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The Complete Choral Warm-Up Book: Choral Comb Bound Book

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The Complete Choral Warm-Up Book Cover Image

The Complete Choral Warm-Up Book: Choral Comb Bound Book

A Sourcebook for Choral Directors

By Jay Althouse and Russell Robinson

Item: 00-11653

$27.99
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Description
A complete sourcebook for choral directors of all levels, as well as choral methods classes. Contains 211 warm-ups with information on usage, photos illustrating correct posture and vowel formation, and a well-organized index to make finding the right warm-up a snap. Belongs in every choral director's library.

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Additional Details
Publisher: Alfred Music
Page Count: 128
ISBN10: 0-88284-657-4
ISBN13: 978-0-88284-657-6
UPC: 038081118987
SKU: 00-11653

More about this title

About the Composer: Jay Althouse

Jay Althouse

Jay Althouse holds degrees in Music Education and Music from Indiana University of Pennsylvania, where he earned the Distinguished Alumni award. His eight-year tenure as a rights and licenses administrator at a major educational publisher gave him both industry expertise and a seat on the Executive Board of the Music Publishers Association of America. As a composer, Althouse has over 800 choral works in print and maintains active membership in ASCAP, where he regularly receives the Special Award for his compositions.

Beyond composing, Althouse has shaped choral education through multiple channels: co-writing children's musicals with his wife Sally K. Albrecht, compiling respected vocal solo collections, authoring reproducible classroom materials, and developing the best-selling warm-up and composer resources that have become standards in the field. His collaborative work "I Hear America Singing" received a national platform when the San Francisco Girls and Boys Choirs performed it at President Obama's Inauguration in 2009. Althouse resides in North Carolina and contributes to the Folk Art Society of America's national advisory board.

Why we love this

This book cuts through the overwhelming number of warm-up choices by organizing 211 exercises into a genuinely usable system indexed by purpose, making it possible to grab exactly what you need for today's rehearsal without wasting time hunting. The inclusion of posture and vowel formation photos transforms this from a passive reference into a teaching tool that helps you show singers what good looks like, not just tell them. Most importantly, it was written by someone who has spent decades in both composition and music publishing, so every exercise actually works in a rehearsal setting.

What to expect

This is the equivalent of having a trusted mentor in the room: methodical, thorough, and grounded in the practical realities of choir rehearsal. Opening the book and finding exactly the right warm-up for your singers' current needs feels like a small victory that saves rehearsal time and builds choir confidence. The visual support from photos makes abstract concepts concrete, giving your singers a clearer path to the sound you're asking them to produce.

Who it's for

Choral directors at any experience level benefit from having a comprehensive, well-indexed collection of warm-ups on hand for every rehearsal situation. Methods instructors teaching pre-service choral educators will find this an essential teaching resource that models how to organize and deploy vocal exercises systematically. Any director looking to build a reliable rehearsal routine will return to this book repeatedly throughout the school year.

How to get the most out of it

  • Return to specific warm-ups throughout the year rather than working through the book chronologically; revisit exercises that address recurring challenges in your ensemble's sound or technique.
  • Use the index to cross-reference warm-ups by vocal issue (tone quality, intonation, blend) so you can target the exact problem in a given rehearsal without spending time explaining why you switched gears.
  • Pair the posture and vowel photos with your opening warm-ups, especially early in the season, to establish the physical foundation that makes subsequent technical work more efficient.
  • Integrate warm-ups strategically before repertoire that shares similar technical demands, so singers experience the connection between the exercise and the music they're preparing.

How to use it

Keep this book on your podium stand as your primary warm-up resource rather than assembling exercises from multiple sources; the organizational system pays dividends across the entire school year. Use it during methods classes to show students how to structure an efficient warm-up sequence and how to diagnose and address common vocal challenges. Reference specific exercises in your program notes or director's files so you can rebuild a successful warm-up routine in future years.

Skills your students will build

  • Breath support and breath control
  • Vowel consistency and pure vowel formation across the range
  • Intonation precision and listening for tuning
  • Blend and balance within sections and across the choir
  • Resonance and tone quality development
  • Proper posture and alignment for healthy singing
  • Flexibility and agility in the vocal mechanism

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