(Meredith Music Resource). If we could sit down with some of the best choral conductors of our time, what might we learn? In this book, directors at Iowa State University, University of Kentucky, University of Louisville, University of Michigan, Michigan State University, Penn State University, St. Olaf College, and University of Southern California are interviewed. The book shares these directors approaches to: recruitment, auditions, and singer placement in ensembles; selection auditions, and singer placement in ensembles; rehearsal planning; choral timbres and vocal pedagogy; intonation; kinesthetic learning and choreography; traditions and choral culture. Interviews with students and observations of live rehearsals complement these director interviews to provide readers with a comprehensive look at how these choral programs consistently achieve success.

While there are many similarities between solo and choral singing, they are not the same discipline, and it is important to realize the different approaches necessary for each. In The Solo Singer in the Choral Setting: A Handbook for Achieving Vocal Health, Olson presents the unique perspective of choral singing from a soloist's viewpoint, providing a clear outline of several issues facing the solo singer in the choral setting. She discusses concepts as diverse as body position in rehearsal and acoustic sound production, and she offers practical ideas for solving these challenges. Teaching examples and case studies help illustrate the problems and offer potential solutions for handling the challenges of the choral environment. After a general overview of vocal technique, the chapters address the physiological, psychological, pedagogical, acoustic, and interpretive issues facing the solo singer in the choral setting. Concepts, such as phonation; resonation and timbre; approaches to diction; voice classification; choral blend; interpreting emotion; relationships among choral conductor, singer, and teacher of singing; and the use of vibrato are examined in detail. Concluding with a conversation with two choral conductors, as well as a glossary, bibliography, and index, this volume is beneficial to singers, teachers, and conductors alike.