Tag: community

  • 5 Ways To Cultivate Community In Choir

    5 Ways To Cultivate Community In Choir

    We are so very fortunate in the CCC to have a thriving community of not just present choristers, but alumni as well. Creating a sense of community, and belonging, is very important to us, and we work hard to make sure that the only requirement for inclusion in the CCC is a love of music! Here are 5 ways to help you cultivate community in choir:

    #1. Join!

    The single best way to help you cultivate community in choir is to join! Choir is tailor-made for celebrating our community, and at the CCC we pride ourselves on being welcoming, inclusive, and open to everyone who loves music! If you want to sing for the joy of it – come join us!

    #2. Attend camp:

    We purposely open our year with a camp – away from the city, and out in beautiful Bragg Creek, so that we can really bond as a group before we get into the busy singing season. This is one of the best ways to really form relationships with other choristers, because we spend all day together, for a whole weekend! Our children’s choir and youth choir also go on a winter retreat in January!

    #3. Buddy up!

    At the CCC we are all about mentorship! We are proud to have a long legacy of choristers who take care of one another, and so we have a buddy system, where the older choristers mentor the younger ones, and in turn are mentored by our Youth choir members. Being a good buddy is an excellent way to foster a community feeling, so lean into it!

    #4. Learn from your neighbours:

    Although we seat our choristers by section, getting to know the people sitting next to you in choir is a great way to meet new people. Have a chat with the person next to you (before choir starts, or at break!), and you’ll learn so much about them. Choir is all about listening, and learning from those around you, so make sure to absorb everything you can from those around you – no doubt they’re doing the same!

    #5. Stay awhile:

    Many of our choristers stay for years (sometimes even decades!) in the choir. We have medals that we give to choristers who stay in the CCC for 5, 10 and recently 15 years! It can be difficult to stay in one activity for a long period of time, especially when there are so many interesting activities out there, but we promise if you stay with us for a while, you will make some life-long friends, gain a new appreciation of quality music, and some essential life skills!

    What are some other ways to cultivate community in choir? Tell us in the comments below!

    Calgary Children's Choir

  • Constructive Criticism In Choir

    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 criticism in choir:

    #1. Singing is not about perfection:

    Singing, and music in general, is a very subjective experience. Like many art forms, there is no simple formula for getting it ‘right’, because ‘right’ is different from performance to performance. There will never be a perfect performance, because perfection is an impossibility. There will always be something to be improved.

    Instead of viewing this as negative, re-frame this idea as positive. There will always be something to work on, some aspect of the performance to improve. The beauty of this is that there is no ‘finish line’, the work is never done. It also means that each performance can have a different quality, making each experience individual and unique.

    #2. Choirs receive feedback as a group:

    Because choirs are, by their very nature a group endeavour, constructive criticism is almost always delivered to the group at large, or by section. It is very rare, and frankly not entirely helpful for an individual to be singled out and criticized. After all, when the choir is successful we don’t praise individuals, we praise the group. The same is true for feedback.
    It can feel very true that there is safety in numbers, but there is something solidifying and unifying about receiving constructive criticism as a group – it reinforces the sense of team, and community, and also makes any criticism feel less personal, and more constructive.

    #3. Feedback can come from your peers:

    One of the best ways we have of learning is from our peers. When we sing in a choir we have the voices of many people around us to instruct us. Their feedback doesn’t even need to be conscious or spoken. If you can tell that your sound isn’t quite matching that of your peers, listen and adapt your sound to try and match.

    In the CCC we also teach theory, and use solfege to help our singers learn to sight read. All of our choristers are more than happy to help those around them, who may not have as good a grasp on music theory or solfege as they do. This sort of peer feedback is essential in making sure that we help one another to grow as a group!

    How else is constructive criticism delivered in a choral setting? Tell us in the comments below!

    Calgary Children's Choir

  • The Benefits of Singing in the Community

    The Benefits of Singing in the Community Calgary Children's Choir

    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 always beneficial to the choristers, because it adds variety to their concert series, and allows them to understand performance in a variety of settings. Musical aspects such as acoustics, choir placement, and differences in audiences are all important factors for choristers to learn to adapt to. Having different performance opportunities are always a great learning experience!

    #2. Community Service:
    One of the best parts of singing out and about in the community is the sense of service this develops in our choristers. When we sing at a Senior’s Home, or a Christmas market, we are contributing to people’s sense of well-being and belonging. This is doubly beneficial for our choristers, because it increases our own sense of what it means to be part of a larger community!

    #3. Meeting New People:
    Music is all about communication and connection, and the more varied concert opportunities we have, the more we get to meet new people, and connect with all kinds of different audiences. Encountering as many different people, from all walks of life demonstrates how much we all have in common, and the ability to share our musical gift with the community, brings us all a little bit closer together!

    What is another benefit from singing in the community? Tell us in the comments below!

    We are thrilled to be performing at The Calgary Winter Club’s Christmas Market on Wednesday November 22nd at 6:00 pm!

