Contest Preparation - A Year Long Commitment

Dede Nibler, Sweet Adelines International Music Staff

Each member must have a personal commitment to vocal improvement and a positive attitude toward the chorus/quartet for musical gains to be made. Your chorus deserves your very best efforts. What will make you the very best member? Commitment, positive participation and the desire to improve. Consider the following:

  1. Do you know your voice? Its strengths and weaknesses? Do you have a personal plan for vocal improvement? (To know your voice is to love it):

    1. Sing something everyday. Rehearse chorus music several times each week using current chorus tapes (learning tapes are not necessarily the current interp).
    2. Sing tension free with as much accuracy as possible. Observe good singers and their habits and try to emulate them.
    3. Find vocalizers that will help improve vocal problems. Ask for assistance in this area.
    4. Check posture and breathing frequently. Also check your tongue position (down), jaw position (relaxed), soft palate (pre yawn position).
    5. Find chorus members who like to sing tags or chorus songs and join in the fun.
    6. Form a Sunday night bunch - get together and rehearse chorus songs.

  2. How well do you respond to your director?

    1. Watch carefully at critical times: prep beats, down beats, breaths, cutoffs, tempo changes, dynamic changes, etc.
    2. ALWAYS be polite. Allow all members the right to enjoy the rehearsal by allowing it to proceed unimpeded. You may think you're funny but others...
    3. Ask most questions when off the risers. Interruptions break the director's concentration. She/he may be on a roll!
    4. Give your director the chance to try and try again. Music rarely is totally in cement as music must breathe to live.
    5. SMILE at the director frequently, for no reason. She/he needs your constant support.

  3. How well do you know your music?

    1. Mark your music (pencil). Things like breathing places, Pythagorean notes, coning, dynamics, accents, off-beats, etc.
    2. Memorize as quickly and as accurately as possible. Test yourself by taping at chorus and checking at home. Review repertoire songs regularly.
    3. Learn to read music. It really is not a mystery and will aid you in your pursuit of musical excellence. Ask for a craft class at the regional or chorus level.

  4. Do you love and embrace the tape evaluation/quality control process?

    1. Tape yourself frequently for self-evaluation. Remember, you love your voice, you love your voice. When evaluating, note the good as well as the stuff that needs improving.
    2. Be the first one to give your section leader or her designee your tape for evaluation. Don't make her/him have to ask you for it. Remember, taping for evaluation will be easier if you have taped for self evaluation.
    3. Support your section leader and the tape evaluators. They spend their extra time helping all of us look and sound great.
    4. If your chorus has not instituted this program, encourage them to consider it. Get assistance from regional music leaders if your chorus is unfamiliar with the tape evaluating program. Another point, some choruses use direct one on one singing instead of taping to pass songs for performance. Whichever you use, realize this is an important step for chorus level improvement.

  5. Are you attempting to be all that you can be physically?

    1. Maintain good physical and mental health. Start a walking and stretching program. Get enough sleep.
    2. Hydrate. Drink lots of water.
    3. Eat smart. Keep away from foods that make you feel tired, full and' bloated. Limit alcohol intake and keep away from cigarettes.
    4. Learn to relax. Tension affects vocal production and causes all sorts of other problems.
    5. Give up the guilts. Get past mistakes, arguments and misunderstandings and get on with life.

  6. Do you have a barbershop dream/goal?

    1. Pick a dream/goal that is really important to you, one that will benefit the chorus and go about getting it done. Have a plan and do it.
    2. Hang around with players, not critics.
    3. Support other's dreams and goals. Acceptance of others brings serenity.

  7. Are you willing to take risks?

    1. Volunteer for something you have never done before. ..
    2. Take your performance ability to a new level through discipline, concentration, patience and faith.
    3. Keep other's impute in perspective. You are the final say on your actions. Don't worry about failure - just try to stick to your plan and believe in yourself.
    4. Visualize your plan over and over again. Seeing the desired results in your mind will build your confidence.
    5. Stay positive and keep going.

HR

back to Craft
back to Aids for Bulletin Editors