(vowel shaping, vocal placement, relieving tension, approach to breathing for singing and appoggio , physical alignment), gradually prepare the vocal mechanism to be equipped to encounter the singing of the day (relaxation, range extension, agility), teach and reinforce musicianship skills (melodic sight-reading, rhythmic sight-reading, scales and intervals, tuning) commensurate with appropriate scope and sequence, and be linked to the major concepts of the rehearsal to come so as to set up the ensemble for success with the repertoire. Can you fashion a plan for a 15-minute vocal warm-up that accomplishes some of these goals?” While the warm-ups provided were too vague to be included in an undergraduate choral methods lesson plan, they did follow my pedagogical structure and timeframe. Some of the bullet points might simply prompt choral directors to replace these with their ZbYMP__P]PcP]NT^P^^[PNTʭN_Z_SPT] context. Organizing a text entry that is rich in information into a useful template and considering goals and timing could be very helpful to the music educator. Similar applications could include generating rubrics for assessment or generating a complicated rehearsal schedule for situations where the director is preparing pieces of aL]dTYROTʯN`W_dLYObLY_TYR_Z OTaTOPLʭYT_PLXZ`Y_ZQ]PSPL]^LW _TXPTY_Z^[PNTʭNNL_PRZ]TP^QZ] R]PL_P^_PʯNTPYNd ChatGPT suggested that students input song lyrics to explore interpretation, symbolism, and emotions conveyed. From a recent concert program, I entered one text by Joni Mitchell and one by Dale Trumbore with similar themes and asked ChatGPT, “Can you interpret, then compare and contrast the meanings of these two texts? Also generate discussion questions we might explore in rehearsal to deepen students’ understanding of the lyrics and encourage critical thinking.” This was my favorite function and by far the most impressive. Analysis of poetry and generation of discussion questions that make connections across a concert program is a very valuable support to the conductor. Unsurprisingly, tasks that engage primarily with text are among the ZʬP]TYR^_SL_[]ZaPXZ^_`^PQ`W Choral programming often involves singing in various languages. ChatGPT can help students practice diction by providing phonetic transcriptions. I provided the ʭ]^_aP]^PZQL2P]XLY_Pc_Md Emanuel von Geibel (1815–1884) used in “Vorwärts” (“Onward”) from Drei Gemischte Chöre (Three Mixed Choruses) by Clara Schumann (1848). I requested an International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) transcription formatted so that each line of the original text lists the IPA directly below it and the English translation below that. ChatGPT generated a high-quality translation, yet the IPA transcription had several errors (e.g., Vorwärts wrongly transcribed / ·IܒܿݤYܙܿWV / �c; It did not always produce results in accordance with standard diction rules, but, when prompted, it could XLVP^[PNTʭNLOU`^_XPY_^?ST^ application requires a teacher’s proofreading; however, the substantial time required to type an IPA transcription with a parallel translation was eliminated with largely accurate results. If you are looking for new repertoire ideas, you can input ^_dWPOTʯN`W_dWPaPWLYO_SPXP^ and ChatGPT will generate a list of somewhat suitable pieces. In this way it can function like a fallible online forum. I want to highlight fallible —some of the titles did not exist in the composer’s catalogue, and others were attributed to an Unsurprisingly, tasks that engage primarily with text are among the offerings that prove most useful. incorrect composer. Another oddity was that instead of providing bZ]V^Md_PYOTʬP]PY_NZX[Z^P]^ three of the ten pieces suggested were Rollo Dilworth arrangements. This application was particularly unsuccessful in searching within more detailed parameters like voicing, key signature, and tempo. ChatGPT can provide information and tips on a variety of interesting topics to singers including how to maintain vocal health. Its suggestions included the most important considerations like hydration, rest, adequate warm-up and cool-down, proper alignment, breath support, and avoiding strain and overuse. When prompted to provide further research to support its answers, ChatGPT directed me to consider reputable ^Z`]NP^^`NSL^^NTPY_TʭNUZ`]YLW^ academic publications, and medical institutions for the most reliable and evidence-based information and suggested starting points such as PubMed and Google Scholar. At times, ChatGPT is factually incorrect and misses information ZQR]PL_^TRYTʭNLYNP4Y_SPNL^PZQ program notes, I tested its ability to write notes for “Domine, tu mihi lavas pedes?” (“Lord, dost thou wash my feet?”) by José Nunes Garcia (1767–1830). The result was four [L]LR]L[S^ZQʮZbP]d]P[P_T_TaP and historically misleading information. For example, there is nothing distinctively Brazilian about Garcia’s music, as it is purely European. Nunes Garcia was the ʭ]^_-WLNVNZX[Z^P]ZQ]PNZ]OTY colonial Brazil who exported the classical style of Europe to his country. 42 TEACHING MUSIC APRIL 2024
Teaching Music April 2024: Page 42
