10 Ways to Increase Student Engagement in the Choral Classroom

Engagement is all about how involved or interested students are in their own learning, and how connected they feel to the subject matter, the teacher, and their classmates. It includes having an active role in the learning process and a sense of ownership about what they are studying.

Imagine what your ensemble could achieve if every student showed up fully engaged! Unfortunately, it rarely happens like that and so it’s part of a teacher’s mission to spark interest in each individual. It’s no easy task, particularly when you are dealing with a large ensemble. Keeping 45 singers of various ability levels engaged over the course of a 90-minute rehearsal block can seem daunting, so it makes sense to have lots of different strategies to employ.

Here are some idea for increasing engagement in the choral rehearsal:

1. Mind Your Pacing

Be aware of how much time is spent on any one part of rehearsal. Don’t linger on one approach so long that singers start to check out, and keep the transition between activities quick. Break up big sections into smaller pieces. If you are working with one voice part, give the others something else to do at the same time (tapping their rhythms, performing solfege hand signs for the part that is singing, silently singing their own part, etc.).

2. Get Them Moving

Getting up and moving is a simple way to refocus a group if their energy or concentration is waning. Teach students conducting patterns, break up rehearsal with some stretches, and incorporate movements to reinforce musical concepts (phrasing, staccato or legato, etc.). Ask students to make up their own movements for a song to help memorize the words, express the text, or as choreography. Make a point of using both gross (ex: conducting) and fine (ex: tapping one finger) motor movements.

3. Positive Attitude

Don’t be afraid to show your own passion for music, teaching, and life in general! Your positive vibe will be contagious. Students will quickly tune out from a teacher who is cynical or apathetic about their job. Keep lessons fun, and utilize humor as well! Choose music that you are excited about, and stay in tune with why you became a music teacher. One simple thing you can do is to practice gratitude—try A Music Teacher’s Gratitude Journal .

4. Put the Learner in Charge

Find ways for students to have choices about aspects of rehearsals or programs. Obviously you have to be judicious about what decisions you let students make, but their participation will lead them to have more ownership in the learning process. Invite students to choose warm-up exercises, give input on how to rehearse a piece of music, or decide between two pieces of music to include in a performance. You can also develop student leaders who can take on various roles in the group (section leader, librarian, logistics coordinator, etc.). Sound Leadership is a great curriculum for selecting, training, and growing student leaders in music.

5. Create Personal Connections

Greet students as they walk in the door, spend time in the hallway between classes, or be visible during lunch hour. Ask your students questions that show you are interested in them as a person. Try using icebreaker activities in class to help establish a welcoming and respectful atmosphere. One easy idea for a Monday rehearsal is to have students share a “high or low” from the weekend. This can be done in pairs first, then those who are comfortable can share with the whole group. It will take some time away from rehearsing the music, but it will pay off in lots of other ways. It’s true for both children and adults—we will work harder and be more invested if we feel valued.

6. Relevant Repertoire

Choral literature can be a fantastic tool for driving engagement! Allow your students to make suggestions of songs they would like to sing. In addition to giving you great information about what they like and are familiar with, it will also give you clues about connections you can make to other styles of music. If you aren’t currently including pop music in your repertoire, check out this article by music educator Jack Zaino to be convinced why you should!

7. Promote Equity and Inclusivity

Students are more likely to be engaged and motivated when they can see themselves reflected in lessons, teaching materials, and repertoire. Review your repertoire for each program to be sure you are including composers, arrangers, lyricists, and styles from diverse backgrounds. Check the texts of your songs—do they represent an array of experiences and ideas? Evaluate whether your posters, bulletin boards, and other teaching materials reflect under-represented groups. Invite guest conductors and performers from varied cultures to your classroom. These are just a few suggestions of first steps you can take in this important area.

8. Gamification

Given the option, wouldn’t we all prefer to play a game than learn something? Games are fun and tap into our natural competitive instincts. They can also reinforce collaboration and teamwork. There are lots of games you can buy to play with the entire class or in small groups. Or, create your own! You can come up with all kinds of “battles” between sections or choirs—sight-reading challenges, part accuracy, memorization, etc. You could also award points for non-musical aspects such as kindness, positive attitude, creative thinking, etc. Try creating “levels” for the stages of learning a piece of music (from sight-reading to performance-ready). Put a chart on the board of the levels and the music each choir is rehearsing to inspire some friendly competition between classes.

9. Project-Based Learning

Research studies have shown that project-based learning can increase student engagement. This type of learning can be done individually or in groups, and it leaves room for the student to have more ownership over how they develop and present their answer or end-product. Check out Music Mosaic by Anna Wentlent for 15 well-crafted projects for middle school students. Your students will learn a lot from these lessons, and you will also find out a lot about them!

10. Teach with Technology

Technology is a huge part of our everyday lives and increasingly integrated into education. While you may feel that music class is a chance to be free of screens, it can be an enriching experience for students. There are many websites and apps related to music education that can add value to specific lessons, or try the consistency of SmartMusic . With its immediate feedback, assessment tools, recording feature, Sight-Reading Builder, and vast music library it offers useful and time-saving technology for both you and your students.

Engaged students are active partners in the learning process. This is participation at a deeper level than simply singing the music—once a student is invested in their own learning and the success of the group, there’s no limit on what can be achieved!