Arranging for Vocal Assembles

Course Details

DATE: May 20th to June 24th on Mondays & Wednesdays

TIME: 6:00pm - 7:30pm

DURATION: 12 weeks

CLASS MODE OF DELIVERY: Online Classroom (Zoom)

EARLY BIRD PRICE: $1,300 TT

PROGRAM COST: $1,500 TT

Programme Schedule

The programme will run from May 20th to June 24th, meeting Mondays and Wednesdays 6:00 to 7:30 pm in a virtual classroom.

Aims

The aim of a professional development short course in Arranging for Vocal Ensembles is to empower participants with the knowledge, skills, and confidence to create compelling and effective vocal arrangements for a variety of settings and purposes.

Participants

The programme is suitable for a diverse range of and groups of individuals may benefit from participating in a professional development short course in Arranging for Vocal Ensembles: Teachers and instructors of choral groups, vocal ensembles, or music classes can enhance their skills in arranging music for their students. Directors of choirs and vocal ensembles can gain insights into arranging techniques, enabling them to create custom arrangements tailored to the abilities and preferences of their ensemble members. Singers looking to expand their skills beyond performance may find value in learning about the arrangement process, allowing them to contribute creatively to ensemble performances or develop their arrangements for personal projects. Undergraduate and graduate students studying music composition, arranging, or choral conducting can supplement their formal education with practical skills and techniques relevant to vocal ensemble arranging. Experienced arrangers seeking to broaden their repertoire or refine their techniques can benefit from exploring specialized topics and receiving feedback from instructors and peers. Individuals involved in music production, recording, or studio engineering may find value in understanding vocal arrangement principles to enhance the quality and impact of vocal recordings. Singers participating in community choirs or vocal ensembles can deepen their understanding of the music they perform and contribute creatively to the ensemble's repertoire.

Programme Description

The course aims to give musicians the skills they need to be able to arrange for various types of choral ensembles. We will do this by a careful study of choral arrangements that work well for various ensembles and apply those principles and elements to our own writing.

Expected Learning Outcomes

At the completion of the course, students will develop the skills and a systematic way to approach arranging for various types of choral ensembles
1. Recognize and reproduce effectively vocal combinations
2. Analyze and discuss techniques used in vocal and choral literature by listening and score reading.
3. Arrange for various ensemble varying types of scores with application to given cases.

Programme Structure

Week 1 An overview of arranging, voice leading, developmental devices
Week 2 Reharmonization of hymn tunes, descants, and simple hymn arrangement
Week 3 A variety of arrangements
Week 4 Analysis of arrangements SSA and SSAA
Week 5 Arrangement for women voices
Week 6 TTBB analysis and arrangements
Week 7 Arrangement of TTBB
Week 8 Analysis of SATB A Cappella and piano accompaniments
Week 9 SATB arrangements
Week 10 Final projects proposal (your choice)
Week 11 Final projects drafts
Week 12 Final project due and presentations

Learn About the Lecturer: Mr. Boyd Gibson

Boyd Gibson attended Howard University and graduated in 1978. He taught high school choral music for 2 years and then returned to graduate school at Howard University, and served as Director of Choral activities at the University of Eastern Africa in Kenya from 1986-1992. Boyd then completed additional graduate studies at Duke University in Musicology and Composition. He was the String Orchestra Program Director at the Durham School of the Arts in Durham, NC, and the Music Director at The Church of the Holy Family in Chapel Hill, NC from 1996 to 2016. In 2017 he served as an adjunct professor teaching strings at USC online and joined the music department of The University of the Southern Caribbean as an assistant professor of music theory, composition and strings in 2018. He now serves as the chair of the Music Department. As a composer he has been fortunate to have many of his compositions performed quite extensively.

Completion Requirements

At least 90% attendance and corresponding participation in class activities, completion of 80% of assignments, and participants will undergo assessments to gauge their understanding of the material and its practical application.

Course Credential

Participants who successfully complete the programme will earn a micro-credential pegged at the CARICOM Qualifications Framework Level 5 and will be issued with a Certificate from the University of the Southern Caribbean indicating the programme title, CQF level, the number of professional development hours and the overall letter grade. They will also be issued with a transcript showing the module completed.

Registration & Payment Instructions

Registration Process

To register for a PDI course:

Make a payment using any of the payment options outlined on the Payment tab.
Complete the registration form, located on the Register tab. You will be required to upload a copy of your receipt.

Making a Payment

Option One - Pay via Credit Card (TTD)

Go to: https://aeorion.usc.edu.tt/Anon/third-party-payment.aspx
Enter the third party payment key: 17034302
Select "Short Courses" from the Type of Payments dropdown menu.
Currency amounts can only be written in Trinidad and Tobago dollars.
Fill out your card details and billing information.
Verify that you have inserted the correct information and click “PAY NOW”.
You will receive an email as confirmation of your payment

Option Two – Pay by Online Transfer/Bank Deposit (TTD)

RBC Royal Bank Account Number: 1000-040-102-13404
Republic Bank Account Number: 3501-594-29201

Option Three - Pay via International Wire Transfer (USD)

Beneficiary: University of the Southern Caribbean
Beneficiary Address: Maracas Royal Road, St. Joseph
Beneficiary Account Number: 1000 180 103 16573
Beneficiary Bank Name: RBC Bank T&T Ltd.
Beneficiary Name Bank Address: St. Augustine Shopping Centre, EMR, St. Augustine
Swift Code: RBTTTTPX
Intermediary Bank: Bank of New York
Intermediary Bank Address: 48 Wall Street, NY, NY, USA ABA/Routing: 021-000-018
Intermediary Bank Account: 890-0016-329 in the name of RBC Bank T&T LTD