Choral Arts Games: A Case Study Exploring Theater Arts Environments and Methodology in Secondary Choral Rehearsals

Abstract

Choral Arts Games is an interdisciplinary case study in which I applied theater environment norms and foundational acting training principles from Constantin Stanislavski, Sanford Meisner, and Viola Spolin to my choral rehearsals to explore their impact on chorister development. Former scholarly investigations have predominantly proposed theoretical frameworks for integrating theater techniques into musical settings, yet empirical observations of such applications remain scarce. Any current approaches for incorporating theater practices in choral rehearsals have largely focused on text interpretation, stage presentation, and emotional connectivity. In the research presented here, I will delineate and juxtapose these current approaches with my own direction. Choral Arts Games examines the efficacy of employing musically modified versions of select theater games, pre-existing singing games, and created games using theater method prototypes from the methodologies above. The games specifically prioritize physical preparation aimed at helping choristers engage their senses and foster organic collaboration among ensemble members to improve vocal technique. To accommodate choirs with a wide range of vocal ability and experience, the games incorporate opportunities for choristers to employ vocal function exercises offered by current vocal pedagogues. Finally, this study investigates how integrating these games influences my choristers’ artistic growth and preparation for repertoire in performance.