Junior High

Tammy Carney, Junior High

Jolene

SSA/Solo

Mark Brymer

Hal Leonard 215182

This arrangement of Jolene is written like the Pentatonix recording with Dolly Parton.  My girls are preparing this now and it has been easy to teach!! This is also a great feature for soloist!

Linden Lea

TB

Larry Shackley

Heritage Music Press 15/3505H

I chose this piece for District Festival this year.  Based on a William Barnes poem, this Ralph Vaughan Williams tune is beautiful in the young male voice.  The tenor section gives those unchanged voices a chance to soar in the sweet places of the voice.   Singers must however be independent and certain as the accompaniment is very ornamental.   Challenging for a two part octavo.

Dies Irae

SATB

Ryan Main

www.rayanmain.com

Found this piece at a reading session this year!  Great SATB for the second semester junior high mixed choir.  Voices are settling a bit and could have great success with this piece.  Dies Irae is very rhythmic and has opportunities for great musicality!

Vocalize!

Composed and Arranged by Andy Beck

Vocalize! Is a book of 45 accompanied vocal warm up that teach technique to younger voices.  I love anything I can reproduce! We use this resource mostly to remind singers of simple ways they can improve their tone, articulation, range, and vocal energy.  My students can use the accompaniment tracks and lead warm ups for me!

Junior High School

Tammy Maxie, Junior High

Hope is the Thing with Feathers

SA

Deanna Wehrspann

Choristers Guild

We are loving this piece!  The poem is one of my favorites and part of the Language Arts curriculum at my school.  Musically it sings easily and is great for the first concert in October.   I also enjoy the learning resource page that the publisher provides for their pieces.  

Keep A Goin’

TB

Frank L. Stanton 1857-1927  arr. Paul David Thomas

Brilee Publishing

This men’s piece is great for the middle school male singer because the range is perfect for each voice!   The vocal line helps with  independence within the part as it features tenor and bass alone using echo part writing.  This piece offers opportunity to teach dynamics and if simply fun to sing! 

Happy Together

SATB

Arr. Audrey Synder

Hal Leonard

Easy A Cappella piece for young voices!  My baritones were not ready for this until spring so be careful to not start this too early.  Add a fun beat boxer and it will work for a great light number in your programs.

Sight-reading Factory

Love this website!  Extremely affordable and it gives you so many options at your fingertips!  Combine these exercises with other sight reading materials you already have in your classroom.  My favorite feature is the ability for my students to work independently at home.  

Junior High

Tammy Maxie, Junior High R&R Chair

Girls Just Want to Have Fun

SSA

Audrey Synder

Hal Leonard 00138159

Have you been shy to try pop a cappella with your junior high students? I have been very wary of such music however this arrangement is perfect for young female voices! 

Pirate Story

TB (B)

Mark Burrows

Brilee 917

If you are searching for a piece to fit all your middle school boys changing voices this is it!  You cannot go wrong with this Robert Lewis Stevenson setting.  Just be careful that they don’t over sing!! It is very lively and robust!

Sing for Joy

TB

George F. Handel/Linda Spevacek

Heritage Music Press 15/2356H

Adapted from the duet from “Judas Maccabaeus”, Sing for Joy is a short piece with many musical teaching moments throughout for young male singers.  This piece has challenged my men to use the best part of their voice.  It has also helped them learn to sing with proper tone quality and resonation.

The VOCES8 Method

Paul Smith

Edition Peters Group

The Voces8 Method has been useful in my choral rehearsals as a tool to help my singers with ear training skills.  I have found that the simple method creates a  positive impact toward singing without piano accompaniment and trusting their ears to follow repeated patterns and melodies within different styles of songs.  This method develops teamwork, problem solving and creative thinking.  My singers are engaged and ready to tackle the music in their folder with much more enthusiasm.  In addition to the musical benefits from this method, students are also improving numeracy, literacy and linguistics skills to carry into the classroom.

Junior High

Tammy Maxie, Junior High R&R

Come to the Music

SSA/2-part 35030121 (also available SATB and SAB)

Joseph M. Martin

Shawnee Press

Years ago I had the opportunity to meet Joseph M. Martin.  He visited our church to work with our choir and he was one of the most engaging musicians I have ever met!  Since then I have always looked to his music because his accompaniments are always beautiful and his arrangements exciting.  Come to the Music is alive and electric with driving rhythm, memorable melodies, mixed meter, and joyful text. Optional percussion and piccolo accompaniment (parts included) enhance the medieval dance quality of this exciting piece.

Banks of Doon

SSA (also available SATB)

Donna Gartman Schultz

Boosey and Hawkes 48004736

Beautiful arrangement of a famous Robert Burns poem, The Banks o’ Doon.  The melody is new but it still has a flair of a Scottish air.  An instrumental obligato is also added to the choral score.

Stand by Me

TB

Roger Emerson

Hal Leonard 00155636

This 1961 hit has been recorded by over 400 artists and my boys love singing it!  The bass line is perfect for my changing baritone/bass and my unchanged boy soars on the melody line!  Written specifically for the boys in middle school!  Add a bass guitar and drums and the girls will swoon! 

Set Me As A Seal Upon Your Heart

TB

Laura Farnell

Hal Leonard 08551864

Perfect beginning piece for my boys!  Not demanding, very singable and easy to teach!  

Simplifying our Sight Reading- SOS for beginning Choirs

Laura Farnell and Mary Jane Phillips

This resource is new to me this year!  Over the past few weeks I have enjoyed using it with my beginners.  I have always started with rhythm first and this series separates rhythm and pitch without notation giving my students confidence here at the start of school.   It is well sequenced and starts truly from the beginning but gives my high achievers an engaging experience due to the  design of the exercises.  Highly recommend!