I’m seeing lots of great warm-ups and singing advice online these days. But most of it is aimed at choirs which meet regularly.
Many of these ideas won’t work in one-off workshops. Let’s look at the different needs of each.
There are many differences between choirs which rehearse regularly and one-off singing workshops open to anyone.
choirs
- relatively fixed membership
- most singers know each other
- weekly rehearsals allow for ensemble development
- songs can be learnt and refined over several sessions
- the choir leader knows what to expect each week: number of singers, distribution of voice parts, suitable repertoire
- often working towards a concert
singing workshops
- most singers won’t know each other
- the leader won’t know the singers’ experience levels
- only one chance to nail a song
- limited scope for vocal or ensemble development
- singers don’t really know what they’ve let themselves in for
- voice parts are often imbalanced
- there is usually no goal beyond learning a few songs
Here are some situations that need handling differently:
one singer badly out of tune
We’ve all been there: one singer can’t pitch accurately, but insists on singing loudly and puts everybody else off.
In a weekly choir, you can take that person aside, have a chat, or even offer some extra support outside rehearsals. Over time there’s a good chance their pitching will improve.
In a one-off workshop there is no time for one-to-one work. Everything has to happen during the song learning itself. Rather then singling somebody out (which could put them off singing entirely), it’s often better to address the whole section:
“Can we try that again really, really quietly?”
“This time I’d like you all to make sure you can hear the tenor part clearly”
“Can you try to match the quality of your voice to the altos?”
It may be that the singer is simply in the wrong part. Encourage them to try another harmony or even the tune if they’re struggling with harmonies.
The workshop leader can also stand near them, or ask an experienced singer to do so, to help keep them on track.
None of these approaches is a complete solution. Sometimes all you can do is grin and bear it and hope the other singers are feeling generous.
If a workshop runs over several days, there may come a point where you need to more direct action for the good of the group as a whole. That’s really hard, especially if the singer is enjoying themselves.
which part do people sing?
In a regular choir, singers gradually find the part that suits them. There may be a few false starts, or the choir leader might do a range test, but there is time for things to settle down.
In a singing workshop, people often need to make a quick decision with very little information.
I always encourage singers to try different parts from song to song if they fancy it. I also try to ensure that arrangements cover a fairly small range. This gives people the chance to experiment and, hopefully, discover where they feel most comfortable.
In the worst case, a singer flits from part to part and never finds a good fit. That usually means they won’t enjoy the workshop. It’s up to the leader to offer guidance where needed.
will the other singers be better than me?
Every time a new singer joins a choir, there is some anxiety:
“Am I out of my depth?”
“Will everyone be better than me?”
“Will people be friendly?”
If the choir is welcoming and well led, these concerns usually disappear quite quickly.
A singing workshop can feel more like the first day at a new school. Walking into a room full of strangers can bring up all sorts of fears.
At the start of every workshop, I give a short talk about nerves. Nobody knows exactly what songs I’ll be teaching. Even if they do know the songs, it will probably be a different arrangement. Most singers believe that everybody else is more experienced than they are.
And, for some reason, some people think they need to know everyone’s name before they can sing with them.
Once everyone is singing together and making a great sound, nerves tend to melt away.
warm-up vs. vocal development
In a regular choir, warm-ups often include elements of vocal and ensemble development. Over time this work shows in the choir’s overall sound and musical confidence.
In a one-off workshop there is much less scope for long-term development. However, it’s still possible to introduce useful voice work during the warm-up and help create a sense of ensemble.
There are plenty of exercises that help a room full of strangers bond quickly and sound as if they’ve been together for much longer.
Aim high, even if you never see any of those singers again.
Regular choirs and one-off workshops may both involve groups of people singing together, but they require quite different approaches. What works brilliantly in a choir rehearsal may be completely impractical in a workshop. Understanding those differences is one of the keys to leading each successfully.
Chris Rowbury
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