To create artistically compelling performances, choral educators need to be able to know, mimic, and teach the sounds (vowels and consonants) of several languages to help students recreate those. The presenter will provide a playful and insightful session during which participants may (re)discover the basic principles of diction in a variety of languages. Beyond the traditional foreign languages--Latin, Spanish, Italian, French, and German--she will also cover Hebrew and Ladino, as well as aspects of English. She will provide musical examples and diction charts for these languages with which to practice what is being covered. To go beyond the pronunciation and helpful tips to breaking down idiomatic sounds, this presentation will also examine how proper diction elevates the artistic value of a choral performance.
Target Audience
Elementary and High School Choir
Additional Notes
Clinician Info
Niké St. Clair
California State Polytechnic University, Pomona/SELF
Born and raised in Hungary, Niké St. Clair attended the Liszt Academy of Music in Budapest and earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in music, specializing in Choral Conducting, Music Theory, and Music Education. Having completed her studies in Hungary, St. Clair earned a DMA in Choral Conducting at USC. Currently the Director of Choral Activities at Cal Poly Pomona, her duties include directing the Concert Choir and the Chamber Singers, as well as teaching courses in conducting and musicianship.
St. Clair is in demand as a master teacher and teaches certification courses in musicianship and choral conducting using the Hungarian Kodály methodology.
She is an active professional singer in the Grammy-Winning LA Master Chorale. As an ensemble singer, highlights of St. Clair’s movie soundtracks include Star Wars, Avatar, Frozen, The Minions, Pixels, Big Hero 6, Ice Age, Sing!, Dungeons and Dragons, Despicable Me, Ghost Busters: Frozen Empire, Twister: Dirt Road.