Submitted by Daniel J. Fee, Fond du Lac, Wisconsin

Idea posted November 30, 2004

Here are some ideas to help your groups remember and maintain their two-part harmonies:

  1. Have your two groups sing one part of the song while you sing the other. Keeping all of your singers on one part before splitting them sometimes helps in remembering the harmonies.
  2. Put some physical space between your groups. Having your groups farther apart while practicing sometimes helps. Later, you can gradually move them closer together.
  3. Have your students sing the "other" part while the kids on the CD (full performance) sing the reverse.

I think partner songs are a great way to introduce singing in harmony. Sometimes, their first instinct is to "out sing" the other group. Once they're past that, it usually comes quickly. I also find that when I'm singing the "other" part, the quality of the classroom singing goes WAY up. They HAVE to be independent. I tell them not to listen to me (something they've wanted to do for years!), that I am the enemy, etc.