Learn exactly what to teach, how to teach it, and how to
lead your group with skill and intention.
You're the director and maybe the accompanist, the behind-the-scenes planner and chief communicator; but you're also a mentor, cheerleader, community builder, and yes, music educator.
The thing is:
You're a capable musician, but you weren't expecting to have to teach the basics of vocal technique and music-reading—and you’re feeling unprepared.
Most adult choir directors weren’t trained as educators. You may have studied choral conducting, maybe attended a summer institute, or two. And you likely have years of choral singing experience.
What if you didn’t have to figure that part out on your own?
Googling vocal warm-ups, attending one-off choral seminars, and reacting to things as they come up in rehearsal. You have a few tried-and-true rehearsal techniques you use for every new piece:
“Basses alone, now basses and tenors, now altos and basses, now sopranos and tenors…”
There’s nothing wrong with these things, but are they really effective? Are they helping you become a better teacher or director? Are they helping your choir members be more independent?
Often, what’s missing is music education strategies grounded in how adults learn best. And without that, it’s hard to see real musical growth.
Introducing
A practical, self-paced course that helps you develop essential
teaching and leadership skills—tailored specifically to the realities
of directing an adult choir.
You'll learn how to:
✔️ Teach important vocal technique and choral methods to your choir
✔️ Help your singers develop music-reading skills
✔️ Foster the development of musicianship, listening skills, awareness, and musical understanding
✔️ Evaluate choral anthems and choose music at an appropriate level for your ensemble
✔️ Plan effective rehearsals, week after week
✔️ Lead your choir with confidence
All taught through the lens of adult learning theory, packed with real-world strategies, templates, and tools, and informed by over 20 years of teaching experience.
Module 1
Eight rehearsal strategies that promote learning
25 leadership skills checklist for choral directors
Module 2
Ready-to-use choral voicing printable
Four common vowel problems (+ how to fix them!)
Module 3
Three 4-part sight-reading examples
Four rhythmic reading examples
Module 4
Printable choral music rating scale checklist
Two sample rehearsal plan templates
"Great launching pad for those starting a new choir as well as some great reminders and insightful ideas for the more experienced director."
“I struggled with teaching choir to adults. This course has widened my horizons and given me new strategies to manage the choir. I have greater confidence.”
"I learned that even though I am not a singer, and I have never run a choir practice before, I can actually run a choir practice that the choir enjoys!"
“This course really helped me to find my feet as a choir director. All of the sections were valuable and practical, and since taking it, I have found myself repeatedly referring to the lessons. Fantastic course!”
“My biggest takeaway was to incorporate teaching as you sing through an anthem. Facilitating a musical learning experience instead of just learning notes.”
“Learning about adult learning styles and how to teach adults was very helpful—I didn’t even know I needed to know that. A lot of times, it's assumed that adults will learn automatically, but understanding how they learn has changed my method of teaching them.”
Take a closer look
Expert training. Real-world strategies. Practical tools you can return to again and again. You’ll walk away with a clearer plan, more confidence, and tools you can actually use in rehearsal next week.
✅ 13 video lessons across four modules
✅ Hands-on projects to put your new skills into practice
✅ Downloadable rehearsal templates and tools
✅ Comments section so you can ask questions, get feedback, and interact with peers
✅ Email support: answers to your questions and feedback on your ideas are only an email away!
✅ Lifetime 24/7 access on any device
Access Anywhere
Self-Paced
Lifetime Access
Start today and feel more prepared for your next rehearsal.
The reviews are in
“What a relief!! I had no idea how to lead a choir. I was literally preparing my notes an hour before my choir turned up . . . . Now, I know how to run a proper rehearsal and bring the best out of the choir.”
“Ashley shares detailed ways to productively direct a choir and plan for rehearsals and provides fantastic resources that I will use on a daily basis!”
"Choir directors of all skill levels and various skilled choirs can benefit tremendously from this course. Dr. Danyew speaks on the many skills and knowledge needed to be a choir director and does it in a concise, efficient manner."
"I am so grateful for your accessible and helpful discussions—and great visuals. I'm feeling less like a deer in the headlights now: THANK YOU!"
"This course is easy to follow, logically constructed, and applies principles to practice in a helpful way. Useful for directors of any kind of choir."
I'm a musician, educator, and researcher based in Rochester, NY, with a Ph.D. in Music Education from the Eastman School of Music.
I've spent over 20 years teaching across church, community, studio, and college settings, including directing three adult choirs. I know what it's like to stand in front of a room of volunteers with mixed experience levels and figure out, in real time, how to teach something (not just conduct it).
I created this course because most choir directors never get formal training in music education. The teaching side of directing is something you're largely expected to figure out on your own. This course gives you the frameworks, strategies, and tools to do that with more confidence and intention—starting with your next rehearsal.
→ Feel overwhelmed by the teaching side of directing
→ Want your rehearsals to be more productive and musical
→ Need real-life strategies you can actually use
FAQs
All you need is an Internet connection. All course content and materials will be available to you in digital format: video lessons, PDF downloads, and web links. Nothing physical will be shipped to you.
Each module is about 30 minutes of video plus a hands-on project or planning task. The course is completely self-paced: You can complete the whole thing in 2–3 hours, or space it out across a few weeks. You’ll also have lifetime access, so there’s no rush.
Not at all. This course was designed with that exact scenario in mind. You don’t need a degree in music education to be a confident, effective choir director. You just need a few frameworks, practical tools, and a better understanding of how adults learn music—this course gives you all of that.
Yes! Whether you're working with a chamber group, a mid-size ensemble, or a “whoever shows up this week” kind of choir, the skills and strategies in this course are completely scalable. In fact, many of the rehearsal-planning tips are especially helpful for smaller groups with limited vocal coverage.
Yes, if you want to refine your teaching skills, better understand how adults learn, and make your rehearsals more organized, engaging, and intentional. Even experienced directors have said they gained new insights, ideas, and frameworks they hadn’t considered before.
Yes. Each lesson includes a comments section where you can ask questions, share your ideas, and connect with other directors. You can also email me directly—I’m happy to answer any questions.
You’re still in the right place. While some examples reference church choirs, the teaching and rehearsal strategies work just as well in community or amateur choirs. The focus is on adult learners, no matter the setting.
Each course in the Music Education & Leadership Skills series focuses on a different ensemble type. While a few foundational principles overlap (like rehearsal planning), this course was written specifically for directors of adult choirs, with adult learning theory and typical challenges in mind.
But directing an adult choir well isn’t as simple as choosing good repertoire and keeping a steady beat in your conducting pattern.
There’s teaching, planning, and navigating different skill levels, learning styles, and musical backgrounds. You’re smart, resourceful, and capable. But you don’t have to figure all of this out by yourself.
Lead with more confidence. Teach with more clarity and intention. Get more out of your rehearsals.
Take a closer look
✅ 13 video lessons across four modules
✅ Hands-on projects to put your new skills into practice
✅ Downloadable rehearsal templates and tools
✅ Comments section so you can ask questions, get feedback, and interact with peers
✅ Email support: answers to your questions and feedback on your ideas are only an email away!
✅ Lifetime 24/7 access on any device
By the end of this course, you’ll know what to teach and how to
teach it and you’ll have effective tools and teaching strategies
you can return to all year long.
Feel more prepared, more capable, and more confident
as a teacher and director, week after week.