Selecting Section Leaders in a Choral Group

In a choral group of any kind, the roles of section leaders within each vocal part play a crucial role in shaping the overall quality and function of the ensemble. A choral director must be careful when choosing section leaders. It takes a very balanced and careful approach, considering both musical aptitude and leadership skills. The process goes beyond simply designating leadership roles in each section; it's about fostering an environment in which students can comfortable collaborate, one which maximizes the collective potential of the choir while recognizing and nurturing the strengths of individual singers. 

Assessment of Musical Proficiency 

1. Vocal Proficiency and Musical Skill Selecting section leaders requires a complete evaluation of vocal skills, including pitch accuracy, tone quality, range, and the ability to interpret and perform the choral repertoire. The director’s capacity to properly assess a singer's ability to perform well a variety of skills, such as various vocal techniques, articulation, and sight-reading proficiency forms the core of this evaluation. 

2. Musical Sensitivity and Interpretation 

Apart from technical proficiency, an essential aspect is the capacity to interpret music emotionally and artistically. Evaluating a singer's musical sensitivity, phrasing, dynamics, and the ability to convey the intended emotions within the music is crucial. These skills significantly affect the overall artistic delivery of the choir.

3. Leadership and Teamwork 

Section leaders in a choir are not only strong vocalists but also act as leaders within their vocal sections. Identifying individuals who possess leadership qualities can support and guide fellow singers and encourage cooperation and unity within the section is key. Effective communication and a supportive attitude towards peers are vital attributes.

A Balanced Evaluation Process – Objective and Subjective 

First, some definitions and examples. 

Objective information or an objective perspective is based on facts. Real science is based on observable, confirmable facts. The weight or mass of an object, rate of acceleration, etc. are all objective pieces of information.

Subjective thoughts or comments are based on opinion, emotion, or feelings. These opinions, emotions or feelings may have their basis in certain facts, but it is considered a subjective response if all of the facts are not considered, or they are skewed in any way. 

The challenge in any analysis of most things musical is that it’s difficult to establish clear criteria against which a musician or musician’s performance can be compared.

There are a few things in music that are objective. They include: 

• The singer is singing in tune or not in tune. Almost doesn’t count.
• The singer’s posture is correct.
• The singer can sing a pentatonic, diatonic or chromatic scale properly.
• The singer knows the proper shape of mouth and throat to sing in different ranges.

 Then, there are a lot of things that are subjective, such as: 

• The music was sung with feeling.
• The music should have been sung faster / slower.
• There should have been more rubato used in that passage.
• The singer should smile more when he or she sings.

 The difficulty with such statements is that the words “feeling”, “faster / slower”, and “more” are not measurable and are strictly relative in the commentor’s mind. 

The best way to determine if something is objective or subjective is to find out if the statement or expression is based entirely on verifiable facts. However, when in doubt, consider it subjective until proven otherwise. 

1. Objective Criteria Through Auditions 

Objective evaluation criteria, often conducted through auditions or vocal assessments, serve as a fair method to determine section leaders. 

The criteria should be clear and understandable, based on things such as performance or understanding that can be quantified. That is, each objective should either have a Pass/Fail, or an objectively established grading system. Nothing should be left to anyone’s personal interpretation. Here are a couple of examples: 

• If a scale or other short technical phrase is used for part of the evaluation, not only should the musician sing it correctly, the criteria might need to require that it be sung in a certain manner (staccato, legato) and perhaps within a certain time frame (within a certain number of seconds seconds, etc.) If breath control is the object of part of the evaluation, perhaps a minimum number of second would be required, while staying on pitch.
• If a certain section of a piece is to be sung, will the interpretation that the musician makes, whatever that may be, be acceptable, or will the interpretation need to be more in line with any traditional way of singing it?

Auditions typically cover vocal exercises, sight-reading tasks, and performances of specific choral repertoire, ensuring an objective approach to the selection process. 

One way to conduct the musical part of the auditions is to use a blind audition, so that the only thing being critiqued is the singer’s ability to sing the music and follow the conductor’s directions. When the musical part is completed, the students are given a number, which they keep secret. The director, and any other person helping to judge the candidates, use that number to identify each candidate’s performance. 

Another, less formal, way to evaluate the abilities of potential candidates is for the director to spread the choir out as much as possible, and allow for walking space between clusters of singers. This will allow the director to wander among them to better hear how the singers are performing while singing. The song would need to be one that would need very little direction, perhaps one that they had rehearsed well previously.

2. Subjective Assessment and Personal Observations 

While auditions provide an objective measure, subjective observations during rehearsals, sectionals, and other choir activities offer valuable insights. These interactions provide the director with an understanding of a singer's work ethic, responsiveness to feedback, commitment, and the ability to positively influence peers within the section. These subjective aspects complement objective evaluations, offering a holistic view of the students' capabilities. 

Some of the subjective things to consider might be: 

• Does the candidate seem to pay attention to, and properly interpret, the conductor’s instruction and conducting?
• Does the candidate, when given a new piece, interpret it in such a way that, not only is musically appealing, but is also singable by the rest of the section?
• Does the candidate already offer suggestions, provide examples and technique helps, and offer encouragement to the others around him or her?
• Does the candidate exhibit good people skills away from the music rehearsal setting, such as in other classes or in strictly social settings? This information may have to be obtained through casual conversations with other students who know the candidate.

