The Choral program
There is a place for you in the ASU Choirs!
Regardless of your major or academic standing, with seven ensembles in our program, there is a place for everyone! From community members in the Phoenix area, choral aficionados, and even individuals contemplating singing with other people for the very first time, all are welcome!
Values
The Choral program in the ASU School of Music, Dance and Theatre celebrates the joy of singing in community and empowers members to become creative leaders who transform society through collective song.
We are committed to meeting the needs of our choral community by:
- Centering joyful music making as the foundation of our work.
- Prioritizing musically multicultural experiences that help us grow into empathetic global citizens.
- Engaging with repertoire and composers that celebrate the vast diversity of our world.
- Championing the choral arts as a catalyst of service to our local and global community.
- Forging new paths to ensure that our program is a generative space worthy of training the current and future generations of equity-driven music educators, performers, facilitators, and change-makers.
Cantamos Con Alegría! We Sing With Joy!
Join us!
Choral opportunities
Degree seeking students can find more information about joining a choral here.
Non-degree seeking students can find more information about joining a choral ensemble here.
For community members, please inquire with our Interim Director of Choral Activities, Dr. Joshua Palkki at joshua.palkki@asu.edu
Our Choral Program offers a variety of graduate degrees for choral artists looking to further their study.
MM in Performance (Conducting), Choral Conducting Track
DMA in Music (Conducting emphasis), Choral Conducting Track
Students engaging in our choral conducting programs expand their expertise in global and intercultural approaches in communal vocal musicking and work to integrate this into their pedagogy and rehearsal process. Students expand their skills in score study by integrated musical, textual and socio-critical analysis in order to gain insights into the unique interpretive demands of each work. Students anchor their gestural study in integrated approaches of western ideals of conducting with Laban movement, global dance forms and body mapping. Conductors receive a plethora of podium time, both as primary conductors of ASU choral ensembles and as assistant conductors to faculty led ensembles. Our graduates in these programs go on to serve as choral faculty for respected institutions in higher education and K-12 programs, artistic and/or music directors of community, semi-professional, and professional ensembles, or as global choral entrepreneurs.
MM in Music Learning and Teaching
PhD in Music Learning and Teaching
Graduate study in Music Learning and Teaching are for musician-teacher-scholars who seek careers in musical and educational leadership. Music Learning and Teaching PhD and MM students are immersed in an open, inclusive and multi-faceted community of dynamic partnerships, research and teaching collaborations and creative enterprise. Students work each semester with outstanding faculty on creative projects and initiatives that lead to independent and co-authored research and publication. PhD and MM students have opportunities to diversify their thinking and further their goals by accessing internationally recognized faculty in other schools and colleges at ASU. Graduate students in Music Learning and Teaching complete the program with many possible career options and pathways ahead.
In addition to a diverse array of choral ensembles, our choral faculty and graduate instructors facilitate a plethora of courses for undergraduate music majors and minors interested in choral conducting, literature, and pedagogy. Our program ideates innovative approaches to the facilitation and scholarship of communal vocal music and catalyzes the artistic and pedagogical expansion of future music educators (please hyperlink to undergraduate MLT program), performers (please hyperlink to undergraduate MTO program), composers (please hyperlink to undergraduate composition program), musicologists/ethnomusicologists ((please hyperlink to undergraduate musicology program), and other fields both in and outside of music. We share the undergraduate courses that we offer through our program below.
MUP 209 Beginning Choral Conducting and Literature
A hands-on course that covers the fundamental concepts of choral conducting gesture, score study, choral literature selection and history, and pedagogy. The class is offered every semester for 1 unit.
MUP 494 Special Topics: Advanced Choral Conducting and Literature
A hands-on course that covers advanced concepts of choral conducting gesture, score study, choral literature selection and history, and pedagogy. Additionally topics include musical theater and choral/instrumental conducting. The class is offered every spring for 1 unit.
MUE 325 Voice/Choral Lab
A methods course that builds fundamental skills needed to model, facilitate, and accompany singing environments. Specific focus will be placed on developing solo and choral singing techniques, understanding of basic vocal anatomy and function, accompanying and arranging for solo and communal singing on ‘ukulele, guitar, and piano. This class is offered every fall for 2 units.
MUE 480 The Art of Teaching Choral Musicians
A methods course that builds fundamental skills needed to teach choral and communal music at the elementary and middle school level. Specific focus will be placed on presenting culturally responsive choral instruction to K-8 learners; developing a solid foundation of appropriate vocal pedagogy and practice; building strategies for score study, lesson planning, and administrivia, and transferring these integral concepts to unique and diverse cultural ecosystems. This class is offered every spring for 4 units.
2023 ASU High School Vocal Connection
Saturday, Sept. 9, 2023
The 2023 ASU High School Vocal Connection will be held at the ASU School of Music, Dance, and Theatre on Saturday, September 9, 2023.
The 2023 event will feature Dr. Joshua Palkki, incoming associate director of choral activities at ASU.
Colleagues from the ASU School of Music, Dance and Theatre will engage students in voice classes, circle singing, improvisation and other embodied choral experiences that will aid in building momentum and engagement for high school vocal programs.
Separate sessions are planned for teachers with an emphasis on practical skills, ideas and repertoire facilitated by our choral faculty.
Check-in on September 9, 2023 at 8:30 a.m. in Cowley Lobby in the ASU Music building. Warm-ups start at 9 a.m. The day will conclude around 4 p.m.
There will be a break for lunch; students should plan to purchase or bring their lunches and snacks. A list of nearby inexpensive restaurants and a schedule for the day is provided in the Google link below.
There is no charge to high school vocal teachers, students or participating school for this event.
Due to the capacity of rehearsal spaces, we ask that each program send no more than 16 students.
Please register at 2023 High School Vocal Connection.
Please RSVP no later than Sunday, September 3, 2023.
Registration will be confirmed in late July and in early fall. Parking information and arrival procedures will be conveyed with the confirmation.
If you have questions, please email Joshua Palkki, interim director of choral activities, at joshua.palkki@asu.edu.
Quick facts about the ASU Choral program
Choral faculty
