During the COVID-19 pandemic, some choirs started to experiment with online rehearsals. Experiences from the pandemic show that singing and conducting in online environments basically works. However, by far not all choirs were able to switch to online modes of interaction. Singing together in the digital space comes with unique requirements. Barriers preventing the use of digital tools may relate to:
- Limitations of existing tools and lack of technical skills
- Lack of best practices and guidelines how conducting can be done in a virtual environment
- Perceptions that singing online is less enjoyable than singing face-to-face
Against this background, first, this project will identify the state-of-the-art of online choir rehearsals. Subsequently, technology solutions and principles for carrying out online choir rehearsals will be designed. Those concepts will build on identified best practices, address existing limitations, and consider different requirement profiles. The designed technology solutions and principles will be evaluated in rehearsals with an online laboratory choir and refined using insights from surveys and expert workshops.
The results of this project include 1) a documentation of the state-of-the-art of online choir rehearsals from a technological, choir pedagogical, and socio-technical perspective; 2) guidelines concerning technology solutions, for conducting online rehearsals as well as for increasing technology acceptance and fostering interaction during online rehearsals; and 3) identification and description of (digital) competencies to carry out online rehearsals.
This project has a duration of two years (01 September 2022 – 31 August 2024). The figure below shows the project structure and work packages.