Perhaps this portion of the whole evaluation process should be done first, without the student’s knowledge, so that they won’t be inclined to act better than they normally would. Another step to this might be to have the whole choral ensemble suggest who they think might make a good section leader. A written questionnaire might include such questions or instructions as: 

• Who would you suggest to be one of your section leaders? Briefly explain why.
• Would you be willing to follow that person as section leader?
• Do you know of any reason that this person would NOT make a good section leader? For example, do they engage in cyber-bullying, cheating in academic subjects, taking drugs? (Whatever else the director would do with any negative information would be up to his or her discretion.)

This would give the director a better view of the students’ character, since many students hide some of their lifestyle from adults. This could also include a short questionnaire for each choral member in which they could nominate one or more section leaders and describe the qualifications of their nominees.

Fostering a Supportive and Welcoming Environment 

1. Transparent Communication 

It is essential for the director to maintain open and honest communication throughout the selection process. When the director explains the criteria used for choosing section leaders and provides constructive feedback to everyone involved, it fosters trust and understanding among choir members. Open dialogue encourages singers to consider the qualifications involved and motivates them to strive for improvement. 

The only time that an air of mystery might be encouraged is when the director is doing the objective assessment by wandering among the singers. They will know that they are being critiqued, but they won’t know what criteria are being considered during that process. Their ignorance would benefit the assessment process because they could not put on an act for the director. 

2. Encouraging Growth and Mentorship 

The role of a section leader should be viewed as an opportunity for growth and mentorship rather than just a title. Directors should encourage leaders to support and guide their section peers, offering assistance, and sharing their knowledge. Creating an environment that encourages collaboration and mutual learning is essential. 

Section leaders often have to lead by example. If needed, they should be able to move closer to a singer who may need help with a tricky bit of the part. They can also encourage or correct with a look, a wink or a nod. In some cases, a section leader may even offer to help another singer or singers outside of choral rehearsal.

Balancing Leadership and Team Spirit

1. Fostering a Culture of Leadership 

While section leaders hold leadership positions, It is crucial that they foster a culture where leadership is shared and includes everyone. The director should encourage the section leaders to help all choir members to take ownership of their vocal parts, offer ideas, and support each other. This tends to  promote a culture of collective leadership. 

2. Emphasizing the Value of Teamwork 

Although section leaders play an important role, the essence of a choir lies in its collective harmony. Emphasizing the significance of teamwork and collaboration, regardless of specific leadership roles, cultivates a sense of unity within the ensemble. The focus should be on creating a supportive, collaborative, and artistically driven environment. 

3. Utilizing Competition and Cooperation  

• Competition within the ensemble can serve as a driving force for improvement. However, it must be cultivated in a healthy and encouraging manner. Encouraging students to strive for excellence while fostering a sense of camaraderie helps maintain a positive and motivating environment.

There are some aspects of the musicianship found in a choral ensemble which can be objectively compared, such as body and mouth position, breathing technique and dynamics. There are others that are harder to quantify, such as interpretation and emotional input. Having said that, it should be noted that the majority of healthy competition should be within each student. One should strive to be better today than yesterday, and not as good as tomorrow. 

Other students, especially those less skilled or experienced, can view the competition not as a game of “King of the Hill”, but, rather, as a way to have some other musician as a good example to be emulated. 

• Cooperation and teamwork, which are essential for the growth of the whole group, grow from the foundation of individual improvement. Emphasizing the importance of teamwork and collaboration is essential. Encouraging students to support and learn from each other, regardless of what position they hold, fosters a sense of unity within the section.

Vocalists, whether soloists or choral members, can learn from the better jazz singers in that jazz musicians will bring a slightly different interpretation to a piece, but the fusing of those inputs creates a whole new version. 

Of course, as always, it’s good to remember that jazz musicians have the freedom to express themselves as individuals because they often sing solo parts. Any alternate interpretation on the part of a  vocalist must be made as a group, and be approved by the director. Unless called for in the music, it wouldn’t be good for the sound of a choral ensemble to have the altos using a different style than the rest of the group. 

Conclusion 

Selecting section leaders within a choir is a many-sided process that demands a balance between musical proficiency and leadership skills. It's not just about identifying strong vocalists; it's about recognizing individuals who can lead, guide, and support their peers while fostering unity within the section. 

A successful choral director aims to create an environment where each singer feels valued and motivated to contribute to the collective musical experience. Through a comprehensive assessment, transparent communication, encouragement of growth, and an emphasis on both leadership and teamwork, the director can guide the choir towards a harmonious, artistically rich experience. Ultimately, the director's discretion in selecting section leaders plays a pivotal role in shaping a unified, musically accomplished, and supportive choral ensemble. 

Salt Cellar Creations understands the beauty and power that a Choral Ensemble can convey and the challenge that choral directors face in choosing the best music for their group. SCC has a growing library of original works and arrangements to help meet the needs of choral teachers and directors Find out more about what Salt Cellar Creations has to offer for Choral Groups HERE. Explore the available music HERE. 

SCC can also compose an original piece for you or do a custom arrangement for you. There are two ways that this can be done; one is much more affordable than the other. And SCC is always looking for ideas of pieces to arrange or suggestions for original pieces. 

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