May this NEW YEAR bring all that you hope and more.
Thanks for being our backup team and supporting our musical efforts. We cannot thank each and every one of you enough.
Happy, happy New Year!!
Walk off the Earth is such a fun, creative group of really good musicians. I can only imagine how fun this was to create. The pooches are so well behaved in the final cut but oh boy I bet the out-takes were some funny stuff.
If you checked out Walk Off the Earth last week, you will understand how 4 people can be creative in playing one instrument. This is such fun. Go Piano Guys GO!
Thanks Elaine for this reminder all the way from Antigua. It is such a treat to have such fine talent sing parts of the songs you know and love. Maybe ETS should come up with a 5 minute recording of our favourites. Okay now which songs and which parts? Ready Set Go!!!!
This is fun just to listen to but imagine letting young people listen and be able to figure out the types and eras of music represented by these talented pumpkins. How many do you recognize?
These are wonderful resources that you can use as a choir director or member to ramp up your skills. Sometimes we just need a refresher for ear training or even getting the right note when singing a capella somewhere. Again this comes from the VoiceCouncil Magazine. Fine tune your ears and refresh your theory knowledge with these essential top singing apps for singers.
Fine tune your ears and refresh your theory knowledge with these essential apps for singers.
1. Virtual Piano Keyboard
Not everyone is lucky enough to have a keyboard or piano to practice with, which is why Virtual Piano Keyboard is a great app to have.
This app is a portable keyboard and voice recorder that is perfect for finding your starting notes and keys, and recording your practice sessions. One bonus about this app is that the keyboards range is not limited and unlike other apps, you can easily scroll between octaves when practicing.
Metronomes are so important, especially when learning quick and difficult runs, and iRhythmic is the perfect combination of metronome and teacher.
This app allows you to change the time signature, as well as the tempo and also enter your own rhythms into the app. This is great when you are trying to learn specific rhythms that you are finding difficult to work out! The fact you can change so much within the app sets iRhythmic apart from other Metronome apps. Unfortunately, it is not available on Android, but don’t worry because Jelly Metronome is a great substitute with a fun interface and very similar features.
Warming up properly is vital in any singers’ routine, and SwiftScales provides a variety of scales to help you do so.
With SwiftScales you can use the preset warm-ups specifically suited to your range, or create your own scales and save them to the app. The best thing about this app is that once you have created your own scale, you can share it with other people with ‘Scale Codes’; perfect if you want to swap routines, or share scales with students to ensure they warm up correctly.
Singing and creating harmonies is a difficult skill to learn, but Harmony Voice will work out your own harmonies and practice them.
With this app you can listen to the harmonies the app creates while you sing the melody line, or sing harmony line on top of track imported from your music library. Unfortunately, this app is only available on iOS, but if you are an Android user, why not try a recorder like the J4T Multitrack Record, so that you can record one or two lines and practice singing another over the top.
Aural tests and ear training can sometimes feel repetitive and boring, but ABRSM is an engaging way to practice your aural skills, whether you are working towards an exam or not.
The app will work you through aural exercises that increase in difficulty, which means you can practice and improve your aural skills. Make sure you use the interval trainer this app provides. It is the perfect tool to use when you want to improve your sight singing. Although this app isn’t available for Android, you can use AuralBook for ABRSM, which will provide the same progressive training and the official ABRSM app.
When you are a singer, you continuously get told to "warm up" before singing. What exactly is that? This is a good article from Voice Council magazine with great explanations about how and how much to warm up. 4 Easy Fitness Tips for Better Singing
The physical demands and stressful aspects of vocal performance can decrease the ability of the immune system to fight off infections – says Dr. Rachael Gates.
My advice: Establish routines that increase your general well-being and help you maintain a healthy singing voice.
1. Exercise with purpose
Just by walking a minimum of twenty to thirty minutes at a consistent, comfortable pace every day, you may find that you have more energy and cognitive sharpness.
Eurhythmics, Alexander technique, Feldenkreis, yoga, and dance are recommended conditioning options for singers for their ability to reduce stress and visibly contribute to stage presence and poise.
Power lifting is not recommended as it requires strenuous compression of the vocal folds and can overtax laryngeal musculature. If you do lift, be sure to continue breathing throughout exertion to avoid holding your breath.
2. ‘Warm up’ don’t ‘wear out’
The vocal folds benefit from being warmed up and stretched before intense use.
