In understanding any art form, a few well-chosen words from a master are worth far more than reams of instruction from an outside, no matter how well-informed. Frederick Leist has combined a lifetime of musical education with a distinguished professional career and produced a concise, informative, helpful and authoritative volume entitled Singing is for the Birds, which elaborates on the methodology and philosophy of directing choral singing. This is truly a nuts-and-bolts guide to the formation and development of a choir, or, more accurately, a number of choirs and small ensembles.
Mr. Leist doesn't miss a trick. He presents a protocol for attracting and evaluation singers, from a specimen of a card with which to grade auditions to ways of involving the entire school and the surrounding community in the choir's activities. He discusses the proper way to run a practice session, fine points of set-building, public relations, and actual voice techniques for voice training. The keystones of his tutorial are discipline, advance planning, and maintaining a steady flow of applicants.
For all of the author's emphasis on preparation, diligence, and practice, however, he never lets the reader lose sight of the fact that no matter what skills and dedication a choir director brings to his job, all will be in vain if he doesn't imbue his singers with a profound sense of joy and accomplishment in the presentation of their art.
About the Author:
Frederick O. Leist earned a bachelor's degree as an instrumental major while playing in the band, the orchestra, and singing in the cappella choir. After obtaining his master's and serving as a gunnery office in WWII, he entered on a musical career during which he spent a dozen years training bands and over thirty years directing choral singing. His choirs have performed at state music and education conventions numerous times, and have toured Europe. Mr. Leist, an accomplished musician on a range of instruments, also played in the Oshkosh Symphony Orchestra for twenty years.
