The Gospel Choir Sound: A Practical Pedagogical Exploration

'The Gospel Choir Sound: A Practical Pedagogical Exploration' is a course that is meant to help all types of singers and voices understand some of the essential methods behind the gospel choir sound in the African-American church and to hopefully have the ability to access and make use of these tactics and techniques in a tangible and efficient way.

In this course, we will discuss some of the basic terminology and history of the gospel choir in the African-American church while exploring basic pedagogical facets that can help clarify how gospel choirs sing. We will also explore how some words that are often used in the gospel choir setting can sound and be more familiar than you think. We will take a look at how these similar terms can help demystify the bridge of separation in terms of musical and vocal production between this genre and other genres.

Additionally, we will examine how these pedagogical facets are sometimes adjusted due to regional or aesthetic differences as well as define the different voice parts, the theoretical phonatory production of these parts/sections, and how these parts can slightly differ from the traditional system of voice classification.

..and, if time allows, we may even formulate a gospel choir during the course and learn a small portion of a song in the logistical and environmental settings that many gospel choirs typically learn music in.