Begin your practice by vocalizing with light and easy exercises in your middle register before moving gradually into voice exercises (vocalises) that involve your high and low registers.
Condition for a performance months ahead. The night of a performance, avoid extreme vocal warm-ups that would tax the muscles and potentially cause vocal fold swelling.
Time spent warming-up may depend on the time of the day, the time of the month for some women, when and what you last ate and the level of difficulty in what you’re about to sing.
Be very careful not to oversing or rush into your extreme top and bottom ranges. Keep in mind that the reason you warm up the voice is to be able to sing your loudest, softest, highest and lowest without strain.
3. Give yourself a cooling off period
Beware of post-performance receptions. In noisy crowds you may push the voice to be heard
After an intense singing session, use vocalises that are light and gentle to cool down. The easy cool-down will prevent blood from pooling in the blood vessels of the vocal folds and will prevent tightening.
Avoid talking for approximately 30 minutes after an intense practice or performance. Beware of post-performance receptions. In noisy crowds you may push the voice to be heard. Such strained speech can easily damage the vocal folds after a taxing performance.
4. Allow your voice to rest and recover
Your voice’s muscles need to replenish nutrients through rest. As you use your voice for long periods of time, the muscles stop contracting as well and you begin to feel fatigue as you lose more and more muscular control.
Once you stop singing or talking and thus begin to rest the voice musculature, you start to regain strength and control.
When we refer to building better stamina, we are referring to muscles that are becoming more efficient at bouncing back after rest periods. No matter how fit a person is, no one can go on contracting a muscle forever.
The body needs short breaks. You need the rests written into your songs and you need the breaks between songs during a concert to help stave off fatigue.
It is our Canadian Thanksgiving this weekend. I am SO thankful to be Canadian. This song has so much that is Canada in words and pictures. For all our fellow Canadians, ex-pats and friends from around the world, we are thankful for YOU!!!
This is a really interesting article from Voice Council Magazine. I think as with any "rules" you have to find what works for you. These four tips are quite sensible. What do you think?hare
Your diet is a part of an optimal performance -says Jeannie Deva
Sometimes it’s liberating to break some rules and be impulsive, but right before a performance or long singing rehearsal is probably not a good time to be wild.
Experience has taught me that to sing freely, easily and perform at the top of my game, I have to maintain a certain diet and avoid some foods, especially right before a performance.
Unlike instrumentalists, we singers have the curse and the blessing of our body being our instrument.
And so, what we eat and drink has a more direct influence on our musical sound.
The Four Watchwords
The sounds of your voice are made by internal muscles some of which are coated with mucous membranes. Muscles and mucous membranes have certain nutritional needs and are hampered by certain foods.
You can assess the benefits or adverse effects of any food by evaluating it against the four singer dietary maxims: dehydration, phlegm production, muscle constriction and energy loss.
1. Dehydration – To work well, the voice needs adequate hydration. This is achieved from eating and drinking things like water, juicy fruit and lots of vegetables – which also supply the body with important minerals and other nutrition which promotes health. Caffeine, (coffee, black tea, chocolate, cola soft drinks), alcohol, smoking and certain medications dehydrate the body and thus your voice. If you like coffee, keep it to a cup a day and don’t drink it closer than several hours prior to singing. You can have an occasional celebratory alcoholic beverage but wait until after your performance or recording session.
2. Phlegm Production – Ever have to stop singing to clear your throat? Excessive phlegm caused by irritation of the mucous membrane can make even the easiest note difficult or impossible to sing. Foods known to induce phlegm include: dairy (cheese, milk, ice cream…) spicy foods, citrus and bananas.
3. Muscle Constriction – Stimulants such as caffeine can cause muscles to tighten as well as lose hydration. Iced drinks also have a similar constricting effect. Think about it: would an athlete put ice packs on his muscles just before a routine or competition? Heat causes muscles to relax and swell. Neither extreme is desirable. Your vocal muscles need to be limber, not tense or swollen. Room temperature or cool (not iced) water remains our best beverage.
4. Energy Loss – Eating sweets gives an energy surge followed by a slump. Trying to boost your physical energy with sugar laden foods may lead to chronic fatigue. Instead, eat unprocessed fruits, vegetables, whole grains and proteins; you’ll build an energy reserve and stay well hydrated at the same time. Add in some exercise and you’ll have the stamina you’ll need for demanding singing engagements.
