Rehearsl Updates From March 29

Greetings Earthlings,

Last week we rehearsed 11 songs! One of them we dropped after singing it.

I've updated the following songs on the audio files page:

1. Almost Like Being in Love
2. Hushabye Mountain
3. Kids!
4. Lullaby of Broadway
5. Sunrise, Sunset
6. You'll Never Walk Alone
7. There's No Business Like Show Business
8. Tonight
9. Where is Love

I did not upload Thursday's rendition of "Pure Imagination," because the version we already have on the blog is better than we sang it Thursday--which should really be a concern because we can't afford to move backwards!

Six weeks, folks.

Updated Song List

Hi friends,

I thought I'd been keeping up with the pull list here on the blog, but apparently it was all in my imagination! So, here's the song list, as of yesterday's rehearsal (03-29-12). The songs that are in red are those that we have pulled from our binders. That leaves us with 18 songs to learn.

• Almost Like Being in Love
  
• Another Op’nin,’ Another Show
  
• Children of Eden
  
• (the) Colors of My Life
  
• Hernando’s Hideaway
  
• Hushabye Mountain
  
• If Every I Would Leave You
  
• It Might as Well Be Spring
  
• Kids!
  
• Lullaby of Broadway
  
• On My Own
  
• Once Upon a Dream
  
• (the) Phantom of the Opera
  
• Pure Imagination
  
• Rhythm of Life
  
• Singin’ in the Rain
  
• Sunrise, Sunset
  
• There’s No Business Like Show Business
  
• Till There Was You
  
• Tonight
  
• Where Is Love?
  
• You’ll Never Walk Alone
  
• You’re the Top

New Files From 03/22/12 Rehearsal

Hi Chorus,

First, just a couple of reminders I picked up on from listening to last Thursday's rehearsal as I edited the audio files. These are the things Cory said that we must do:

1. We must attend rehearsals. We need every member there. We are a team and when someone is gone, they and their voice are truly missed. Missed rehearsals affect us all.
2. We must memorize our parts. Time is getting short (see the new countdown timer on the right). We need to get serious about knowing our parts.
3.  In two weeks Cory will start breaking us out into small, quartet-sized groups to sing sections of our songs. Be prepared for this by doing #2, above. :)

I posted updates from Thursday's rehearsal of the following songs:

• Hernando's Hideaway
• Hushaby Mountain
• Once Upon a Dream
• Singin' in the Rain
• There's No Business Like Show Business
• Tonight
• Where is Love (two versions)
• You'll Never Walk Alone

I also added to the song notes page. There's quite a lot of repetition, and I'll eventually clean it up, but for now, just realize that when Cory says the same thing over and over again it means that it's important, and it means that we're not yet doing it satisfactorily.

You-all are awesome. I feel honored to sing with you.
Karen

Direction From Cory's Email

Sopranos-

Watch your tone. Make it warm and full. Remember you're the melody most of the time. Make it beautiful,
Keep it out of your nose. Again, if your tone is nice and warm....it won't be in your nose.
Support your notes. All of them, not just the high ones.
Watch your vibratos!! Especially on the high notes. Please keep these in check. You don't want to sound like you're 90. You are a better and more accomplished singer if you can control your vibrato, than if you let it control you.

Altos-

Keep your tones supported and warm.
Do not let your tone go dark. There's a HUGE difference between dark and warm. If you don't understand, see me about this tomorrow.
I need more volume from all of you. Push yourself, and each other.
Watch your high notes. You have to keep them supported. Big breaths to the diaphragm.

Tenors-

Sing out Louise!
Watch your pitches. Don't sit or hang on the note. Go over the top.
Keep your tones nice and clear.
Don't strain on the high notes. Support them. Deep, cleansing breaths will help with that.

Basses-

Keep the melody. Remember to phrase your singing like it's the melody of the song. Don't just pound through it like a sledge hammer.
Don't let you tones be dark.
Learn you part, don't make it up. Watch you pitches.
Keep the volume coming. But beware not to over sing and sound forced and flat. Remember you can sing as loud as you can yell. If you support it.

Everyone-

Nice round vowels and tones Miss Lamont!  :)

You are all great! Every one of you brings something special to the chorus that would be missed if you were gone. I love working with you and directing you. Please don't settle for just good, or even worse the dreaded...... "good enough". Push yourselves, and work really hard on those items listed above and the things we talk about in practice. Remember any choir is only as good as it wants AND strives to be. Strive to be the best! You all deserve that. Enjoy this time to meet as singers. It's a rare opportunity that may not knock on our doors again. So carpe diem!!!! And most of all.....LOVE what you're singing and the opportunity to learn....even if you don't. :) It's an opportunity for each of us to go outside ourselves and our comfort zone, and to push ourselves to be all that we can be.

No Rehearsal March 15

It's official. There will be no rehearsal Thursday, March 15.

However, Cory expects us all to practice, practice, practice and come prepared to wow him on the 22nd.

See you all then!
Karen

WARM IT UP!

Last week's rehearsal can be summed up in three words: warm it up. That's what Cory said we need to work on the most, especially the soprano sections.

One of the first things Cory told us is that he likes the way we sang, "It Might as Well Be Spring" last week. He asked us to go back and listen to it, listening for the warmer tone we achieved. The sopranos in particular had a nice, deeper, richer sound. Here's a quick link to the file.  You can compare that song with the others we sang last week (just click on the practice files tab, above, and look for the 03-01-12 songs), to see the difference between how we ought to sound and how we too often sound, but shouldn't.

We dropped two songs this week: "On My own" and "Children of Eden." Please pull these pieces from your binder.

We went over four songs last Thursday, "Once Upon a Dream," "Singin' in the Rain," "There's No business Like Show Business," and "Tonight." Two of these are new songs, and having sung them, there is only one song we haven't sung yet, "You're the Top." I'll be posting the audio files and song notes on their pages as I get them edited. I didn't have as much time today as I often do on Saturdays because we're remodeling a bedroom and I spent part of the day covered with pale blue paint.

Cory will send out an email (and I'll post it here on the blog) about whether or not rehearsal will be held next Thursday. There's a conflict with caucus meetings. Those attending caucus meetings are excused, but Cory expects us all to practice at home and not lose any ground we've gained at rehearsals so far.

Cory periodically listens to the audio files here on the blog to see if what he's told us to do is getting through to us and changing the way we sing. It behooves us all to implement the things he's taught us. I know, it's hard for me too.

Productive Rehearsal!

Wow, guys,

We went through 9 songs last Thursday! That's the most so far in an evening. That means there was less talking and more working, so thanks!

Be sure to check out the new audio files from Thursday's rehearsal and the song notes and new quote of the week. Also, remember your goals. Keep moving forward and striving to get better and better!

Love you all!
Karen