Six Things Every Director Wishes You Already Knew About Rehearsing
Directors often become frustrated by the famous “I taught that last week” syndrome that seems to plague every chorus. If all chorus members will internalize the following lessons, they can reduce the “syndrome’s” symptoms – if not cure the disease – and help make a better chorus in the process. Here are some things to think about:
1. For the chorus to improve, each woman must leave her own behavioral comfort zone. If each singer would improve one aspect, skill or attitude each and every time she sings, the overall music will get better very quickly. Take ownership of something. Maybe it is a breathing issue, maybe a balance challenge, maybe it is adding more airflow over the break in your individual voice. Simple things like these accomplish immediate improvement.
2. You should be emotionally involved in the music. Barbershop is a very emotional, heartfelt, simplistically beautiful style of music. The music doesn’t need to be complex to produce complex emotions in the singers or the audience. However, anything less than full effort will result in a less satisfying musical experience for you and your audiences. When you commit to becoming a member of your chapter’s chorus, you’re committing to being a doer rather than a casual spectator. With that responsibility to put your whole self into the music comes the joy of joining others to bring music to life. What greater purpose in the arts might there be?
3. Rehearsals will be more productive if you listen – and extinguish the comments – while on the risers. When your director cuts off the chorus in the middle of a phrase, do you sometimes choose this moment to tell your neighbor that she sang the wrong note or “oo” vowel? You may think you’re helping, but this disrupts the flow of the rehearsal. Remember this: Unlike you, the director hears exactly what the audience would hear (the macro effect). If she didn’t hear what you just heard (the micro effect), the audience probably wouldn’t hear it either. On the other hand, the issues she identifies (both positive and negative) will be critical.
The director can fix many more problems when the chorus members withhold their comments and trust her to prioritize which issues need to be addressed at the moment. If the directory consistently overlooks something that is bothering you, it is best to discuss it with your section leader or your director after you get off the risers.
4. Singing well takes a lot of exertion. Singing requires more concentration, for a longer period of time, than any other activity. Psychologists will tell you the mind works in concentration spurts, about 7-10 seconds, then we think of something else. Most activities that require concentration require it for very short periods of time, but a song lasts 2-1/2 to 3 minutes. That is a very long time. So train your mind, through a variety of exercises, to increase the length of time you can concentrate, and you will be able to handle the demands of the music.
You probably already know how to sing good vowels, sing in tune, balance chords, and outwardly exude what the music demands. You have those skills and have done them in isolation. The challenge is to do them for the duration of the song and beyond if you are in a performance. Practice does help. Use a mirror and sing, karaoke style, some of your favorite quartet songs to see if you look like they sound. Take ownership of some aspect of singing and practice, practice, practice. Video cameras are also great for giving truthful feedback for such practice.
5. Skills take time to learn and more time to relearn. The instructions in golf are very simple: Hit the ball into the hole with the club, 18 times in a row --- duh! But anyone who has tried that knows it is not easy.
Singing is the same way. The instructions are simple: Sing all the word sounds, perfectly matched amongst singers, in perfect intonation in relationship to the chord and the key, in proper balance, with perfect unity and precision while expressing that in a believable, heartfelt manner creating seamless artistry… duh! We know it is not easy. Allow yourself the privilege of honing skills and know that it will pay off. Singing is a marathon sport, running over the course of your singing life.
6. You should have fun when you sing. Like each other and share in the joys of making great music because you don’t know when you won’t be able to do so again.
