Many resources exist to help choral professionals who are interested in expanding their choral practice beyond the Western canonic choral practice. This database is designed to help practitioners find professional development resources that allow expansion of practices to make choral places more inclusive for people of all backgrounds. Users can search resources on languages, performance practices, programming practices, rehearsal practices, and equity work in ensemble settings. For repertoire written by composers from groups underrepresented in the western choral tradition, visit the Institute for Composer Diversity's Choral Works Database.


What it meant by Expanding Choral Practice?

The choral field historically recognized in the United States as standard acceptable practice is the Western European classical or "art" music tradition. However, the norms and standards of the American choral world is broadening to include musical genres and practice traditions beyond those of the western canon, thus enriching the experiences of ensembles and singers. Expansion can occur in many aspects of choral practice from repertoire choice, inclusion of composers from historically marginalized populations, performance practices and teaching methods from more genres, cultural and historical knowledge of these practices and composers, values and practices of rehearsal and classroom management, audience involvement and performance traditions, and issues of social justice advocacy. As our choral field expands, practitioners can learn more and engage singers and audiences in a wider and richer choral experience. The Expanding Choral Practice Database allows practitioners to find many valuable resources in a convenient and searchable collection.

 

What formats of resources are included in the database?

 

Resources included in the database have a range of formats including, websites, journal articles, graduate dissertations, books, webinars, podcasts, and other formats. Some resources will require a subscription or payment, and others are free.

 

 

How are the resources curated for this database?

 

Resources fall into several broad categories and focus on group singing practices, works, analyses, and creators outside of the western European canonic choral tradition:

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• Repertoire and genre guidance 

  • performance practice guidelines

  • cultural and historical context 

  • theoretical analysis of specific works or genres

  • language and diction guides

• Composers (biographies and interviews) ​

• Programming trends and analysis

• Pedagogical and curricular methodologies

• Rehearsal and teaching practices

• Social justice and advocacy information

• Strategies for community-building and wellbeing

 

Resources are added based on a set of guiding questions that include whether the resources fall into the categories listed above, and whether they are produced by sources with peer-review, institutional sponsorship, or well-established experts in the field. 

 

 

How are the resources organized?

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Keywording guidelines help to organize the resources. Each resource is tagged with multiple keywords that can be used by users in the search box to retrieve resources on specific subjects. The keywording guidelines were developed with assistance from music librarian Deanna Pellarano from the Jacob School of Music and University of Indiana, Bloomington to best reflect cultural integrity, issues of identity, and to reduce the chance of stereotyping, overgeneralizing, or mislabeling.

 

How are the resources identified? What about suggestions for additions?

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Resources have been identified through internet searches, by analysis of major journals in the choral and music education fields, and through inquiries of practictioners in the field who have provided resources to include. Crowdsourcing is encouraged, since not all resources may be widely available through these search methods. Please consider making suggestions by using this form:

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Who is running this project and who has contributed?

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This project began as a sabbatical project by Dr. Helena von Rueden of Hampden-Sydney College. While working with the Institute of Composer Diversity, Helena and her colleagues became interested in the practices, contexts, and histories that music and composers from outside the western European canon brings to the field. Helena developed the collection of resources with advice from the Institute of Composer Diversity's Choral Database Coordination including partners Wanda Vásquez-Garcia and Elaine Bennington. As the database came into its current format, specifically designed for choral practitioners, Penelope Cruz, Robyn Hilger, and Arreon Harley-Emerson have provided guidance, advice, resources, and design ideas for aligning the project with the current needs of choral directors and group-singing facilitators. This site is currently curated as a standalone project by Helena von Rueden who is actively looking for partners to help expand the resource.

 

*Note: updates to the data and interface, as well as a transfer to a new website are planned in 2025*

 

 

What if I have additional questions or want to help with this effort?

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Please email Helena here.

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How can I view the data?

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Data can be viewed in two ways- a searchable database interface or on Google Sheets: