What are our hopes/expectations for today?

• unit sound (connection with each other)

• voice placement/personal adjustment (not a priority at this time- placement is right for what we have right now; Kathy should be centre because of her height)

• front row dancers (not addressed at this time; front row should be a min. of 18” from front risers, gives more sharpness to the look)

• interp and flow

• comfortable with director and package

• personal improvement and fun (laugh, interact, good singing)

If you wrote a want ad for a director - what do you want from the Chorus as a weekly experience (for your money and time)?

• learning every week

• confidence in knowing the chorus is singing well (everybody doing their part)

• positive interaction between chorus and director

• to be motivated/excitement/stress relief from the day (your time – this time is for you!) – the night just flies (and it has been lately!)

• that your weekly personal preparation is not a waste of time (everyone is doing their homework!)

• Energy!!

• to see progress

• Can’t afford to miss a night!

• use of chorus time well

• variety (not just contest focused)

• transferring of skills to all songs (good singing = good singing)

• RETENTION (very much a personal responsibility)

• team unity = happy

• pleasant atmosphere/good feeling (yes! this has been happening lately!)

• we’re here because it’s our passion

What does Ruth want from the chorus/what does she want to see on a weekly basis?

WE (team) = WIN

• wants to hear improvement/progress, unity (working together to a common goal)

• wants us to be as proud of ourselves as she is of us

• to work on her hand movements/hand communication

• improve directing skills (listening)

• I want to grow!

• at contest, work as a TEAM… be the best that we can be!

• I work/you work (homework) – a promise to each other

• agreed that it’s frustrating working on the same thing every week, and it only takes a few people not to be prepared… we have to be responsible for ourselves.

• What would be your dream?  when Ruth stands up there at contest, when she turns around, she wants to know that we have achieved everything that we wanted to achieve and that we’ve done it together and we’re happy with what we’ve done as a TEAM.

Key points (Diane summarized)

• Ruth expects people to come prepared; to put into it as much as she does.

• Feeling proud is the key to winning.  If you are ‘score’ focused, you won’t move ahead quickly.  The #1 thing to the success of a chorus is that everything depends on the goal of the majority.  The goals outlined today (above), may not be everyone’s goals, but when you get to the point where the goals are everyone’s (100% buy-in), then you will move forward rapidly.

• Ruth is in a good position right now.  It’s very difficult for a new director to come in and direct existing repertoire.  Diane’s recommendation is the sooner you can replace the old rep, the better.  For example with Tampa Bay Chorus when Joe Connelly came in, he said we’re not performing for one year and wipes the slate clean.  They threw out their entire existing repertoire and learned a whole rep the way he taught it, so there were no ‘old habits’ attached to the songs.  It was fair to him coming in as a new director to start over.  The longer you retain the old rep, the harder it is to move ahead as a ‘new ensemble’; there is so much attached to it.

• You have to look at it not as “we are an old chorus with a new director” but as “we are a brand new ensemble”; just like getting a new lead in a quartet.

• The chorus will take on a different persona with a new director, and there is an avenue now to rediscover some of the things about yourselves.

• Everyone says they want more….and you get head nods that they’re all for change….and then they say ‘as long as it doesn’t affect me’ (ie. what do you mean I didn’t pass my tape?).  Everyone needs to buy into the same goals or it won’t work.  You need to further define what you outlined today (how do you measure what you outlined), and then everyone agrees 100%.  It won’t work if only 20 or 38 agree, or 36 of 38 or even 37 of 38.  It has to be 38 of 38 members agreeing. 

• The majority will drive it.  We’re so afraid of losing members that we compromise our core to retain the people that are unhappy with what we do anyway…. there are some people that are happy being unhappy.  Define/refine exactly what you want and you as a member say ‘count me in.  Now what do we need to do to achieve it’, and then follow through on it.  It’s okay not to want the same things, and maybe then, if you’re not in the majority you should be doing or going someplace else (you’re just misplaced)… it’s okay.

• The energy it takes to bubble must be there all the time in order to be a better chorus.

• Keep your bodies involved always!!! the more buoyant you are, the more buoyant your sound.

• Dynamics are not loud and soft but vocal texture and involvement.  Your energy should always feel big, no matter what the vocal texture is. (ie. more tenderness=more texture=feathers (more air))

• When the director is out front – she knows what she’s looking for at any particular time, and what she wants and what you think you want to hear may be a different priority.  Just sing and give the director what she’s looking for.

• Sing from your ‘core’ – “singing from the heart – comes from your power spot”

• Ruth is not to buy anything less than what they’re totally capable of today!  Members give her everything she asks and expect more of yourselves.

• When the ‘core chorus’ gets better here, it’s easier to attract people like you that want what you want.

• GH sings well, and we have the capability of really singing well, and have demonstrated it today-it’s up to YOU.

REMINDERS:

• Notes when sung NEVER go up or down, they go OUT! (the air is out in front of you, trust that it’s there when you need it!); same with the breath – don’t breathe up and down, breathe out!

• Sing through insignificant words “the sun”, “the sky”, “the sea”; pronounce “the” like “look” (ie. thooh)

• sing through “V” and “R” (ie, love, care), don’t let it stop the sound, your lip and teeth should vibrate singing through a “V” and/or “R”… show a bit of front teeth.

FACE:

Mouth Posture

• show a bit of the top of the teeth on all vowel sounds

• keep the lips soft (overproduction causes tension)

• sing within your goal posts

Relaxed Jaw

• Be sure to have space between upper and lower molars (even when bubbling!)

• More corners of mouth forward, do not jut jaw forward

• Relax the jaw.  Avoid dropping the jaw.

Tongue

• It should lie flat on the floor of the mouth and remain relaxed

• The tip should return to “home base” touching the lower gum line

HOMEWORK:

• BUBBLE DAILY! (your commitment is to bubble 1 song a say (during dishes, driving, cleaning, showering, etc.)  This should be your commitment to your individual vocal improvements (bubbling moves air and helps not to take in the noisy breaths)

• BE HEALTHY!

• Work on PLATFORMS (don’t change the sound!) (work on small, medium and large)

• REHEARSE PERFORMANCE don’t perform rehearsal

• COME PREPARED (don’t leave your music bag in the car week to week – do your homework!)