UPDATED FOR 2026! Featuring new strategies and fresh demonstrations with Brooklyn Youth Chorus. It is the perfect time for a refresher!
Cross Choral Training®
Vocal Pedagogy Workshop
“The Cross-Choral Training® workshop supported my teaching goals by offering structured strategies to integrate singing, movement, and creative expression into the classroom.” - Past Cross-Choral Training® Workshop Participant
Ready to take your choral teaching to the next level?
Join the Cross-Choral Training® learning community for an interactive, rehearsal-centered workshop for choral educators. Designed for both veteran teachers and new teaching artists, this session provides an accessible entry point into Cross-Choral Training and its application in real classroom and ensemble settings.
In this immersive Cross-Choral Training workshop, renowned educator Dianne Berkun Menaker guides choral educators through a practical approach to understanding vocal function and applied pedagogy in rehearsal. Participants learn how to develop the primary systems of the singing voice—breath management, laryngeal registration, and resonance—in service of healthy, flexible, and confident ensemble singing across musical styles.
Through interactive discussions and rehearsal-based demonstrations with singers from the Grammy Award–winning Brooklyn Youth Chorus, educators explore new approaches to teaching and learning, with particular attention to the needs of young treble voices. Questions? Email us at media@brooklynyouthchorus.org.
Two Ways to Join the CCT Community This Spring...
In-Person Workshop
When: March 14, 2026 | 1:00 PM – 5:00 PM
Where: 179 Pacific St, Brooklyn, NY
Cost: $125
(Students $25, email media@brooklynyouthchorus.org for code )
This four-hour immersive workshop offers choral educators a focused, rehearsal-centered introduction to Cross-Choral Training. Led by Dianne Berkun Menaker, the session includes a live rehearsal demonstration with the Brooklyn Youth Chorus and emphasizes functional voice training and its practical application in rehearsal, with strategies that are immediately transferable to classroom and ensemble settings.
Best for: Educators seeking a concentrated, in-person workshop experience with practical tools they can apply right away.
Are you a NYC Public School teacher? Save $25 on the in-person C-CT workshop! Email us at media@brooklynyouthchorus.org to receive your discount code.
Extended Digital Learning
When: February – May 2026 (Asynchronous Online Learning)
Where: Online + Includes the March 14th In-Person Workshop
Cost: FREE (Includes $350 Stipend for NYC Educators)
The Digital Course provides on-demand access to the C-CT framework through asynchronous instruction and demonstration modules. The course is produced by Anthony Roth Costanzo’s arts incubator for cultural programming, SCENE, and includes registration for the March 14 in-person workshop at no additional cost.
Best for: NYC-based educators seeking digital access to the full CCT framework and professional compensation for their time.
Limited Availability!
“Cross-Choral Training® provided me with a strong foundation to further understand my students' voices and how to train holistically for singing better.” - Past Cross-Choral Training® Workshop Participant
In this one-day workshop, renowned conductor and educator, Dianne Berkun Menaker presents her proven techniques in lectures, interactive discussions and demonstrations with the young singers of the Brooklyn Youth Chorus. Participants will learn the Cross-Choral Training approach to:
Applied Vocal Function in the areas of:
Breath Management
Laryngeal Registration
Vowel Sound Resonance
Developing Vocal Exercises
Varying Vocal Adjustments Across Musical Styles
Appropriate for all choral conductors and music educators with a special focus on young treble-voices.
Transform your choral sound from the inside out!
Hailed by The New York Times as “a remarkable choral director,” Dianne Berkun Menaker has created Cross-Choral Training® a proven program of vocal and musicianship pedagogy, to help singers develop healthy, reliable and flexible vocal technique working in group settings. This approach has led the Grammy Award-winning Brooklyn Youth Chorus to be the chorus of choice for top orchestras and recording artists worldwide–from Beyonce & Elton John to The New York Philharmonic & John Adams.
Applicable for elementary, high school, and community choruses, beginners to advanced, Cross-Choral Training® is built on two foundational pillars - Vocal Training: Functional voice pedagogy for healthy, authentic singing across a range of musical styles and Musicianship: Music literacy and sight-singing approaches based on experiential and sequential learning
Testimonials
Here’s what past Cross-Choral Training participants have said…
“The Cross-Choral Training program gave me a larger toolbox to explain vocal anatomy terms, giving students more opportunities to build fundamental skills in singing as it pertains to registration and vocal function.”
“It surpasses every music workshop I have ever attended.”
“I very much enjoyed the workshop and was immediately able to incorporate your ideas during my chorus rehearsals. I’m already hearing and seeing a difference in my students. “
“It is by far the most practical and applicable workshop I have taken in many years.”
“I came away with both big over-arching ideas as well as concrete techniques I can try on myself and my students.”
“I would recommend this workshop in a heartbeat! This workshop is taught by professionals with a passion for music and children, who teach it in a relaxed, welcoming and extremely informational and practical format.”