How choir members listen directly impacts the quality of their music making.

Listening Awareness is a practical book that guides choral singers—and members of any music ensemble—to become more aware of their own sound as well as the sound of their ensemble. The goal is to help musicians take ownership of the sound they create so singers and musicians learn to provide effective feedback to improve the sound of the entire ensemble.

Author Anthony Bernarducci’s approach is simple: Students need to be taught to accurately hear musical concepts before they can apply them in their own music making. He provides a practical and pedagogical approach to concepts such as tone, balance, form, and texture. He also includes exercises that apply aural concepts to style and nuance of historical and contemporary literature—always recommending suggested repertoire, composers, and recordings for each style period.

Other topics in Listening Awareness include the different levels of listening, the impact of seating position on sound, strategies for starting a new work, and the characteristics of harmony and melody.

Finally, Listening Awareness includes reproducible worksheets to assist with many of the exercises. States Bernarducci, “Our ability to listen, evaluate, and transform will need to be constantly sharpened throughout our careers; our students’ abilities are no exception to this need.”

Anthony Bernarducci is Assistant Professor of Music at Clemson University, where he conducts the Men’s Choir and mixed chamber choir Cantorei. He also teaches courses in music theory and composition.