Personal Differences
Everyone is different. Use these four watchwords to see for yourself how your body reacts to different types of food and beverage. Then modify your diet to achieve maximum hydration, minimum mucous, limber muscles and a consistent energy level. Good luck.
These are two very talented musicians who show how to wow an audience without ever "dumbing down" their music. Check out the change from the acoustical cellos to the electronic. The costumed audience changes as the music changes. My I wish these guys had been around when I was teaching. What great musical ambassadors they are!!
We had the best time today at West Oxford United at their 213 year celebration. The church is nestled on a country road, surrounded by lovely gardens and a very old historic cemetery. The church has had a continuously worshipping congregation since 1804.
We were asked to sing and I spoke in between the songs to share how the songs we chose fit with the celebration of Homecoming. Of course, I can never be photographed with just an ordinary face. My wonderful hubby/photographer says I just don't keep it still long enough. Hmm.
The Embro Thistle Singers did a marvellous job on a very hot day sharing some of our favourite songs. A few of our singers are very new and really aquitted themselves beautifully. Well done all!
We were also privileged to have Catherine McCaffery play before, and after the service. Catherine has been playing at the church for many years. What a treat!
Thank you to the wonderful people of West Oxford United for a beautiful day and your very kind hospitality.
Ron was a great musical mentor for me and for many who were privileged to be taught by or sing in the Woodstock Choralaires while he was the director.
Ron died in June but will live on through the amazing music he wrote and/or arranged. He left his choral music to our Embro Thistle Singers and boy are we blessed. You see Ron helped us when we first began back in 2010 coming to many practices and one of our first concerts where we sang his arrangement of "Memory". Thank you Vickie for making sure I got all that amazing music.
One of his friends has made a large donation to our choir in Ron's name and we cannot thank you enough, Marianne. What a generous thing to do. We promise to put that money to good use as we fulfill our mandate of Song, Service & Fun with Ron always in the background cheering us on.
This choir started to practise in the airport. The people listening really appreciated their efforts because it is one of their own songs. There is always a bit of a risk doing music from other cultures as you really want to do justice to the music. This choir has done their homework and are presenting a true example of the Tamil music. Would you choose music that isn't always "safe"?
Our friends of Embro have a grand Scottish background. They have the Highland Games every July 1 regardless of the weather.
There are wonderful pipe bands that compete side by side with all the traditional Scottish games. We happened upon a Celtic treat outside of Embro today.
We went to Stratford to walk along the water and low and behold this amazing group was playing on a moored barge. What a treat. The music was varied and very Celtic with Ben sharing much of the history which was so interesting. One never knows how a day will expand one's knowledge of the music of our country. We fell into a ceilidh and enjoyed every minute.
Sometimes, we feel uncomfortable with some rhythms. There are songs that come along and are very challenging. Here are a few ideas to help you develop that sense of rhythm and build your confidence. 1. DEVELOP RHYTHMIC CONFIDENCE You have seen children dancing away to music in the middle of a store or even church. They have complete confidence and until someone tells them differently, they will enjoy the rhythm with abandon.
As in many things, we should approach learning like a child would. Put on some music and move to it. Oh all right, you don't have to dance but try conducting it as if the singers were in front of you.
If that seems a bit daunting, just tap your fingers in time to the music. You can tap or snap the rhythm (that is the same as the speed of the words). Use slower music and faster music. Tap your knee in the car. Every time you hear music, let your body react to it. Soon, it will become second nature and rhythm will start to make sense.
2. START COUNTING THE BEATHave you ever been to a party and somebody wants you to sing Happy Birthday? That person will just expect everyone to start singing. The caterwauling that ensues is not pleasant. People singing at all different speeds and in varying keys. Ouch.
They don't realize that you need to give a starting note (tone) and that you need to be counted in so that everyone sings at the same time.
You can learn to do that simply by again listening to lots of kinds of music. Instead of following the speed of the words called the rhythm, you tap the beat. That is the steady feeling of speed in a song. The beat is what people clap when they like a song someone is singing. Keeping the beat is part of what the conductor does so that all instruments or voices are playing or singing in the same time. Tap your foot, finger or hand as you listen. Most rock music is in 4/4 time which means that you count 1,2,3,4 over and over. Just start trying to feel that beat (like a heart beat) which keeps your music moving.
