Sunday, October 28, 2012

Why do I end up singing the tune when I should be singing a harmony?

You’re learning a song in four-part harmony and you think you’ve nailed your harmony part.

acappella singers
© Copyright Basher Eyre and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence

But when all the other parts come in, you end up singing the tune instead. What’s going on?

Sunday, October 21, 2012

Energy conservation for singing leaders: how not to get carried away

Last week I wrote about how, as a singer, you can pace yourself in choir rehearsals and singing workshops.

tired

This week I want to consider those of us who lead choirs and singing workshops. How can you avoid using all your energy up too quickly?

Sunday, October 14, 2012

How to pace yourself in choir rehearsals and singing workshops

Have you ever been swept along by the enthusiasm of a singing session only to feel drained at the end or with a sore throat and aching legs?

tired
Really, really tired by Evers' Project 365 Blog

Have you tried a full singing day only to duck out at lunch time due to exhaustion?
How can we – as singers or choir leaders – pace ourselves better?

Sunday, October 07, 2012

What do words add to music?

I caught a scene from the movie Spartacus the other day. The character played by Tony Curtis was asked to perform a song. He then proceeded to speak a poem. What exactly is a ‘song’ then?

dum de dum

You can have music without words, but can you have a song without music? When music is wedded to lyrics, is it greater than the sum of its parts? What do words add to music (and vice versa)?