Workshop 1: Choral Warm-up and Basic Teaching Principles
Instructor: Haochen Wang
This course will introduce the design approach for choral warm-up, providing effective tools for teachers without a vocal background to enhance the vocal abilities of their choirs. It will also share the teaching principles necessary for choirs to develop good habits and efficiently learn choral works.
Workshop 2: Music and Dance
Instructor: Allie Su
Elegance in Motion: The Waltz
The class will focus on the cultural and social aspects of the most popular and influential dance form in music, the waltz. Everyone will get hands-on experience dancing the basic waltz steps, simple choreography, and will learn how the waltz revolutionized dance fashion throughout the centuries which also made an inevitable impact in the Western music world. Throughout the experience, participants will develop a fresh level of appreciation for the elegance and emotional power of the waltz, as well as the ability to connect music and movement in a meaningful way.
Rhythms of Passion: Paso Doble
Paso Doble is a dramatic and powerful form of Spanish dance with an exotic flavor. Through hands-on exploration, the participants will get an idea of its distinctive rhythms and emotional depth while learning the basic steps and choreography. The class is designed for everyone to not only understand Paso Doble as an art form but also embody its passion and drama through the music journey and body expression.
Workshop 3: From Student to Teacher: Building Musicianship Through Immersive Learning
Instructor: Cathy Guo
This workshop offers a dual approach to musicianship—first by immersing participants in music as learners, then guiding them to reflect as educators. Through hands-on activities, participants will enhance musical imagination, ensemble skills, and understanding of musical structure, using vocal expression, instrumental techniques, movement, and creative analysis. By experiencing the learning process first-hand, teachers will gain valuable insights into how students internalize musical concepts. The session will also focus on adapting these strategies for different age groups (Pre-K, K+1, older students), deepening understanding, and integrating cross-disciplinary connections. Educators will leave with flexible, innovative techniques to enhance musicianship, creativity, and student engagement in the classroom.
Workshop 4: Beyond Chamber Music: Creative and Inclusive Approaches to Collaborative Music-Making
Instructor: Sophie Zhang and Leyou Wang
This workshop explores how to engage students in collaborative music-making, going beyond the traditional chamber music format to foster creativity, teamwork, and innovation. We will address how students can make music together across varying levels of musical ability, exploring age-appropriate goals and challenges, including repertoire choices and instrumentation. Participants will dive into strategies that support students in creating music through hands-on music creation and transcription both with and without formal notation, emphasizing creativity and synthesis. We will also explore ways to navigate common challenges in collaborative music-making, such as balancing individual voices with group dynamics. This session will empower educators to facilitate collaboration across age groups and musical backgrounds, helping students build skills in music creation and performance through inclusive, creative approaches.
