Sharing the Song
Becoming a Song Leader
Item #: G-11502 Status: Available
Softcover for $18.95
Description:
Alice Parker firmly believed that everyone is a singer and a song leader, and that “song is given to us to fulfill a basic human need.” The manifestation of this conviction was her SINGS, which over many decades united thousands of people in song.
Sharing the Song posthumously concludes Alice Parker’s trilogy devoted to her philosophy of music, following The Anatomy of Melody and The Answering Voice. In this final volume, Parker distills a lifetime of wisdom into four concise chapters that guide readers through the art of communal singing.
She begins by defining what a song truly is and what it means to be a song leader before exploring how melody, gesture, and imagination inspire authentic musical response. She then offers a step-by-step process for preparing and leading a SING, describing how singers can “become the song” through movement, listening, and shared intent.
The book concludes with personal reflections and memories from Parker’s own SINGs, tracing the joyful history of this tradition and its power to connect hearts through music.
A culminating expression of her teaching and philosophy, Sharing the Song stands as Alice Parker’s final empowering gift to all who yearn to sing.
Companion website: www.giamusic.com/sharingthesong
Over a career that spanned more than seventy years, Alice Parker gifted choral musicians with a wide range of creative output that embraced composing, conducting, and teaching. Her training at Smith College and Juilliard, her collaborations with Robert Shaw, and her life well and fully lived resulted in a body of work that encompasses hundreds of songs rich in history and beautiful melodies. Alice was a generous mentor with a keen and articulate teaching style, and her use of song as a way to build community was a delight to all who experienced her creative presence.
Categories: Conducting, Guidebook, Philosophical/Inspirational
Number of Pages: 100
Format: Softcover
Discipline: Choir