Monday, January 05, 2015

Increase your enjoyment of singing in the choir in the coming year

I wrote a post a while back called Ask not what your choir can do for you – ask what can you do for your choir. The more you put in, the more you get back!

The OK Chorale, Woodbridge
The OK Chorale, Woodbridge, Suffolk

There are plenty of practical things you can do to help you get more out of your choir. Here are a few. Why not try them in the coming year?

Liz Garnett’s wrote a post on her blog Helping You Harmonise recently called Four Non-Musical Contributions You Can Make That Can Transform Your Choir.

In it she suggested “four things that every choir member can manage, whatever their current skills or levels of experience, that will actively help their choir improve”. Here they are:
  1. Turn up
  2. Be ready to start at the start
  3. Be ready to start again after the break without having to be chased back
  4. Be organised
If only every choir member took these responsibilities seriously! It’s all pretty obvious stuff, but it’s amazing how many singers forget their lyrics, arrive late, can’t remember which part they’re singing, get distracted by chatting to their friends.

I mentioned some similar points in my post How to be a good choir member.

Yes, singing in a choir is fun, but if you can balance it with a few basic responsibilities, it makes the whole experience much more rewarding for all concerned.

If you recognise a bad habit (or two!) of yours when reading these posts, make a note of it/ them. Don’t try to change everything at once (those kind of New Year resolutions are bound to fail), but maybe pick one important one and see how that goes.

You might also enjoy my post from last January: What small changes will make you a better singer in the coming year?

I wish you every luck with any changes you want to make and hope you have a wonderful year of singing ahead.

further reading

You might also find these posts relevant.

The pleasures of being a choir member

How to deal with unwanted talking during choir rehearsals without killing anybody

How to get people back after the break

Don’t stand too close to me! – finding the right place to stand in your choir

How will your choir cope if you don’t turn up?

You are the most important singer in your choir

Don’t try to help your fellow singers – it’s not your job!

Dealing with choir members who are always late

Joining an established choir: a guide for new singers

Chris Rowbury


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Chris Rowbury


 

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