I’m a Band Director — Why Am I Teaching Choir?

I’m a band director. I eat, sleep and live band. Ask me any questions about any band composer, literature or conductor, and I’ll answer correctly 80% of the time, every time. #Band4life.

My first job? Four sections of choir. Two sections of band — one of which I co-taught as the assistant. And to make it more interesting, the previous choir director had already applied for a state conference performance, and the group was accepted.

So, a few months into my teaching career — still figuring out attendance, copy machines and why someone kept parking in my assigned spot — I was supposed to help take a choir to perform at the state conference.

I walked into my first class and was met by 60 vocalists waiting to see if I know what I’m doing.

The Moment You Realize You’re in Trouble

One class, I asked the tenors to sing alone for the first time. Silence.

Them: “We don’t know the part.”

Me: “It’s on the page — just read the notes.”

Them: “We can’t.”

OK. New plan. This is not the typical “choir kids can’t read music” complaint. The only advantage band members have is that they have buttons and keys, and they’ll occasionally hit the right notes the first time due to having less notes at their disposal.

I replanned the next several rehearsals to include note-reading, solfège, rhythm exercises and diction. In other words, I couldn’t just wing it like I thought. This would require some real rehearsal architecture and goal setting.

I had the same thoughts every day driving home: “Did they hire the wrong person?*

Sometimes you aren’t hired because you’re the perfect specialist. You were hired because the schedule needed to work. You had just enough skill to be functional in two different disciplines, and someone has to teach those sections. A real gut punch to your ego.

You’re Not Starting From Zero

I used to think: “If I don’t know everything about this discipline, I shouldn’t be teaching it.” This sounds responsible and reasonable, but it’s also not true.

Most of a music teacher’s job isn’t choir-specific or band-specific or orchestra-specific. All include rehearsal structure, pacing, expectations and musicianship.

So, was the goal to get kids to understand and demonstrate proper diction, diphthongs and tone quality? Absolutely. But the goal was also to continue to move our rehearsals forward.

If you’re teaching a discipline that you’re not used to, you’re not starting from zero. You’re starting from about 70%.

Here’s what you can do:

• Plan a concert cycle
• Diagnose rhythm issues
• Know when kids mentally need a reset.

The other 30%? This comes with time, observation and a little humility. Humility just means saying, “I don’t know this yet.”

Some Universal Things

Rehearsal structure transfers everywhere: When I stopped trying to become a choir guy overnight and just ran rehearsals the way I knew how to run rehearsals, things improved.

Warm up with purpose: Not random vocalizing. Targeted. “We’re going to fix vertical alignment today.” Then the warm-up addresses that.

Isolate small sections: I pulled just the tenors and basses for eight minutes while the sopranos marked and listened. That felt normal to me — it’s what I would do with low brass. Then I just worked on fixing two measures instead of running sections or the entire piece.

Reinforce fundamentals every day: Posture check. Breath plan. Unified release. Choir, band, orchestra — a unified system works everywhere. Your job is to work to refine your teaching on those concepts that are specific to the discipline and the grade level that you are teaching.

Leadership is leadership: Clear expectations transfer across all classrooms. Start on time. Stop rehearsal and reset when needed. Have clear behavior expectations. The first few weeks, I overfocused on vocal technique and under-focused on leadership basics. We’d spend five minutes adjusting vowel shape, but entrances were sloppy and kids were talking between reps. Once I tightened rehearsal transitions — “Folders up. Eyes here. We start in three.” — behavior improved.

And when behavior improved, listening improved. And when listening improved, tone improved.

I’ll reiterate: students do not always need a specialist first. They need a steady adult who understands that tone problems can sometimes stem from classroom expectation problems.

Narrow the Focus So You Can Keep Going

The stress of that upcoming state performance almost sent me into over-correcting mode. I wanted to master everything. Every vowel nuance. Every stylistic rule. Every technical detail.

I printed articles. I watched conference videos late at night. I convinced myself that if I just consumed enough information, I’d feel qualified. I was a band guy, but now I have to prove that I belong here. Student-first? Not exactly. But that’s what was going on in my head at the time.

Instead, I just felt tired. I felt like I couldn’t sustain this. So, I narrowed the focus.

The goal was no longer to perform at the state convention and gain the respect of my new peers. Now it was to make sure the students felt comfortable performing with proper posture, diction and tone quality. It was to make sure they felt connected to each other in their classroom and performance.

I stopped chasing every flaw. We worked on the list above — posture, classroom expectations, musical elements.

They improved. Not because I became an expert, but because I simplified.

No Excuses

I apologized a lot and made a lot of excuses at the beginning. “I’m more of a band person …” or “I’m still learning choir …”

I thought I was being transparent. Students hear something else. They hear: This class is secondary; it’s not as important to our director.

You are the choir director this year. Own it. You can be learning and still be in charge. When I stopped qualifying everything and simply led, rehearsal felt different. Confidence isn’t knowing everything. It’s knowing that you can rise to the level the students need.

Borrow Shamelessly

I’ve heard from countless educators that “teachers steal constantly.” See a teaching technique that works? Take it and try it out with your class.

Many new teachers feel like they have to create materials or methods, otherwise it doesn’t count. This is a quick way to burn-out.

Sit in on other directors’ rehearsals and take notes. Find a book like “Building Beautiful Voices” by Weston Noble and use those warm-up methods.

Most great teachers often cobble together what works from other directors. Borrow. Refine. Keep moving.

A Manageable Survival Plan

Here are some additional tips if you find yourself staring at a schedule that doesn’t match your speciality:

• Pick conservative literature. Choose music that builds confidence.
• Establish a consistent rehearsal routine.
• Keep a running list titled “Things I Need to Understand Better.”
• Study 10 minutes a day — not two hours in panic mode.
• Build one mentor relationship.

This list is doable. Especially when you’re also prepping for a state performance that you didn’t apply for. And still trying to remember to submit attendance correctly.

This Isn’t an Identity Crisis

You’re not a band director stuck teaching choir. You’re a music educator teaching the students in front of you.

Teaching multiple disciplines was a gift. My ear improved. I started listening more carefully. My language became more direct, and I was fortunate enough to interact with even more students who wanted to perform and wanted a place to belong.

I learned how to become a better teacher for whoever was in front of me.