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.

Effective choral score study is essential to our craft, yet due to the busy nature of the profession, it so often falls to the bottom of the priority list. This session will explore efficient and accessible score study techniques for choral directors utilizing colored pencils, planning webs, and rehearsal unit organizers. Participants will discover how these simple tools can revolutionize their understanding of musical structure, identify patterns, and enhance performance preparation. Through practical demonstrations and interactive exercises, attendees will learn to: 1.) Visually map musical form—sections, forms, themes, and key areas for a deeper comprehension of the overall structure; 2.) Analyze harmonic progressions—chords, identify voice leading, and visualize harmonic relationships, leading to a more nuanced understanding of the music; 3.) Highlight melodic and rhythmic patterns—motifs, phrases, and rhythmic cells to quickly identify and track their development throughout the piece, and 4.) Improve sight-reading—key signatures, time signatures, and important rhythmic patterns to enhance visual recognition and improve reading fluency during rehearsal and performance. Participants will also gain experience with teaching webs and unit organizers in order to gain a deeper understanding of how to structure larger unit of instruction.

By the end of this session, participants will leave with a deeper understanding of musical analysis and structure, have practical and efficient score study techniques that can be easily implemented, enhanced visual and aural skills, and increased confidence and efficiency in score and performance preparation—both at the octavo and unit planning level.

• Choral - Middle School
• Choral - Secondary