Abstract
Excellent musical ensembles have a strong sense of communal identity among the participants. Because of scheduling challenges and performance priorities, it is difficult to build camaraderie during rehearsal time other than through music making. This article explores the processes, benefits, and challenges of implementing a writing component in an ensemble for the purposes of building camaraderie and assessing individuals. The writing component described here is used with a joint community/prison choir consisting of college students, community members, and prisoners. Ideas are included for teacher-conductors who want to develop their musicians’ learning through invitations to write. Activities involved in this project may include scripts for concert introductions, program notes, creative writing explorations, concepts to share during rehearsal, and interdisciplinary teaching.
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