Instruction by Tawn Thomas
(Director, Composer, & Educator)
Program funded in part by Volusia County Cultural Council and Daytona Beach Choral Society. Thanks to Ormond Beach Presbyterian Church for hosting the program and their continued support.
Video Timestamps:
00:00 – Introduction
02:00 – Rhythm Study
16:02 – Sight Singing
35:17 – Interval Cheats
40:19 – Vocal Technique
1:22:43 – Apps & Online Tools
VOCAL WORKSHOP PACKET
(Exercises, Notes, Tools, & Summary)
ONLINE TOOLS & APPS (AT-HOME PRACTICE)
SUGGESTED SMARTPHONE APPS:
• PlayScore 2: https://www.playscore.co/
Upload music – plays back accompaniment and isolated parts
• Notes Teacher: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/notes-teacher/id1126546872
Quizzes you on reading notes on a staff.
• Ella: https://ellaapp.io/
Level up through sight singing exercises. Records your voice, grades accuracy/intonation.
• Earpeggio: https://musicate.app/earpeggio
Games to help with interval/chord identification, rhythm/melody dictation, and chord
progressions
ONLINE OPTIONS:
Andy Beck Google Slide Decks –
Access via computer. Interactive Google slides with exercises focusing on vocal technique, rhythm, and sight-reading.
– Sight Reading Slides: https://bit.ly/3SWfRiM
– Vocalize! Slides: https://bit.ly/3dwi7gl
SmartMusic: https://www.smartmusic.com/
Access via computer. Limited access free accounts available. Sign up, login, and search “sight reading.”
You’ll see a series of entries with a “free” icon next to them. This is a great tool that listens to your voice through the computer mic and grades you on your sight-reading (much like the Ella app). The Ella app is easier to use, if you have smartphone. If not, SmartMusic is a good alternative.
TAWN THOMAS
Director
Tawn B. Thomas was born on September 12, 1975 in Jacksonville, Florida and now resides in Palm Coast, Florida.
He received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Music Education at Bethune-Cookman University and his Master of Music Education degree in Choral Music Education from Florida State University, where he studied choral conducting under the direction of Rodney Eichenberger.
Mr. Thomas has taught in Florida’s public school system for over fifteen years and is currently an elementary Music teacher.
In January of 2010, he began serving as an assistant choral director with the Bethune-Cookman University Concert Chorale and served as its Interim Director of Choral Activities from August of 2011 to November of 2012.
As a high school choral director, his choirs consistently received superior ratings at district and state choral festivals. They were also invited to represent the State of Florida in Washington at the 2003 American Music Salute and were invited to perform with the Florida Youth Chorale at Carnegie Hall.
Currently, Mr. Thomas serves as the conductor of the Daytona Beach Choral Society and has been an active member of several music organizations: including, The Florida Vocal Association, Florida Elementary Music Educators Association, Florida Music Educators Association, American Choral Directors Association, and the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers.
He is an active choral arranger, clinician, and adjudicator and holds several publications with Alliance Music Publisher Inc. His arrangement of Get on Board Little Children wasperformed by the Bel Canto singers at the Salute to American Music festival in Austria and Prague, Czech Republic.
Aside from teaching general music and choral music, he has served as a tutor and mentor for the Boys and Girls Club in Holly Hill, Fl. Mr. Thomas is recognized and honored for his contributions as an educator in the 2004-2005, Ninth Edition of Who’s Who Among America’s Teachers, and was nominated to appear in the 2006-2007 edition, also. He is married to Mrs. Marsha G. Thomas and is the proud father of two.
Daytona Beach Choral Society 