3. FEEL THE ACCENTAs you tap a beat to a rock song like the Beatles, All You Need Is Love. Feel the 1,2,3,4 as the songs plays. You will notice that the word "love" falls on what we call an accent or a beat that is harder or more important than the others. Put more strength on the first count, gives interest to the music. If every count had the same amount of stress, it would soon be rather uninteresting.
You can see in this conducting diagram, the FIRST beat is the one the conductor moves down on. That shows a heavier accent. try waving your hands in this pattern while counting 1,2,3,4. This will help you feel where the stress falls. It is also kind of fun to pretend you are the conductor.
RHYTHM IS A LEARNED SKILLRhythm of which the beat is a part, is a learned skill. Some people come by it more naturally than others but EVERYONE can learn. Tap your toes, fingers and head to the music whenever you hear it. It will become second nature. Enjoy the music & have FUN!!!
Next Monday we will post some ideas about teaching rhythm techniques. These young men don't need to learn NOW but boy, oh boy have they ever got this down pat. Go ahead and put something together with your choir that requires this kind of group dynamic. Oh sorry. Couldn't let that pun go by!!!
If you are of a certain age, you will remember the Jerry Lewis & Dean Martin movies. Here, Jerry Lewis becomes the choir conductor. Although it is really funny, the dynamics and responses to his movements are really great. Okay, ETS, should I adopt some of Jerry Lewis's unique style?
We will probably not all become soloists or music stars but many would dearly love to sing in a choir or smaller group. Yes YOU can! Read how these singers found their voices and apply it to yourself. Use the ideas to face the fear that may hold you back. Then, this fall come on out to a choir and put your fear in your back pocket, 'dare to suck' and do it anyway. Face Your Fears to Find Your Voice
The Brothers Koren (formerly of Grit Pop band ‘The Kin’) opened up for Coldplay, P!NK and Rod Stewart and earned a Gold record in New Zealand.
Isaac Koren talks to VoiceCouncil about their new artist development initiative and how you can find artistic success by embracing your imperfections.
Advice For Beginners
What advice do you have for people wishing to make the leap out of the day job to pursue a music career?
Oh my god, you are my favorite artists! You are the one who has been told all your life that you need to tow the line and felt like you are not worthy of sharing your voice. You are the ones who felt not good enough or outcast from the cool kids at school and you were the ones who did not want to disappoint your parents who had spent so much on your education.
We experienced first hand how restrictive and limited the musical landscape can be
What if there was not so much intense separation from your passion for music and your money job? We have worked with over 25 people who have left their ordinary jobs and have found their own voice and sound in music through Brothers Koren and FARM.artists.
FARM.artists
Tell us more about FARM.artists:
When we were coming up through the ranks as The Kin we experienced first hand how restrictive and limited the musical landscape can be. We finally recognized that we had to stop trying to be ‘right’ and instead embrace everything ‘wrong’ about us – show up as who we really were as artists.
FARM. is our way to provide fellow rebels the support we wish we’d had when we were discovering who we were as artists. We embrace mantras like “Dare to suck,” “I don’t know what the f* I’m doing,” and “Get comfortably uncomfortable” and take you through a 9 week pilgrimage to uncover who you are and what you want to say in the world through full body instrument sessions, shadow work, songwriting intensives, and recording sessions.
A Perfect Recording Session
How to get the best out of a recording session?
We like to record all the vocals with just piano and click. For years, our producers made us sing over loud tracks and thought it would inspire us. No! The singer has to hear herself, otherwise what is the point? Who wants to hear a singer over compensate and pushing her voice to strain?
What about when the whole body is singing like an instrument and all the harmonics of the being line up and are captured in space and time on ‘tape’? That’s the space we like to dance in.
What are the ingredients for vocal magic?
Find a place where you are truly in awe and moved, even scared. Find the space in the air where you feel small and all the atoms become huge. When the space between the notes expands, that’s when the room has something palpable to listen to.
Singing is a meditation, it is our birth right, our connection to God. If you honour it like it is your last utterance then even the angels are listening. If you don’t sing like it’s your last chance to shine, then why bother at all?
Writer’s Block
How to overcome writer’s block?
The concept of ‘Writer’s block’ assumes something that I don’t believe in at all, and that is the idea that we know what we are doing.
