A Day of Music with VOCES8
By Cynthia Rutz, Director of Faculty Development, CITAL
On February 25, the Music Department created a hands-on music education experience for 180 music students from 12 different local high schools as well as for Valpo music students. Classes and sessions were built around a performance by VOCES8, an internationally renowned acapella group.
Music Professor Marin Jacobson wanted to use this performance by VOCES8 to create educational workshops that would make this a musically enriching day for both visiting high school students and Valpo students.
Among the high school students who came, some brought their entire choir (i.e. the 60-student honors choir from Munster High School), others came as individuals who had shown an interest in Valpo’s music programs. Several Valpo alumni accompanied students from the schools where they teach. Participating schools included Valparaiso HS, Concordia Lutheran, Washington Township, and some even drove three hours from Batesville HS.
The day began with a workshop for students led by VOCES8. Since it is part of their mission to educate wherever they perform, this group has excellent, engaging teachers. In addition to the visiting students, individual Valpo music students attended this workshop as well as Jeff Doebler’s entire music education class.
After lunch at Founder’s, the visiting students had a presentation by Admissions, followed by campus tours. Then they could choose one of several 75-minute “Explore Sessions” led by music faculty and others, including:
- Psychology of Music with Jordy Novak
- A rehearsal of Valpo’s Jazz Band led by Bob Lark
- Music Composition with Diego Piedra
- Video Game Music with Joe Bognar
- Yoga for singers with Anne Bice
- Video Games and Story with Martin Buinicki (English)
- VOCES8 rehearsal
- Engineering with Doug Tougaw
- Honors at Valpo with Mandy Brobst-Renaud
- Radio and TV with Paul Oren and Richard Wolff
Later in the afternoon, students had the opportunity to learn about and explore one of several learning spaces around campus. These 45-minute “Demo Sessions” included:
- Brauer Art Museum Tour, Trisha Mileham & Aimee Tomasek
- Engineering Tour, Doug Tougaw
- Tour of the Sirko Makerspace, Laura Krepp
- Valpo’s Radio Station, Paul Oren and Richard Wolff
- Electronic Music (rotating among three station set up in the VUCA lobby), Joe Bognar
- Open gaming time at the new Center for Games & Interactive Entertainment, Martin Buinicki
Throughout the day Valpo music students served as guides and also attended meals with the visiting students. After dinner, it was performance time. High school choir members who had rehearsed a song with VOCES8 then performed it with them as part of the concert.
VU’s Chorale students also performed a song with VOCES8, a challenging piece that they had previously prepared and rehearsed: “Let My Love Be Heard” by Jake Runesta. In rehearsals Marin worked with them on unifying pitch, rhythm, vowels, intonation, dynamics, tempi, timbre, and balance in order to communicate the emotion of this very expressive piece. Singing expressively with beautiful tone was more difficult in this piece due to the slow tempo and long phrases that challenged our breath management skills.
VOCES8 members sang among Chorale members during the workshop and performance, and students had the opportunity to hear all of the aspects of the choral art at an exemplary, professional level. Students later shared that as they sang next to VOCES8 members, they listened to their vowels and tried to modify their vowels to match those of the professional singer next to them. Students also commented on the expert breath management modeled by the VOCES8 members. In learning to sing, modeling can be very helpful, and our students heard and observed expert modelling. Hearing such refined vocal technique also inspired Chorale students to continue developing their skills.
The music department received many rave reviews of this day of musical education from the schools and individuals who participated. Valpo Alum Luke McGuiness, who brought his honors choir to the event, wrote that:
You created an incredible experience for every student there. While I am still very early in my career, I can tell you that out of the honor choirs/festivals that I’ve brought students to across the Midwest, this was by far the most impactful, moving, and musically fulfilling day my students have had off-campus. Thank you for allowing me to bring so many students.
Luke also reported that four of his students applied to Valpo for fall 2025 as a result of attending this event!
The day was such a success that the music department expects to follow this same model with other visiting musical performers. If your department would like to consider holding a similar educational event around a visiting performance or lecture, Marin would be happy to talk with you about the logistics.
A Final Note: Thanks for this day of musical education is due to the Bach Institute which sponsored both the VOCES8 concert and the activities for visiting high school students and Valpo’s Chorale.