Take in a little sight-singing with the OCA

(OCA) - The OCA Music Department will once again offer two of its popular introductory online courses for the benefit of church singers and conductors

“Basic Conducting Techniques” (12 weeks) and

“Basic Sight-Singing and Ear Training” (10 weeks)

The Conducting Techniques course will begin on Monday, September 19, concluding on December 17; the Sight-Singing class will begin on Monday, September 26, and conclude on December 10.

Registration links and costs are as follows:

• Sight Singing and Ear Training $300
• Basic Conducting Techniques $425

In past semesters both classes filled up very quickly, with a number of prospective students placed on a waiting list.

In previous years, students in both classes found that a significant investment of time—at least 3-4 hours per week—was needed in order to keep up with the course work. Prospective students should consider carefully if they can commit the required amount of time.

Each class consists of pre-recorded lessons that students can watch asynchronously on their own schedule, one per week. Every lesson has a homework component, and then each student is expected to meet online with a course instructor for 20-30 minutes—to ask questions and to give the instructor an opportunity to monitor each student’s progress and offer assistance as necessary.

The positive feedback from students suggests that these courses are meeting the needs of church singers and choir directors in the parishes.

• “I can now look at a Tone and pitch it and sing the melody… The tools I learned in the class will help me to continue to grow in my singing abilities.”
• “Learning the structure of troparia, stichera, and canon [melodies] was very helpful.”
• “[The sight-singing course] gave a very good foundation for sight singing. I can pick up a piece of music in any of the keys we learned and know how to sing it. Fabulous!”
• “I liked being able to watch the [conducting] videos multiple times. I especially appreciated the Zoom interactive sessions. Thanks!”
• “The [conducting] course content was perfect. Always challenging, yet fun! That is what made it so perfect!”
• “[The conducting course] actually fulfilled goals I didn’t even know I should have—such as score analysis.”

“Each semester we strive to accommodate the greatest number of students, while offering each student the maximum personalized attention,” says Dr. Vladimir Morosan, who developed these classes for the OCA Music Department. “We do this with help of an outstanding and dedicated team of assistant instructors, which, for the sight singing class will include Deacon Anthony Stokes (Saint Maximus Orthodox Church, Denton, TX), Tracey Edson (Saint Nicholas Church, Portland, OR), Protinica Michelle Jannakos (Saint. Luke Orthodox Church, Palos Hills, IL), Tabitha Lewis (Saint Tikhon’s Seminary, PA), Serge Liberovsky (Holy Virgin Mary Cathedral, Los Angeles), Jacob Mandell (Saint Michael’s Orthodox Church in Irvona, PA, and Nativity of the Theotokos Orthodox Church in Madera, PA), Zachary Mandell (Saint Mary’s Cathedral, Minneapolis, MN), and Andrew Ritchey (Saint Symeon Orthodox Church, Birmingham, AL). Assisting with the conducting class will be Anastasia Kappanadze (Saint Tikhon’s Monastery, PA), Caleb Lewis (Saint Tikhon’s Seminary, PA), and Anne Schoepp (Saint Lawrence Orthodox Church, Felton, CA).”