I work from the assumption that I don’t know what I am doing
Too often we approach art in such a way that we think we should have some idea of what we’re doing and that to not know, to be stuck, is a failure. I work from the assumption that I don’t know what I am doing. That way I can ‘dare to suck’ and trust in the process.
Overcoming Difficulties
What have you had to overcome to become a singer?
When I was 15, I was asked to jam with my high school party in a backyard in the Eastern Suburbs of Sydney. My mate who was strumming the guitar said, “Sing for me, Zack,” and, overriding the painful sensations of shyness and fear of looking bad, I started wailing the blues. The whole party crowded around, and my mate turned to me and said, “Are kidding me? I didn’t know you could sing! Will you sing for my band?”
I had never sung before, but two weeks later I was singing to 250 screaming kids and have been at home in music ever since. Singing is like medicine for the shy. But you have to take the leap and dare to suck at it first.
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The Brothers Koren have travelled the world both as headliners and openers for the likes of Pink and Coldplay. Now, they’re developing other artists through their FARM.artists program. Find out more at brotherskoren.com
We had the best time at our Ingersoll 150 Celebrations. Check out our Facebook for more pictures. I love this song too and of course the pictures of our amazing country really are stunning.
As today is also a holiday for many here in Canada, enjoy! Happy Independence Day to our U.S. friends tomorrow.
Although we haven't had an official song for our 150th Canada Celebration, there are some that are quite good. This one has a lovely sound. It isn't as "catchy" as Can-a-da that we have reworked for the 150th Celebration opening in Ingersoll, Ontario, it is very Canadian.
Come join us at Victoria Park July 1 at 12 noon. We are honoured to be singing. Happy Birthday Canada!
A military band can be very staid and proper. Go back to last Monday and see the country version of Thunderstruck. Now, enjoy this wonderful fun version of that song. Imagine how much fun these band members had in learning and arranging this performance. Just listen to the audience. Who says you can't take songs in different directions with a little imagination. Fun!!
Arrive at your gig on the lawn tractor with your accordion. These guys are having so much fun you can't help but enjoy it too.
Now, don't you dare start making assumptions that "this isn't music" or acceptable or the like. One of the lessons I learned as a teacher was not to dismiss any genre. I learned so much when I finally realized that all music had value. My students learned that too. The first time we studied Amahl and the Night Visitors, I told the students to get over the big opera-style voices and get into the story and the music. Once they learned not to dismiss the music that was unfamiliar, they loved it.
We all need to travel that road. The only time we allowed the word LIKE in our discussions was if we were going to lay down money to purchase something. Otherwise, we APPRECIATED it all. Try it, you'll appreciate it!!
I know we have friends or even our selves who will say that they aren't any good at doing something. I will bet that these brothers who have made a career out of renovating, are stepping out of their comfort zone in making this video. If you watch carefully, you will pick up a bit of shyness and a very gentle tone that truly suits this song.
Bravo I say for showing that these macho seeming men can sing a powerful, gentle story. We all have talents we perhaps have pushed down. Don't just save those moments for when you are alone but share them. Your courage will give courage to others.
This weekend my tap dancing class of adults were in a dance recital. Some had never danced before our classes this year but they enthusiastically took on the challenge of learning a dance and performing in public. We had so much fun and we all felt that we had really rocked it.
Fear can hold you back from some really exciting moments. Decide what is the worst thing that can happen. If you have never walked a tight-rope than attempting a Niagara Falls walk is not a good place to start. That aside, try something you haven't done before. Sign up for a dance class or a choir or take piano or flute lessons. You may be surprised with just how much fun you are having. What can be wrong with that? Go do it!!
Music has a power that is hard to describe. These young men have chosen a tough job. They probably face situations we can't even imagine. Watch this powerful display of brotherhood and strength that this shared music brings them.
No matter what life hands us, music can bring solace & strength, joy & love. It can enhance those emotions we have a hard time expressing. We can let the music speak through us & for us as it does here.
Watch the faces and the body language. Some start tentatively & gradually straighten & strengthen. Some are powerful to begin & get softer as emotion flows. Whatever is needed, the music delivers. Let it move in your life.
Walk Off the Earth is an amazingly talented group of 5 Canadian musicians. You have seen them here before last year and again with this superb version of Hello. When you watch them perform you can see their terrific ability with both voice and instruments even creating some themselves.
