People are arriving and greeting each other; chairs are being set out; there is excitement in the air and the hubbub of conversation.
How do you get everyone to quieten down and focus in order to start your singing session?
There are several ways of attracting people’s attention and silencing a room, each with its own pros and cons.
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Hum gently – or start a well-known song. When people nearby hear the
sound they join in until gradually the whole room is humming or singing.
This works best if a group is already established, for example, a choir. In
a one-off workshop you can’t use a song, and people may not realise that
they’re supposed to join in with the humming.
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Call out: this could be a shout “Let’s start everyone!” or part of a
call and response (you call, everyone else responds and starts to pay
attention) or just a general loud holler to let everyone know the session is
beginning. The downside is that a loud shout can be a bit of a shock and
also remind people of school. An alternative is to speak quietly to those
nearest you, get them to quieten down and stand still, and hope that this
spreads to the rest of the group.
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Use an instrument – a whistle, bell, gong, drum, etc. This cuts
through the general buzz of noise in the room and signals that something’s
about to happen. If singers aren’t expecting this (e.g. at a one-off
workshop), they may not realise the significance. Also, it needs to be a
sound that really does cut through, or it won’t be noticed.
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Stand and wait. Stand in the middle of the room, perhaps with your
hand in the air. People will begin to notice and copy you until the whole
room is still and silent. Although maybe they won’t notice and you’ll end up
standing there like an idiot!
I think the best solution is to be gentle and draw people in so they begin to focus as a group. The perfect way is to seamlessly transition from apparent chaos to a focused group of singers ready to begin work.
Try to keep the feeling of anticipation, of being attentive and of working together as a group Use small, subtle cues so people have to focus, for example a quiet voice or small gestures.
One of the most successful choir rehearsals I ever had was when I’d lost my voice. I held up a sign saying “I’ve lost my voice.” From that point on, everyone was super attentive. I only needed tiny gestures and whispered instructions to lead a successful rehearsal.
You might also find this older post of interest: How to get your choir to pay attention to you (and stop chatting!)
Chris Rowbury
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