Chant University: Brainstorming
  • Aristotle EsguerraAristotle Esguerra
    Posts: 1,185
    Miacoyne on this thread echoed Jeffrey T.'s proposal for an online chant university. I've reposted Mia's comment in full below because of the details in her post:

    What we need is a year round Chant University!
    Seriously!
    With our advanced technology, why not chant ON-LINE college by CMAA? Start witn one course, like complete course on Vespers from Lent to Easter. Tuition $__. Provide audio samples, interpretation of the chants, resourses, sample music list and program for everyweek ---. (interactive) There are so many courses you can offer in Chant Teacher's college. I'm sure there are many who can take advantage of these courses on line, while CMAA can make profits. Also, this way musicians who are retiring or retired from MD positions or other active music positions can share their vast amount of experiences and knowledge in a more practical way. Then, the colloquium can still be a week of paradise which the musicians can enjoy at least once a year.
    Crazy idea?


    Here are some ideas:
    • A free, newcomer-centered component for the faithful based on Jubilate Deo
    • Ecclesial Latin pronunciation; tips and pitfalls
    • A support course for all the selections in The Parish Book of Chant
    • Courses on the melodic formulas for priests, deacons, subdeacons, and lectors
    • Ward Method Years 1-4 online course delivery for homeschoolers and other interested parties
    • Propers of the Church Year, either a la carte or package
      • Introits, Offertories, and Communions
      • Graduals, Alleluias, and Tracts from the Chants Abreges
      • Graduals, Alleluias and Tracts from the Graduale Romanum
      • Packages for Advent, Christmas, Lent, Easter, Holy Week, weddings, funerals, ordinations, episcopal installations, etc.
    • Chants for selected Hours (Lauds, Vespers, Compline)
    • Chant accompaniment
    • The wonderful world of organum
    • Document study

    Online course delivery can either be in video archive or live streaming video, or both. E-mail support and forums dedicated strictly per-course and/or per-lesson. I'm also thinking that different instructors could be featured, even for the same subject matter, even with competing views or interpretation, etc. Hashing out differences in execution is truly informative for everyone involved.
  • Jeffrey TuckerJeffrey Tucker
    Posts: 3,624
    Fantastic Aris!
  • RagueneauRagueneau
    Posts: 2,592
    I think this could be really valuable, especially if all lessons were on Youtube.
  • Michael O'Connor
    Posts: 1,637
    Oooh, may I be the professor of Spanish polyphony? Easy A, just show up and listen to great music and be sure to keep all your notes for future reference. Actually I'm doing some training in online course delivery this semester. I have to offer Music Apprec this summer online.
  • miacoyne
    Posts: 1,805
    This is very exciting. (once in a while crazy ideas are not so crazy) I'm so grateful that we have so many good musicians here with so much knowledge and experieces. Our priests rely on good musicians to bring back sacred music in our Liturgy more than ever before.
    Sorry that I don't have much to offer, but I'm going to pray for this Chant University. I'll say a special novena in January, and like to invite others to join. I know God will help us, and we will do our best.
  • a1437053a1437053
    Posts: 198
    This IS exciting!

    A very appropriate hosting tool: http://moodle.org/

    I set one up a long time ago, but from what I remember, it may be super useful when combined with other online resources!

    http://docs.moodle.org/en/Getting_started_for_teachers
  • soli
    Posts: 95
    Here is another great tool: http://vlc.ed.voicethread.com/#q

    This chant university is a wonderful idea. Merry Christmas!
  • soli
    Posts: 95
    http://www.virtuallearning.ca/ Here is another model that might be a useful example.
  • Aristotle EsguerraAristotle Esguerra
    Posts: 1,185
    Ancilla: Wow; I'm looking at VoiceThread and it's incredible!
  • janetgorbitzjanetgorbitz
    Posts: 964
    This would be a wonderful project and allow us to continue to progress all year long...
  • janetgorbitzjanetgorbitz
    Posts: 964
    any news on this?
  • RagueneauRagueneau
    Posts: 2,592
    one of the bullet points Aristotle mentioned above has been accomplished here
  • miacoyne
    Posts: 1,805
    Anyone willing to teach Vespers 101? We need a couple of teacher to put the curriculm together and a person to put in the internet and maybe a person deal with money. We should start with a small class (something like 7 weeks? or so) How does it sound? If you are experts in these areas, could you help? And can Jeffrey and Aristotle help putting it in the CMAA site? ( I wish I knew more about computer.) I think once we start one class, we get the feel of it and start a couple of more. I'm sure we would be improving the classes while we are having it.
  • miacoyne
    Posts: 1,805
    Can CMAA announce that it's considering to offer a class on (vespers 101), or it can be something else. And any one interested in teaching the class, send a resume to CMAA. And the tuition can be set and dicide how the tuition is divided beween the teacher and CMAA? (I don't know maybe 50/50?)
    I think starting with one class or two would be practical, and once it gets going you can repeat the same class later and add other classes after they are done. And when you have established a few classes steadily, we can really call it CMAA chant university, no? Also, it would be nice to have some volunteers to help CMAA, I know this is going to add more work to Jeffrey, who already has a lot in his hands. (I would like to help as much as I can, but I'm not a computer expert. I wil do anything tedious.)
  • GavinGavin
    Posts: 2,799
    Mia: sounds like something for your chapter to do.
  • miacoyne
    Posts: 1,805
    Gavin, why? Don't we more resources here?
    Also, as I metnioned earlier, its gives chance for retired musicians to share their knowledge and experience, and hope CMAA can profit from tuition, so it can have some moeny to promote sacred music such as scholarship money and etc.
  • GavinGavin
    Posts: 2,799
    The reason why is that you can reach more people at a local level rather than flying everyone in the country to a city for a week to learn how to read from a book for $500. Really, this would be a great thing for you to do. Find someone articulate who prays the old Breviary often (perhaps a prof from a local theology college), have him give a workshop culminating in sung Vespers, and charge whatever would cover costs of food, location, Breviaries (if desired), and a stipend for the lecturer. I figure the point of a local chapter is to make these things happen and reach many people, rather than having the CMAA do everything for you.
  • miacoyne
    Posts: 1,805
    Oh, Gavin you missed the beginning part. Chant University we are talking about here is all on-line classes. The following is at the top of the thread by Aristotle,

    "Miacoyne on this thread echoed Jeffrey T.'s proposal for an online chant university."


    And I'm interested in these courses, but there have been lots of request from others about some more classes to be in worshops like colloquium, which is already full with many other classes. So some people this would be a possible solution for that. I really don't think you undersand the realy intention of this suggestion. I suggest you would read earlier posts. Thanks for your input though.
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