If I were still teaching, I would certainly use Walk Off the Earth to introduce making your own instruments & becoming creative with song arrangements.
In this video, it is Walk Off the Earth but it is the words you get to focus on. These are so apropos. This makes a great karaoke video. Have fun while sitting around the campfires with your tablet.
This medley has marvellous energy. It just makes you move and smile. This Ole House isn't usually a soul rousing song but in this treatment it sure is. The way The Saints is woven into this make is just YUMMY. What would you say makes this medley so successful?
This is a different interpretation of Something To Sing About by Oscar Brand. There are some great voices here and moments of lovely harmony. Listen carefully.
Oscar Brand was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba in 1920. He moved to the United States and became a huge part of the folk music era of the 1960's. There are some really fun YouTube videos of Oscar Brand at a coffee house and one with a very young Bob Dylan. He wrote Something to Sing About which includes all of Canada in the lyrics. We are going to sing it at the Canada 150 Bash July 1. However, remember he moved to the U. S. so here he is singing the American version he wrote. I think you will agree that we like the Canadian version best.
Here is the wonderful Go Now in Peace arranged by Don Besig and Nancy Price. I love the phrasing & wonderful smooth flow this choir achieves. Listen well ETS. Your sound is very similar!!!
The Hallelujah Chorus is often an Easter musical offering. Watch this one and you will see words you might not have known were there. The timing is great and the short guy is a lot of fun!!!
For holidays, we often greet each other with Happy ______. Here is my spring greeting to all. I love that this is a rehearsal and look at the energy & the joy. As you walk through the woods, or down the sidewalk, sing along. I know it is beautiful in the U.K. right now and it is here in Southern Ontario. Oh boy, we are HAPPY!!
Now, our choir is called the EMBRO THISTLE SINGERS and our roots are in the very Scottish town of Embro, Ontario where the Embro Highland Games take place every July 1 without fail. They have pipe bands & caber tossing, dog trials & kilts for sale. BUT - they haven't yet had this kind of group. The Mudmen have been to visit but maybe the regular pipe bands should think about this. Creative or what?
As a new, idealistic music teacher, I had decided that I would never have that ROCK music in MY classroom. Well. That changed when I happened upon the Herbie Hancock, the History of Rock & Roll. Of course, I had never realized just how amazing this art form really was. With all its ties to R & B, Jazz and even Folk, learning how the music came about was so much fun. Then of course, teaching that to my students was amazing. We went so far as to learn about the technology that grew with the music. I think that unit that I developed was one of my favourites to teach.
You see I had resisted rock music because I just knew the label but not the actual musicality. Are you resisting introducing some music to your singers because the label of a certain type is holding you back? Here are some ideas for you to introduce some different forms to your repertoire.
1. Listen to LOTS - With the advent of You Tube you can listen to all sorts of music. I challenge you to listen to something you have never heard before. Remember that not all music of a certain genre will suit you or your singers. Listen to a WIDE range of styles and types.
2. Liking is forbidden - In my classes, the students & I were not allowed to say that we liked or disliked a piece of music. We decided that you only used liking to decide on buying music but not on listening. Some music is so outside your usual that you absolutely have to detach the LIKE mechanism to let the music speak. Like our Friday Facebook cartoon says, you may think Mozart but Cage is what is playing.
3. Enjoy - No matter what style of music you choose, enjoy the experience. Pieces that you choose to try may be the best thing you have ever experienced. Other pieces may be interesting and fun but not something you will revisit. No matter what, enjoy the ride. Learn but do NOT put up walls between you and any single type of music.
4. Leave the labels off - I try really hard to not label a song as a hymn or country or rock or modern etc. I just present the music and away we go. There are pieces we enjoy doing more than others of course but we don't dismiss a piece because of its genre. Have fun exploring lots of kinds of music. Never let a label hold you back.
We all know how much work it is to get ready for a concert. We have venues & instruments, costumes & props, movement & placement that are all part of the equation.
Here is an opening number to end all. Please watch Neil Patrick Harris and how every word he sings is clear. He dances, runs, spins & disappears and yet, we hear every word.
All I can think about is just how much he has rehearsed and then some. What a fun performance.
If you look at these seating/standing plans you will certainly find one that you currently use.
