Yo Vivo Cantando: 2-Part Choral Octavo

Althouse brings decades of choral writing experience to this piece, and it shows in the clean voice leading that lets your singers succeed immediately. The Latin-jazz harmonies feel contemporary and sophisticated while remaining entirely accessible to 2-part singers, which is a rare combination. Programming this alongside spirituals or other world music creates natural thematic cohesion without sacrificing fun or energy.

From the first notes, the piece radiates warmth and celebration. The Afro-Cuban fusion rhythms create forward momentum while the bilingual text feels inclusive and joyful, capturing the literal theme that life is meant to be lived singing. It's the kind of piece that reminds both performers and audiences why choral music matters.

This octavo serves 2-part choirs of any level looking to add contemporary multicultural repertoire with genuine musical substance. It works equally well for middle school ensembles building confidence in jazz harmonies and upper-level high school or adult choirs seeking an engaging, feel-good piece that also demonstrates compositional craft.

• Lock in the rhythmic foundation early; the Latin pulse is essential to the character, so anchor rehearsals with a strong backbeat from your rhythm section or recorded accompaniment before adding melody lines.
• Attend to the Spanish-English code-switching as a deliberate artistic choice rather than a technical hurdle. Have singers understand that "Yo vivo cantando, I live to sing" works as a unified thought, not two separate statements.
• Let the jazz harmonies breathe; resist over-blending in the service of precision. This style celebrates some harmonic color and rhythmic independence between parts.
• Encourage rhythmic confidence in your singers by practicing syncopated passages with body percussion or foot taps to internalize the groove before polishing for performance.

Pair this with other Latin or world music selections to create a thematic concert section, or program it as a transition piece between more formal repertoire and your final set to energize the audience. Its accessibility and joy make it an ideal anchor for a spring concert celebrating cultural diversity, and the recorded accompaniment option means you can feature it even when instrumental ensembles are unavailable.

• Reading and sustaining Latin rhythmic patterns, particularly syncopation in a 2-part texture
• Singing in Spanish with correct vowel sounds and musical phrasing
• Understanding jazz harmony and voice leading in accessible, functional contexts
• Coordinate rhythmic independence between parts while maintaining ensemble cohesion