Category: Music

  • 2018 Fall Choir Camp

    2018 Fall Choir Camp

    This year’s camp was yet another success! Choristers showed up at Camp Horizon buzzing about the weekend to come and were already looking forward to Skit Night, campfire songs and all the other activities camp has to offer. After the first night of icebreaker games, the real “work” began. The first full day at camp […]

  • How To Practice Singing Over A Break

    #1. Use Your Voice: The most important thing you can do for your voice over a break is to continue singing – every day if possible. It can be easy to stop singing as much during a break, and choristers often find that their range is not quite as large when they come back from […]

  • 3 Tips To Help You Get The Most Out of a Choir Workshop

    Choir workshops only happen a few times a year, and at the CCC we like to schedule them a couple of weeks before a concert. They’re an excellent chance for us to really get into the feel of the overall concert, and to discover any areas of the music that aren’t quite working yet, or […]

  • What Is The Best Age To Start Singing?

    The obvious answer to this question is – as soon as possible! Babies start ‘singing’ as soon as they’re able to vocalize – experimenting with their instrument, and exploring the range and versatility of their voice! For the purposes of this blog post though we’ll discuss the best age to start formal instruction in singing: […]

  • How To Deal With Comparison in Choir

    Singing in a choir means singing with other people, of different ages, abilities, and interests. This can be wonderful for many reasons, but it can also cause us to compare our voice to others, and find ourselves lacking. Here are three ideas for how to deal with comparison in choir: #1. Don’t compare apples to […]

  • Constructive Criticism In Choir

    Getting feedback on your performance is a common aspect of almost every endeavour. While it can be a bit uncomfortable to receive feedback about something as personal as your voice, and your singing, constructive criticism is an essential aspect of singing, and particularly singing in a choir. Here are three things to remember about constructive […]

  • 3 Myths About Singing

    There are many misconceptions floating around about singing, which is unfortunate because it makes many people unwilling to partake in all that singing has to offer. Here are three common myths about singing: #1. Tone deafness: People often claim to be ‘tone deaf’ when what they really mean is that they have problems with pitch […]

  • The Benefits of Singing in the Community

    The Calgary Children’s Choir performs three major concerts a year, including our upcoming Christmas Concert on Saturday, December 9th. Interspersed with these concerts are a variety of events out and about in the community, and it’s always such an exciting opportunity for our choir to experience these performances: #1. Fresh Perspective: New performance opportunities are […]

  • Conductor Profile – Andreas Berko

    Written by Heather Louden New Conductor Has Us Singing His Praises The Calgary Youth Choir has welcomed a new youth choir conductor, Andreas Berko, as the interim conductor while Artistic Director, Marni Strome is away for the year on sabbatical. Andreas began with the choir in September 2017, but he and his family are no […]

  • How To Practice Choral Music By Yourself

    Practicing your choir music at home by yourself can feel counterproductive, especially since choir is inherently a group activity. Still, practicing at home will help you to learn your music faster, feel more confident in your line, and let you enjoy your choir rehearsals even more! Here are 3 tips to help you practice your […]

  • What Makes Music Sound ‘Haunting’?

    One of the most amazing aspects of music is how it can help to establish an atmosphere, or evoke particular emotions without words, or gestures; through sound alone. Just in time for Halloween, here are three things that help to make music sound ‘haunting’: #1. Modality: Western music has two main modalities; major or minor. […]

  • The Importance of Musicianship in Singing

    Musicianship is a musical term used to describe the skills a musician possesses related to their aural skills; intonation, ear training. Musicianship is absolutely a skill as well that can be learned, and should be carefully honed. Here are three reasons why musicianship is an essential skill in singing: #1. Sight singing: There are few […]

  • Remembering With Music

    This past Sunday, Canada remembered the Battle of Vimy Ridge, on its 100th anniversary. In 1922, France gave to Canada the land for the memorial, and the surrounding area “forever and in perpetuity,” and the memorial was unveiled in 1936. The shining white marble standing stark against the skyline, remembers the 3598 soldiers who died […]

  • Singing In Sacred Spaces

    We are very excited about many aspects of our upcoming summer tour to Italy, the food, the weather, the art; but we are perhaps most excited for the amazing performance opportunities afforded to us. During our travels we will be singing in a variety of sacred spaces, in Rome, Venice, Lucca, and others! One of […]

  • Mentorship In Choir

    Choir is wonderful for a myriad of reasons, but one of the best reasons is the community it creates. This is not just a community among peers, but among singers of all ages, abilities, and backgrounds. This creates a wonderful place to develop leadership skills. Here are three ways in which mentorship plays a huge […]

  • How Singing Can Help You Learn More About Language

    Singing can help with learning in a myriad of ways, but one of the most subtle aspects of singing is in the acquisition of language. Here are three ways in which singing can help you learn more about language: #1. Libretto: Since the language often contained in vocal pieces is commonly in the form of […]

  • Italy and Music

    We are so thrilled to be going to Italy this summer on an exciting tour! Italy is one of the most exciting places for musicians, because it is home to some of the most beautiful art, architecture, and musical history in the world! There are many aspects that make Italy an intriguing place for those […]

  • Silent Singing

    Singers are often thought to be ‘delicate’ compared to other musicians. But because our body is our instrument, we have to take special care of it. This means that we cannot practice in the same way, or for the same amount of time that other musicians practice. Still, there are many ways to practice our […]

  • Maturity In Musical Taste

    Musical taste is something that develops continuously throughout your life. Hearing different genres, from different periods in musical history, allows your ear, and your taste to synthesize what it likes about certain types of music, and what you dislike. Because of the prevalence of pop music, (it’s called ‘popular music’ for a reason!) much of […]

  • The Benefits of Auditioning

    Here at the CCC, we do not audition choristers for entry into the choir for several reasons. We firmly believe that anyone can, and should sing! Our motto is, ‘Singing For the Joy of It’, and we are happy to include everyone. Still, we do audition for solos, or small groups, and encourage our choristers […]

  • 3 Ways In Which Choir Makes You More Adventurous!

    Choir is an excellent place to test out uncertain waters. It is safe, and communal, and supportive, and it’s a great place to become more adventurous! #1. Weird warmups: Singing makes many demands of us, and nowhere is this more true than when it comes to strange warmups. We are often tasked with creating sounds […]

  • Fear In Singing

    Fear is a common emotional response in singing, and it’s a difficult emotion to combat. Here are three ways to re-frame fear in singing: #1. Fear can be positive: Fear as a human emotion, is actually there for good reason. It prevents us from things that may harm us. While singing is not actually harmful, […]

  • Celebrating With Song

    Holidays are a time for celebration, and there are few things more celebratory than music! Singing in particular offers a great way to manifest that celebratory feeling: #1. Communication: Celebration is all about communicating a feeling experience by many people at once. Music offers that ability in a manner that transcends language, culture, and religion. […]

  • How Emotions Affect Singing

    Emotion is necessary in musical expression, but our emotions can have a very strong effect on how we sing. Here are 3 ways in which our emotions can affect our singing: #1. Positive emotions: Positive emotions, such as joy, excitement, and love, often have an equally positive impact on our singing. These emotions help us […]

  • Singing For Wellness

    There are many studies that have shown the benefits of music on cognitive function, and childhood development, but perhaps one of the greatest benefits of music, and singing in particular is the benefits to our sense of well being. #1. Physical Well-being: Singing requires a great deal of physicality, and an excellent sense of self. […]