SSCC Series: Mindful Musicking & Equitable Space with Liz Schorr

10/08/21 • 64 min

Choral Connectivity: A People-First Approach to Singing

This week's episode kicks off the SSCC Series, where I chat with the staff of the South Shore Children's Chorus (Quincy, MA) that I founded in 2016. Here, I speak with Liz Schorr - an expert in engaging in mindfulness in the classroom and creating equitable space using trama-informed approaches and responses with students. Inspired greatly by the Breathe for Change program, Liz is masterful when presenting mindfulness exercises to elementary students, middle school students, and even with the SSCC Staff at our professional development retreat this summer. You'll walk way from this episode with FREE strategies that you can use as soon as tomorrow in your classroom.

Do you use mindfulness in your classroom? How does it improve the relationship between you and your students, or your students with eachother? Head on over to www.choralconnectivity.com and use the contact form to reach out. I'd love to hear from you!

Previous Episode

Episode 5: They Don't Care About What You Know Until They Know You Care

This week, I speak with choral colleague Dale Duncan, a middle school choral conductor in Atlanta and creator of the S-Cubed sight singing program. We dive into what creates a culture of acceptance in a classroom, as well as swap student stories that prove a people-first approach is inspiring and worthwhile. The episode may seem long, but you won't regret listening all the way through for some heartwarming and inspiring discussion!

Did this episode remind you of a student who benefited from a people-first approach? I would love to hear your story and feature it on the show! Head on over to www.choralconnectivity.com and use the contact form to tell me your story.

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Episode 7: So Real, So True, So Valid

"You can write an amazing score or an amazing song, but it can sit in a drawer forever if there's no people to sing it."
This episode is near and dear to my heart, as I interview two of my long-time students. This past summer at our South Shore Children's Chorus Summer Choral Intensive, these two singers came up with a saying about my direction: "so real, so true, so valid." This was a mantra they would chant (and became our summer inside joke with the whole choir) every time I would stop and give a correction or praise in rehearsal. My students (unbeknownst to them) validated everything I had been trying to communicate: honesty. That small saying/joke that they giggled over impacted me as an educator, and told me I was on the right track in my relationship with my students.
In this episode, my students and I explore the story behind this inside joke, and why having an open and honest director makes a difference. From a student perspective, they give insight to having a "safe space" in the classroom, and how directors can best create a bond of trust between their students.
This episode is heartwarming for anyone who teaches, and I hope you really enjoy it! Let me know what you think at www.choralconnectivity.com. This episode is available anywhere you listen to podcasts: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and more!