Brenda Smith

Brandi L. Brown hears the fate of a college student who experiences hazing and is leaving the college because it is more than she can bear. Images of the distraught young lady evoke memories of her own college days, ones that had lain dormant for a couple of decades. She leaves work with the intent of writing a letter of consolation to the university student who is returning home. Under the watchful eye of her husband, she begins to tell her own story. The protagonists own story takes place during early integration, and she is among the first colored students to get a scholarship to Claxville University. Her parents do not want her to attend, but she does. While at the university she does experience some hazing and other acts that support her parents arguments about her being unable to succeed at the college. There are also wonderful experiences and good friends to be had, an interracial relationship with a fellow university student (one that is brief, but poignant, passionate, and one that she cannot tell her parents about.) Brandi also has a chance meeting with a taxi driver who proves to be more than thatThaddeus Jerome Pennington becomes her friend, that listening ear that she needs, and soon is the love interest and support she needs to continue at the school. The story has chapters like the Bus Ride, which tells of her trip to the school; Wash Day Folly in which some girls in the dorm steals her underwear from the laundry room; Cross Cultural Comparison Class (CCCC) which starts out comparing romance languages and culture, but soon turns to a comparison of Brandis culture with that of her classmates; and Flo, which helps the reader know who Taxi really is. Insane Circumstances has twenty-two chapters which aid the reader in knowing Brandis story and comprehending how it would serve to help the injured girl. Each action causes a reaction; some that she is proud of and some that she is not so proud of. When the story begins, it is Brandi Leigh Browns story. As events happen, the male character (Taxi) frequently appears. Soon, the novel becomes her story, his story, and their story. In spite of the acts of hazing, etc., she does succeed. She does graduate, and marry this man who becomes her friend for a lifetime. And Thaddeus is there to support her when she writes the letter to the girl she had seen on television, the one who enacted all the memories that lay dormant for so long. Insane Circumstances starts with the desire to write a letter of support to the girl who experienced hazing, and ends with the actual letter.

Insane Circumstances

Robert T. Sataloff

Choral Pedagogy, Third Edition, is the ideal text for voice teachers, choral conductors, church musicians, and professional and amateur singers who wish to develop strategies for lifelong singing. It concisely and clearly presents the principles of voice pedagogy from the perspective of both conducting and voice science in a user-friendly fashion, including helpful charts and simple anatomic diagrams. In addition, it offers teaching methods from history and philosophy, medical and voice science, and pedagogical concepts from active musical experts. Special attention is given to the needs of amateur singers and conductors. Topics covered include choral diction, posture and seating, rehearsal practices, and matters of vocal health. For the third edition, the authors have completely revised the text, updating the medical information and expanding the exercises. They have also added three new chapters: A chapter entitled "Singing in the 21st Century" that considers the vocal/choral demands of the choral repertoire being written in this century.A chapter on teaching young boys to sing written by Vic Oakes, the conductor of the Chattanooga Boys Choir.A chapter entitled "The Value of Lifelong Singing." With its updates and additions, Choral Pedagogy, Third Edition, is a valuable resource for students of choral conducting, music education, church music, and choral singing.

Choral Pedagogy, Third Edition

Singing can be a healthy, invigorating activity for people of every age, and participating in this fully athletic exercise remains enjoyable through each season of life if the singer and singing teacher adjust expectations regarding tone quality, range, agility, and stamina. Brenda Smith systematically presents methods by which anyone can enjoy a long, healthy life of singing in So You Want to Sing for a Lifetime. This book contains chapters on the basics of singing (relaxation, posture, breathing, and resonance), practical examples of exercises and lists of repertoire suited to each age group, and suggestions for negotiating individual musical obstacles related to aging. Featuring guest-authored chapters on voice science, vocal health, and how age affects the physiology of the human voice, the book serves as a useful guide to amateur and professional singers, music educators, choral conductors, church musicians, and private voice teachers. The So You Want to Sing series is produced in partnership with the National Association of Teachers of Singing. Like all books in the series, So You Want to Sing for aLifetime features online supplemental material on the NATS website. Please visit www.nats.org to access style-specific exercises, audio and video files, and additional resources.

A Guide for Performers

So You Want to Sing for a Lifetime

Choral Pedagogy and the Older Singer

Helen Edwards

Graham Webb

Featuring real-life hints, tips and examples of good and bad practice, this manual provides practical advice on good lecturing techniques and confidence in further and higher education contexts.

Brenda Smith

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