After the strict processes of mid-twentieth-century minimalism, a new musical style has emerged which retains extensive use of repetition, but is generally more aurally accessible, based in non-functional triadic harmony, and flexible in its compositional structure. Frequent use of non-minimalist resources, musical resources from multiple styles in a single composition, and quotation from previous historical periods define this flexibility. American choral music has many popular compositions that exhibit characteristics of this new musical style, in part because of its accessibility relative to earlier minimalist styles, and in part because it adapts easily to the choral setting. At the same time, teaching this music to choirs requires resources that are not in standard-practice choral pedagogy textbooks or peer-reviewed choral journals. This monograph utilizes newer research in musical analysis and several recent writings attempting to generalize the postminimalist style to develop a definition of choral postminimalism. Then, this monograph also suggests analytical approaches and resources for choral warm-ups, score preparation, and other pedagogical tools for three pieces: Arvo Pärt’s The Beatitudes, Nico Muhly’s Bright Mass with Canons, and Tarik O’Regan’s The Ecstasies Above.

The role of the choir leader is a complex one. When working with a choir, choir leaders often use several aspects of their professional role. The aim of this qualitative study is to describe, verbalise and make visible the mediating tools that choir directors working with children and youth choirs use. In a longitude study, four choir leaders were observed closely while working with their choirs. They also took part in semi-structured interviews. The empirical data material consists of observation notes, reflective writing, individualinterviews, focus conversations and videotapes. Analysed from a sociocultural perspective, the result points to eight groups of mediating tools: a) a listening attitude towards the choir, with the music in focus; b) a variation in ways of working with the choir, where a variety of physical tools are used; c) the use of musical routines; d) the choir director acting as a role model in shaping musicalexpression with the group; e) a concentrated cooperation with the choir through short and expressive instructions; f) reflection in practice by planning and self-evaluation; g) storytelling, which results in memory training, stimulation of the imagination and the sharing of common experience, and h) the use of target images expressed as visions, small/big goals or jointly stated, communicated targets. The choir directors who participated in the study use a variety of approaches and ways of working as a strategy for communicating and working with child and youth choirs.

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The purpose of this study was twofold: (a) Examine successful choral director beliefs about warm-ups and their successful practices in conducting warm-ups, and (b) examine the relationship of musical background, choral training and music teaching style of high school choral directors upon these beliefs and practices. Subjects were 365 high school choral directors from 28 states. Data were analyzed using descriptive analysis, correlation analysis, multivariate analysis of variance and multiple regression. Results indicated choral director's beliefs and practices differ as a function of musical back-ground, demographic characteristics, choral conducting training, and music teaching styles. Specifically, warm-up beliefs were predicted by knowledge of vocal health and variety of warm-ups. Conversely, those who relied on the warm-up time for discipline and focusing attention showed a significant negative relationship with their philosophy. From multiple regression analysis, doing choral warm-ups accounted for one-third of a director's overall success, predicted by 10 variables: (a) experience, (b) education, (c) teaching style teacher-directed performance, (d) teaching style deep-student learning, (e) warm-up literature and procedure, (f) planning warm-ups (g) warm-up content, (h) prior choral experience and piano background, (i) a foundation in music, and (j) a developed philosophy of choral warm-ups. However, having a philosophy about warm-ups did not predict successful teaching practices.