    Winter Club Christmas Market

    *Tickets are now available for our Christmas Concert on Saturday, December 9th, 2017!

    Calgary Children's Choir

  • Choir As Refuge

    Choir As Refuge

    Choir has been touted as an excellent way to form and engage in community, but it can be even more important than that, particularly for young people. Choir is often a refuge, during confusing, lonely, and difficult times in our lives.

    Because of the supportive nature of choral singing, and the emotive power of music, choir can act as a safe space for people. During difficult, turbulent times in our lives, choir creates a connected, compassionate group of people who care not only about our musical contributions, but about who we are as a person. A choir is a collective, a family, and it allows people to feel that others understand the core aspects of themselves.

    This is essential in our young lives, when we are growing and changing, and it feels as though external forces are working against us. Through choir, we know that we always have people on our side, that we’re part of a team, working together towards something about which we care deeply. Music allows us to communicate emotions that are larger and more complex than language can allow. To be able to share that with a larger group of people creates a bond like no other, a safe place to explore the world, and ourselves, through a shared love of music.

    When has choir been a refuge for you? Tell us in the comments below!

    Calgary Children's Choir

  • Choir As Community

    Choir As Community

    There have been many studies in recent years that describe the physical and psychological benefits of singing. Choral music is unique in that it combine the benefits of singing, with the added benefits of being part of a community:

    #1. Shared interests:
    Those people who choose to join a choir are joining for a variety of reasons, but particularly because they love singing as part of a group. This means that everyone in a choir has a vested interest in being there, and being together. There is an inherent understanding that singing together means providing your voice as one of many, and this lends itself well to being part of a larger community. A choir is an excellent way to meet new people who love something that you love!

    #2. Diverse interests:
    While choir members are all there because they love music, they also bring their own unique talents and interests into the group, which creates a wonderful tapestry of diversity. It is such a boon to a community to have unique and interesting talents to share with one another, and it exposes choristers to a variety of backgrounds, cultures, languages, and interests.

    #3. Supporting each other:
    Success in a choir depends on each member of the choir supporting the others. This is done musically, by providing a voice as one of many, to create a fluid and blended sound. But it is also done socially and emotionally, by investing in the people sitting next to one another in the room. Choir provide a safe and welcoming environment, in which everyone feels as though they belong, and are supported by the group.

    How else is choir a community? Tell us in the comments below!

    Calgary Children's Choir

  • Music At Celebrations

    Music At Celebrations

    Music is a valuable element in many aspects of our lives. We’ve discussed music at sporting events before. Celebrations are another aspect of our lives at which music is an important element.

    Celebrations are a meaningful part of the fabric of our society. They allow us to come together as a community, and partake in the joy and merriment commonly found in these kinds of social gatherings. Music can be an essential part of these social activities, since it is so often a group event, and can become the central aspect of many celebrations. As well, music communicates across cultures and languages, unifying people from different backgrounds and experiences.

    The music used at celebrations is often seeped in tradition, such as singing Happy ‘Birthday to someone, or joining in carols at Christmas time. The music at celebrations can also have important personal significance, such as the pieces used at a wedding, or a festival.

    Enjoying music together can even be a celebration in and of itself, such as a concert or a musical!

    How else is music important at celebrations? Tell us in the comments below!
    Calgary Children's Choir

  • A Child’s Carol 2015 – Concert Roundup!

    Calgary Youth Choir
    I think that even more important than singing well, is the camaraderie and sense of ensemble that our choristers bring to every rehearsal and performance event. The performing comes out of a deep respect and love for the music and each other. This is what is rewarding for me, in the experience of a concert, and every rehearsal.

    One of our choristers remarked that our program reflected the progression through Christmas eve to Christmas day – and in looking at it, she was right, although I hadn’t noticed. As she characterized it, we began with early Christmas Eve – with celebration and caroling songs, such as Gatatumba (Spanish), and Caroling, Caroling (a Nat King Cole classic). From there, we sang Lullabies: Seal Lullaby by Eric Whitacre, and Lullaby by Billy Joel. Then we entered the deepest part of winter (or evening) with songs about dark, cold and lonely winters/nights, such as Gordon Lightfoot’s Song for a Winters’ Night, and then entered the morning with three versions of Sunny Bank – the one by Eleanor Daley was a personal favourite.

    Our junior choir, conducted by Esther Woelfle, sang three contrasting pieces that were polished; with dynamic contrast, beautiful head tone, and clear words. They added some claps and swaying, and received rousing applause for their efforts.

    The Chandler Zawalykut Scholarship was awarded to the very deserving Josh Carr this year.

    Working with these kids, for me, is like working with professionals. They know where they need to be, they know their music, they are respectful of others on stage, and they perform with artistic integrity. I can’t think of anywhere I’d rather have been than onstage with the Calgary Children’s Choir on Saturday night.

    – Marni Strome, Artistic Director

    (The photo is of the Calgary Youth Choir….. small yet mighty ! 12 dedicated and intelligent singers having a moment of levity before the concert)

    What was your favourite part of the concert? Tell us in the comments below!
    Calgary Children's Choir