Example of "Rubatto"

Vocal Health Suggestions

From: Singing Better As You Age -Victoria Meredith

Maintain adequate hydration with warm or room temperature fluids to help vocal folds function with flexibility and ease. Cold drinks or air tighten the voice, milk products produce phlegm. Alcohol, caffeine and mentol lozenges dry the folds.
Hold your music comfortably high. Holding too low tightens the throat.
Warm up and cool down every day to build vocal stamina and decrease vocal fatigue.
Begin each note with an easy feeling-like a gentle sigh. Throat clearing is hard on your voice. Sip water or repeat "ha,ha,ha" silently.
Speak in you most comfortable natural range. Forcing a low range when speaking puts stress on the folds.
Treat hoarseness with silence.
If voice is tired take a break.
Get adequte sleep and exercise.
Avoid screaming and smoky environments. Smoking or 2nd hand smoke can result in tiny abrasions that can lead up to bleeding and swelling. A build up of tar in the lungs leaves less room for air and less breath support.
Breathing steam can be helpful.

Katherine Whitney Workshop Take away

The 4 Levels of Attention

These apply to any musical learning and are in order from least to most significant. It gives focus to our personal rehearsal goal.

Singular attention: Block everything else out. Does not allow for reasoned choice in relation to the

chord

Divided attention: Reading the music resulting in less physically relaxed, less confidence, less connectiveness to the body and group)

Focussed Attention: The critical thinking. What are the next words, am I in tune. Result is loss of relaxation and therefore musicality. This should be avoided if at all possible by familiarity with the music. This can be helped by doing something unrelated while singing (tie shoe, turn pages unrelated to the rehearsing song)

Executive Attention: Putting attention into thinking about the body. Your breaking, your tension points

to relax, vowel shaping, dynamic control through supporting the breath.

October 7th
We are at extension hall on October 6th See the Dates to Remember tab for directions. We will have a new number to look at this evening that is an Ukrainian carol to balance with the Russian "Troika". Once we get beyond the familiarity of the music we can focus on refining the dynamics and focussing on our technique to make for a unified and well produced blended sound.
He is Born the Devine Christ Child: ms 13-end.
Your a Mean One Mr Grinch: ms 28-38
The Frost: to ms 64
Break/Housekeeping
Deck the Hall: sections B&C
Snow Medley: ms 69-97 (Let it Snow)
Ring Christmas Bells: New handout.

September 30th
We are really picking up music quickly and will be able to focus much more on interpretation and presentation as we put the music into muscle memory. Mp3 files are being made. If you have "Amazing Slowdowner" it is a big help. You can find it in your app store.

The Lesser Joys of Christmas. Sections A&B
He is Born the Devine Christ Child: ms 21-28
The Frost: to ms 64
Break/Housekeeping
African Noel: from 56 to the end
Doo Wop Christmas: ms 36-63
Snow: Frosty The Snowman: ms 38-63

September 23rd
I have been so pleased with the progress we're making so we're going to keep on keeping on.
A few new songs and some old friends. Be aware of hallitosis and scent before choir to make it comfortable on your compatriots who might not have had garlic before you. ;)
Warm ups will include exercises for the aging voice. See the new suggestions to assist in your vocal production written above.
You're a Mean One Mr. Grinch.To Ms 25
A New Noel (Cheryl):
Why We Sing: Ms 74 (modulation)-end
Break/Housekeeping
Deck the Hall: To end of section A (ms. 49)
Count the Stars (Cheryl):
Troika: Sections A-F

September 16th
Super startup. Well begun is 1/2 done.
It felt great to be back in the saddle again. We have begun to find that unified sound already. We will be working on vowel production and singing with a free voice. That requires, good breathing and support and a relaxed but aligned body. Continue to sing no louder than beautiful and inside the sound of the choir. No heroes....we are all in this together. ;)
If you were not here for the opening night please come a tad early to receive your package.

African Noel: Bridge section ms. 57-71
Sing We Now of Christmas: Cheryl
He is Born the Devine Christ Child: To ms. 20
Break/Housekeeping
The Lesser Joys of Christmas: Intro and Section A
Deck the Hall: Ms 31-49
Snow medley: Introduction:
You're a Mean One Mr. Grinch.To Ms 2

September 9th
Welcome Back!
We will be handing out our season's selections just prior to rehearsal begining. You can preview the songs on the Songs/Mp3 files tab. For our first practice we will warm up with breath, support, and alignment followed by exercises around intonation (pitch matching) and vowel work.
Snow Medley: Intro and vs 1 of Frosty the Snowman (familiar kid appealling and easy harmonies)
African Noel: To Ms 56 (A very familiar and easy harmonic piece that relies a lot on dynamic difference.)
Deck the Halls: Intro to ms. 30. (Familliar with some harmonic and
Break/Housekeeping
Count the Stars: Cheryl New slow love song.
A Doo Wop Christmas With You: To Ms 36.
Why We Sing: To Ms 57 A new piece that will be our Finale piece.