“From Zero to Everything”: Composer-In-Residence Songwriting Workshops with Young Singers

This session will explore the process of collective songwriting in the choral music classroom through the lens of a songwriting workshop that composer Jim Papoulis has done with the North Shore Country Day School Lower School Chorus for the past 15 years. We will examine the values and benefits of such a project from the perspectives of the choristers, their teachers, their parents, and the composer. We will also present tips for success, particular challenges, budgetary issues, and other logistical considerations for choral directors wishing to facilitate similar experiences for their choirs.