Beginner Choirs, Big Impact: Inclusive Teaching & Repertoire for Emerging Ensembles
Date
June 8-July 31, 2026
Online
TBD based on participant availability
Course Code
MECA 8016B | MMED 559
Credits
MECA 3 | MMEd 2
Tuition
$1,194
Course Description
This course provides music educators with essential strategies for building and sustaining impactful beginner choir programs, specifically grades 5-12. You will explore inclusive teaching methods and diverse repertoire selection to create an ensemble where every student feels seen, heard, and valued. Move beyond the traditional to build a choral experience that authentically reflects your school community and empowers student voices.
This course is designed for K-12 choral directors, general music teachers, and graduate students in music education. It is ideal for educators who are starting a new choir program, looking to grow an emerging ensemble, or seeking to refresh their approach to teaching beginning singers with a focus on equity and inclusion.
Instructor
Puja Ramaswamy is the Director of Choirs at Lake View High School in Chicago, where she teaches five choral ensembles. She is dedicated to creating a culturally relevant curriculum wherein student voice guides instruction and learning. Her students have participated in multiple choral festivals throughout Chicago, worked with expert teaching artists through the Lyric Opera High School Residency Program, and partnered with the William Ferris Chorale through the Emerging Voices Project. Prior to her position at Lake View, Ms. Ramaswamy was the Director of Vocal Music at Eisenhower Junior High School in Darien, Illinois. There, she directed numerous musicals and organized choral trips for her students to perform across the country.
A National Board Certified Teacher, Ms. Ramaswamy received the Golden Apple Award for Excellence in Teaching in 2022. She is an active clinician and adjudicator, serving for the IGSMA District 7 and State Choral Contests and the Illinois ACDA Treble Choir Festival. Additionally, she has been a guest conductor at the Waukegan Middle School Music Festival and the ILMEA Districts 1 and 7 Elementary/General Music Festivals. She currently serves as Secretary of the Illinois ACDA Board and is a member of the VanderCook College of Music Alumni Advisory Board.
Ms. Ramaswamy holds degrees from the University of Illinois at Chicago and a Master of Music Education (MMEd) from VanderCook College of Music.
Sarah Giordano is an instructor at VanderCook College of Music, where she teaches the following courses:
- Secondary General Music Methods
- Musical Theatre Methods
- Combat Piano for Choral Directors (offered through the MECA program)
- Beginner Choirs, Big Impact: Inclusive Teaching & Repertoire for Emerging Ensembles (an upcoming Summer 2026 MECA course)
In addition to her teaching responsibilities, Ms. Giordano serves as a VanderCook master’s project advisor and is an active choral clinician, adjudicator, and accompanist in the Chicago suburbs.
With over 24 years of experience as an educator and musician in the Chicago suburbs, Ms. Giordano spent two decades as a middle school general music teacher, choir director, and drama director. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Instrumental Music Education from Eastern Illinois University and a Master’s degree in Choral Music Education from VanderCook College of Music. Currently, she is pursuing her Doctorate in Music Education at Boston University.
Ms. Giordano is passionate about musical theatre and actively directs, music directs, and serves as vocal director for various youth, professional, and community theatre programs. Her youth theatre productions include Frozen JR, Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella: Youth Edition, The Pirates of Penzance, and Godspell. On the mainstage, her credits include Spamalot, Guys and Dolls, The Bridges of Madison County, Hairspray, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, and Dirty Rotten Scoundrels.