We all know that the voice we’re born with isn’t the same at the end of our life. The human voice is a marvellous thing that undergoes radical change throughout the years, most obviously in the case of teenage boys when the voice becomes deeper, taking on a more adult characteristic. However, this isn’t the only change, it’s just the most dramatic. Below are a few more ways the voice can shift. Continue reading “Vocal Changes Throughout Life”
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Messages from Sue and Andrew
Message from Sue:
Dear Fellow Choir Members,
We have come a long way since we started up our choir and have achieved some great music making and good camaraderie, all due to Emily’s leadership, musicianship and zany ways, which have kept us upbeat. So, now she needs some time to pursue the other side to her career and we wish her well, whilst giving her enormous thanks for all of her hard work. We owe it to her to keep the choir vibrant and moving forward.
It was fortunate that Andrew came to the choir a year ago ready to take over whilst Emily had her operation. Some of you will know that I have sung in another choir under Andrew’s direction for about 6 years and knew of his vast experience, but more importantly, his skill and ability to develop a choir. It has given us the chance to get used to him and for Andrew to get to know us and our ways. So, the ‘change’ should be seamless and our future will be one that Emily would approve of, making her continuing connection with us a positive one.
I hope that you will put your trust in me to look after the choir and in Andrew to develop us as a group of people who enjoy singing.
Message from Andrew:
Dear Singer,
I am very pleased, and feel honoured to have been invited to lead Bigmouth Chorus. I have enjoyed singing in the choir, and it has been a great pleasure for me to get to know you as a group, through teaching and conducting some pieces, and talking to individual members in breaks in rehearsal. It has been a pleasure, too, to work with Emily, and I would like very much to maintain our connection with her in the future.
I think that two features of the choir are important, and I would like to emphasise my commitment to maintaining both of them. Firstly, the range of music that we perform will remain broadly as it has been: pop songs of different kinds and from different eras, folk songs including world music, songs from shows, and perhaps the occasional light classical piece. Secondly, that every member is valued, and that the approaches to teaching and learning music will continue to support those who like to learn through reading music and those who prefer to learn aurally, using online audio files and word sheets. I will do my best to understand how different members of the group learn, and will try to provide support materials that you find helpful. Please do feel free to tell me what works for you.
Whilst I, like any choir director, will aim for us to achieve the highest standards of which we are capable, I don’t want that to be at the expense of our enjoying the choir as a social group – our music making is the expression of our togetherness. Emily will be a hard act to follow, but I will do my best to make rehearsals both stimulating and fun, and it is good to know that she will return to work with us from time to time.
New Years Resolutions
With the New Year here, it’s time for us all to look back on the year that has passed and figure out what we want from the year ahead.
We’ve spoken a lot about why you should spend time singing and how it can benefit other aspects of your life, from your happiness to your health. So the question then becomes, how do make 2019 your most music year? What New Years Resolutions should we be putting into action? Continue reading “New Years Resolutions”
6 singers who were told they couldn’t sing
No one is born able to sing perfectly. For everyone singer you see in the charts, there are countless hours spent practising and rehearsing away from the public eye. As we don’t see these, we can often assume that they’re naturally that good and can get disheartened. However, just as we can be told “you can’t sing,” there are many professional singers who were told the same thing.
When people say “you can’t sing,” what they often mean is “I don’t know how to teach you.” What matters is that they didn’t give up. They wanted to sing and so they put in the work needed to get better. Many of them came to choirs and learned, others had private lessons but all of them remained committed to the love of singing. Continue reading “6 singers who were told they couldn’t sing”