We have been using a form of the top suggestion since we began. We just moved our parts around. Tenors & sopranos are in front and altos & basses in the back. When we changed to this after having been static for some time, all of a sudden everyone could hear the other parts better. What Kristy & I decided was that we needed to move people around more often. After many changes and trials I think I have a good idea of what works for amateur choirs.
1. Ideal - you guessed it. The ideal way to sing with maximum blend is with everyone standing with someone not singing their part. Kirby Shaw liked his people to stand in quartets. Personally, I feel people should just stand where each can hear well and blend well.
2. Beats - there are people who should not stand with other singers. It is really important that you listen to how people blend and that you empower your singers to listen for how their voice FEELS next to another singer. Some vibrations or beats between voices just don't jive. There is a disconnect and jarring with those voices. Not matter what you want for a seating/standing plan, sometimes you have to really pay more attention to the vibes!
3. Height etc. - you have to make certain people can comfortably see the conductor. Remember that the direction is what keeps everything on track no matter where people are. We have one singer who sometimes needs to sit on a stool. We have another singer who has difficulty with focus unless close to the action. Individual needs must be accommodated.
4. Distance - you need to go to the far reaches of your rehearsal space and see what the sound is like. Then stand close by and see what you hear. Change accordingly.
5. Input - ask the singers. How do they feel in each position. We have decided that we want to change our spots quite often. Change has enhanced our ability to hear and blend. As we change, we hear things differently and that is always good. I can get too set in my ways and the singers are great at encouraging change for good.
6. Record - using your recording devise will give you a objective ear for the sound that results from placement among other variables. Let the choir hear these recordings so they can adjust accordingly.
All in all, please have fun. Enjoy the music you are making and don't be too bossy as the leader. If you have a huge group then you may have to keep the numbers in mind to make certain that a good blend is still happening. Just keep trying lots of ways to make music better by giving your people the best chance to hear, blend & see well. The finished product is the true tell of just how things are going.
Now we all know that opera is an acquired taste. How do you acquire that taste? Well, by hearing really good operatic bits and understanding them. Victor Borge was a great musician & had amazing comedic timing. Had we been able to have YouTube bits like this when I was teaching music, opera would have been an easy one to teach.
Even the songstress in this bit is having fun while singing some amazingly accurate sounds. Using clips like these can help anyone appreciate various styles of music and have fun doing it. Try something different today!!
1. Dehydration – To work well, the voice needs adequate hydration. This is achieved from eating and drinking things like water, juicy fruit and lots of vegetables – which also supply the body with important minerals and other nutrition which promotes health. Caffeine, (coffee, black tea, chocolate, cola soft drinks), alcohol, smoking and certain medications dehydrate the body and thus your voice. If you like coffee, keep it to a cup a day and don’t drink it closer than several hours prior to singing. You can have an occasional celebratory alcoholic beverage but wait until after your performance or recording session.
2. Phlegm Production – Ever have to stop singing to clear your throat? Excessive phlegm caused by irritation of the mucous membrane can make even the easiest note difficult or impossible to sing. Foods known to induce phlegm include: dairy (cheese, milk, ice cream…) spicy foods, citrus and bananas.
3. Muscle Constriction – Stimulants such as caffeine can cause muscles to tighten as well as lose hydration. Iced drinks also have a similar constricting effect. Think about it: would an athlete put ice packs on his muscles just before a routine or competition? Heat causes muscles to relax and swell. Neither extreme is desirable. Your vocal muscles need to be limber, not tense or swollen. Room temperature or cool (not iced) water remains our best beverage.
4. Energy Loss – Eating sweets gives an energy surge followed by a slump. Trying to boost your physical energy with sugar laden foods may lead to chronic fatigue. Instead, eat unprocessed fruits, vegetables, whole grains and proteins; you’ll build an energy reserve and stay well hydrated at the same time. Add in some exercise and you’ll have the stamina you’ll need for demanding singing engagements.
Ron was a great musical mentor for me and for many who were privileged to be taught by or sing in the Woodstock Choralaires while he was the director. 
You can see in this conducting diagram, the FIRST beat is the one the conductor moves down on. That shows a heavier accent. try waving your hands in this pattern while counting 1,2,3,4. This will help you feel where the stress falls. It is also kind of fun to pretend you are the conductor. 
The Brothers Koren have travelled the world both as headliners and openers for the likes of Pink and Coldplay. Now, they’re developing other artists through their FARM.artists program. Find out more at brotherskoren.com
