ensembles at all levels. Along with in-service teacher contributors, this volume contains rich suggestions for infusing Music Learning Theory into an exciting and newly imagined rehearsal process. Specifics of the Guide include:

• Brief overviews of the important aspects of Music Learning Theory
• Teaching audiation throughout ALL aspects of the choral rehearsal
• Restructuring the choral rehearsal to emphasize harmonic teaching and learning
• Structuring warm-ups to build vocal technique using principles of Group Vocal Technique (as developed by Frauke Haasemann, Sabine Horstmann, and James Jordan)
• Using chant to reinforce music skill and pattern training
• Using accompanists to support audiation
• Teaching using Critical Pedagogy to create a student-centered learning experience
• Using Laban movement within the choral rehearsal
• Incorporating Orff into the choral rehearsal process
• Teaching heightened ensemble listening skills

Conductor and music educator Jason Vodicka is Associate Dean of the Rider University College of Arts and Sciences and Associate Professor of Music Education at Westminster Choir College. He brings to this collaboration a wealth of practical experience from ten years of public school teaching and a working knowledge of Music Learning Theory and Critical Pedagogy.

Amelia Garbisch is Director of Music Education and Associate Professor of Choral Music at Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania, where she also conducts the women’s choral ensemble and advises undergraduate research. She has conducted extensive research and written several articles and books on Music Education and Choral Conducting.

GRAMMY-nominated conductor James Jordan is Professor of Conducting and Director of Choral Studies at Westminster Choir College of Rider University, where he conducts the Westminster Choir and the Westminster Symphonic Choir. He is the author of over sixty publications regarding all aspects of Choral Music and Conducting.

With contributions by: Madeline Benjamin, Jesse Borower, Sarah Gulish, Annabelle Luebke, Ryan A. Manni, and Lindsey Strauss.