Students involved in Treble Choir, Jag Chorale and Jaguar Singers choirs welcomed two guests to their classroom: vocal jazz soloist Donna Tucker on Friday, Nov. 6, who came to Treble Choir and Jag Chorale, and vocal ensemble jazz teacher John Stafford, who came to the Jaguar Singers choir on Wednesday, Nov. 11.

Tucker and Stafford, both jazz clinicians, came to the school to evaluate, work with and teach the three choirs.

Senior Maddie Gerber, who takes part in two choirs, enjoys having outside musicians come into her choir classes.

“I absolutely love having outside guests,” Gerber said. “We get different input about how songs should go, if we should change a part or if the chords aren’t locking exactly the same, so we get a fresh, new ear to listen in.”

Having another opinion is valuable to students, especially because of how rare it is for high school students to sing vocal jazz.

“Vocal jazz is not a very common genre for high school students to sing, especially ensemble vocal jazz,” choir teacher Sheree Stoppel said. “I’ve chosen to do vocal jazz  because [students’ ears become] sharper and they have to really fight for these notes within real tight chords.”

Tucker came to Mill Valley as a substitute teacher for Stoppel’s Treble Choir and Jag Chorale, but her presence helped to progress the choir as a whole.

“We had never put the accompaniment with the music [or] our words and so she threw it all together and it was [a bit] blindsided, but a good blindsided,” Gerber said. “She gave us some ideas for Jag Chorale which was very interesting.”

Stafford however, while teaching the Jaguar Singers choir, had a different approach.

“[Stafford] was taking it slower and we did a lot of different warm ups that we’d never done,” Gerber said. “We did a half scale instead of a full scale and he helped us lock our chords in a lot more so it was really nice having him here.”

According to Gerber, having Stafford’s opinion and skill greatly benefited the students involved with Jaguar Singers choir.

“[Stafford] came in and Stoppel was there so they got to converse a lot about what would be the best option or idea,” Gerber said. “[Stafford] works at Kansas City Community College as their jazz and their regular chorale instructor, and so we got new techniques and he just helped us fit our chords better and our rhythms and make it sound a little bit more jazzy.”

Overall, Stoppel believes having outside music clinicians such as Tucker and Stafford helps to benefit her students as a whole.

“Getting another opinion from an expert on whatever the style is that we’re singing is so valuable to the kids,” Stoppel said. “Even when they say the same thing I’ve already said, it reinforces it to them that it’s right.”