Abstract The educational process behind the work done with children’s choirs has not been written about or talked about very much. Performances get natural visibility and audibility, but most of the work is done in a closed space. The pedagogical process happens behind the scenes and as a result, children and youths grow up as musicians and human beings, as individuals and as a group. The Tapiola Choir celebrates its 50th anniversary in 2013. In this doctoral thesis, I study the educational part of the work done with the choir. In particular, this thesis examines the co-operative pedagogy of Mr. Kari Ala-Pöllänen as a conductor. The specific focus is on the process of qualifying the travelling choir because this is where many pedagogical processes come together. Methodologically, my thesis is a data based case study. The data is based on an in-depth interview. The empirical part is only focused on the period (1994–2008) when Mr. Ala-Pöllänen acted as a conductor of the choir. However, in the beginning of the book I create a view of the whole frame of reference for the choir by exploring the complete archive of the Tapiola Choir and the written material about choral pedagogy. The analysis was done by searching for characters in the qualification process and by using a theory called Big Five personality domains. The results show how a co-operative way of thinking and working promoted the educational goals in all of the teaching done by conductor Ala-Pöllänen. Art and education worked hand in hand, serving the aims of both a shorter and a longer time frame. The naturally occurring interaction between both harder and softer values, in addition to the determined aim to develop the social skills of children, is emphasized in the communication. Both the artistic and educational ambition of the conductor is obvious, but yet does not appear to conflict with the teaching in practice. Many demands are made of the children and youth in a choir that is conducted co-operatively, and they get special instruction to help them with that responsibility. The basic characteristics that the conductor requires from the choir are mainly clear and they are consistent with the professional attitude and favourable prerequisites that are for collaboration. This thesis is about the pedagogical wisdom that is needed to succeed in educating a mostly heterogenic group of children. According to my survey, this is based on sufficient theoretical knowledge, an understanding of the behaviour and growth of a child and a practical personal background - all of these things are connected to the communication skills that are needed to influence a group of individuals in a cohesive manner. / Tiivistelmä Kasvatuksellisista päämääristä lapsikuorotyössä puhutaan ja kirjoitetaan vähän. Esiintymislavalla tapahtuva toiminta saa näkyvyyttä ja kuuluvuutta, mutta suurin osa työstä tapahtuu suljetussa tilassa. Juuri siellä tapahtuu se pedagoginen prosessi, jonka seurauksena lapset ja nuoret kasvavat muusikkoina sekä ihmisinä, yksilöinä ja ryhmässä. Tapiolan kuoro, espoolainen lapsi- ja nuorisokuoro täyttää 50 vuotta vuonna 2013. Väitöstutkimuksessani käsittelen kasvatuksellista toimintaa Tapiolan kuorossa ja Kari Ala-Pölläsen yhteistoiminnallista pedagogiikkaa Tapiolan kuoron johtajana. Erityinen fokus on matkakuorovalinnan prosessissa, jossa toiminnan pedagogisia sisältöjä kiteytyy. Menetelmällisesti väitöstyöni on aineistolähtöinen tapaustutkimus. Aineisto perustuu syvähaastatteluun. Empiirinen osa keskittyy Kari Ala-Pölläsen johtajakauteen 1994–2008, mutta työn alussa luon kuoron arkiston ja muun kuoropedagogisen aineiston kautta läpileikkauksen kuoron toiminnan viitekehykseen. Analyysimenetelmänä matkakuorovalinnan tarkastelussa toimii valintatilanteen kuvauksessa ilmenevien persoonallisuudenpiirteiden tarkastelu ns. viiden suuren mallin mukaisesti. Tulokset osoittavat, kuinka Kari Ala-Pölläsen johtajakaudella yhteistoiminnallinen työskentelytapa palveli kasvatuksellista tavoitetta johtajan kaikessa toiminnassa. Taide ja kasvatus tukevat toisiaan palvellen lyhyen ja pitkän aikavälin päämääriä. Kovien ja pehmeiden arvojen luonteva vuorovaikutus sekä määrätietoinen pyrkimys sosiaalisten taitojen kehittämiseen korostuvat Kari Ala-Pölläsen kommunikaatiossa. Ilmeistä tutkimukseni tulosten nojalla on kuoronjohtajan sekä taiteellinen että kasvatuksellinen kunnianhimo, mikä ei ole ristiriitaista käytännön toiminnassa. Lapsilta ja nuorilta odotetaan yhteistoiminnallisesti johdetussa kuorossa hyvin monenlaisia taipumuksia ja edellytyksiä, ja näihin heitä määrätietoisesti kasvatetaan. Persoonallisuuden piirteiden perusasiat, joita johtaja toivoo ja odottaa kuoroltaan, ovat selkeitä ja liittyvät jäsenten ammattimaiseen asenteeseen ja suotuisiin yhdessä toimimisen edellytyksiin. Onnistuminen hyvin heterogeenisen ryhmän kasvatuksessa kiteytyy pedagogiseen viisauteen. Se tarkoittaa tässä tutkimuksessa riittävää teoreettista osaamista ja lapsen käytöksen ja kehityksen ymmärtämistä, omakohtaista kokemustaustaa ja tälle perustalle rakentuvaa kommunikatiivista taitoa kohdata ja vaikuttaa samanaikaisesti yksilöistä koostuvaan ryhmään.