Session Proposals

Dr. Joshua Chism is an Associate Professor and the Director of Choral Activities at Oklahoma Baptist University in Shawnee, OK. There Joshua advises music students; teaches private voice, Diction, and Vocal Pedagogy courses; and conducts the OBU Chorale, Bisonette Glee Club, Golden Bison Vocal Jazz Ensemble, and OBU Community Chorale. Joshua is the Conductor and Artistic Director for Chorale Coeur d'Alene, a 140-voice regional choral arts society based in Idaho.

Joshua holds a PhD in Music Education with an emphasis in Conducting and Choral Pedagogy from the University of Oklahoma in Norman (2022). He earned an MM in Choral Conducting from the University of Missouri–Columbia, graduating in 2019. Joshua holds Bachelor of Music Education degree and a Bachelor of Music Composition degree from Missouri State University in Springfield (2010). Additionally, he holds Kodály Level I, II, and III certification.

His research interests include the impact of service-learning internships, music assessment, MUED curriculum content, and community music. Joshua has recently presented research at the Collegiate Musicological Society, NAfME, ACDA, and SMTE conferences. In his spare time, Joshua likes to compose, travel, garden, eat sushi, and play board games. Joshua, his wife Natalie, and their young children (Jacob and Hannah) reside in Shawnee, OK. For more information, visit www.joshuachism.com.

Many conductors focus on the technical aspects of their craft, neglecting the crucial role of physical expression in conveying musical intent. This session introduces Laban Movement Analysis (LMA) as a powerful tool for enhancing conducting technique and fostering deeper musical communication with choirs.

LMA, a system for analyzing and describing human movement, provides a framework for understanding how our bodies communicate energy, space, and time. We will explore the four effort elements—space, weight, time, and flow—and their application to conducting gestures. Through practical exercises, participants will learn to identify and refine their own movement patterns, discovering how subtle shifts in effort can significantly impact the choir’s response.

This highly interactive session will delve into:
• Understanding Effort Qualities: How different effort combinations translate to musical expression (e.g., legato vs. staccato, forte vs. piano).
• Spatial Awareness: Utilizing the kinesphere to create clear and engaging beat patterns and expressive gestures.
• Flow and Connection: Developing fluid and connected movements that encourage a unified and responsive choir.
• Practical Application: Applying Laban principles to common conducting challenges, such as dynamics, phrasing, and articulation.

Participants will leave with a heightened awareness of their physical presence and a toolkit of practical movement techniques to enrich their conducting, leading to more expressive and nuanced choral performances. This session will move beyond rote patterns, empowering conductors to truly embody the music and inspire their choirs.

• Choral - Middle School
• Choral - Secondary