Bumblebee!: Rounds & Warm-ups for Choirs - Paperback

by Michael Griffin (Author)

Bumblebee! Rounds & Warm-ups for Choirs is more than just a wonderful collection of 130 choir exercises including 50 rounds. Michael Griffin, who has taught and consulted throughout the world, shares timeless wisdom to help you get your choir into shape."Will prove useful for almost everyone" -Rhinegold Music Teacher Magazine."This is a great resource to add to one's library of rehearsal tricks." - Anacrusis, ACCC, Canada"Bumblebee contains excellent new ideas and extensions on some of those well-known warm-ups that we all love to use. Backed by clear explanations of the purpose of each, it is a must have, particularly for less experienced choral directors." - S Turner, PLC, Sydney."Vocal physiology, singing pedagogy, and effective vocal examples to practise are excellently combined in Bumble Bee, making it a kind of 'one stop shop' for singing teachers and choir conductors. The vocal work is fun with music examples ranging in difficulty, catering for a variety of vocal contexts. The rounds are invaluable in themselves, offering participants many opportunities to make beautiful music. I even use some of these vocal exercises with my tertiary drama students, as they encourage vocal health and illustrate how the vocal mechanism works. I would highly recommend this resource to anyone who cares about voices and loves to sing well!" - S. Chapman, QLD"This is really good stuff for all kinds of vocal groups, choirs, conductors. Bravo!!" - Harrie Spronken, Netherlands."This is the thinking person's guide to training a choir! Love it." - Margaret May, Australia."It's great to have some fresh warm-ups to add to the repertory. Being short and repetitive by their nature, we need lots of different ones and most of these are new to my choir. The tips for actions and techniques etc. are really useful, and the advice at the back of the book has made me review some of my strategies." - Philip Duffy, UK.

Author Biography

Michael Griffin (M.Ed Studies, B.Ed, A.Mus.A) is an educator, motivational speaker, author, conductor and pianist. Griffin has enjoyed a range of educational roles and experiences in his home town of Adelaide, and throughout the world. His talks are inspired by theory of motivation and the premise that the greatest predictor of progress - music and otherwise - is the quality and the quantity of practise time. Indeed, his latest book Learning Strategies for Musical Success investigates these concepts in some detail providing pragmatic solutions for music teachers and students. Griffin presents not just to music educators but to full staffs on general learning essentials such as fostering intrinsic motivation and expert learning. He has spoken to groups of staff, students, parents and community audiences in more than 100 schools in every state of Australia, and in many more schools in another 25 countries around the world. Many of these schools such as Eton College are considered world leaders in education. As well as schools, Griffin has been the Keynote or Consultant Speaker at several global education events including the European Council for International Schools (Hamburg and Nice), Association of International Schools Africa Educators' Conference (South Africa), English Schools' Foundation (Hong Kong), International Educators Conference (Brunei), British Schools of the Middle East Arts Conference (Oman), Association Genevoise des Ecoles Privées (Switzerland), ASME WA and numerous MTA, ANCA and UK music service conferences. As a conductor, Griffin's choral ensembles have received more than 40 prizes and awards (half of these first prizes) in Australian competitions including one of Australia's major choral prizes, the Australasian Open Choral Championship in 2004. Griffin has adjudicated at several eisteddfods and been guest conductor for major events including the 2014 Pemulwuy National Male Voice Festival, and several events in Switzerland, Asia, the United Kingdom and New Zealand. Earlier leadership experiences in SA included stints as Musical Director for Pirates of Penzance (G&S Society, Adelaide), Catholic Schools Music Festival, Adelaide Boys Choir, and the Brighton School Choirs - at that time considered among the best school choirs in Australia. In 2006 Griffin was awarded the South Australian Education and Arts Ministers' Prize, and is listed in the inaugural Who's Who South Australia for 2007 and also in 2008 for services to music education.