On Friday, Oct. 4, the College of Central Florida’s choir students attended their annual fall choir retreat. This is a day dedicated to improving students’ singing skills and becoming more immersed in the pieces the choir will be performing at the concert. This year, the occasion was led by Dr. Jason Longtin, CF Director of Vocal Music and Choir, accompanied by collaborative pianist, Professor Joshua Mazur, and other music faculty.
The retreat offered a variety of workshops designed to enhance the students’ vocal and choral abilities. Dr. Will Kesling, Director of Choral Activities from the University of Florida, and Dr. John Sinclair, Professor of Music and Choral Director at Rollins College, were invited experts. The coaches shared their expertise, offering valuable insights and techniques. Additionally, vocal music professor, Emily Heumann, hosted a vocal health workshop, emphasizing the importance of proper vocal care. Professor Mazur then introduced new types of choral warm-ups in his session.
In between vocal training sessions, students participated in a variety of team-building puzzles and friendship games. One of these activities was puzzle construction. By dividing into several groups, each team was given a small section of a big picture and were tasked with putting it together. This and other table games such as “The Magical World of Disney Trivia” and “Uno” were kindly provided by CF teachers to further unite students as a team.
Although the choice of music for this semester is still a secret, the audience will soon be able to see the results of the students’ hard work.
The next performance that will be presented is the CF Bands and Choral concert. It will be taking place at the Dassance Fine Arts Center on Nov. 19 at 7:30 p.m. No tickets are required for entry.
