Tag: singers

4 Ways In Which Singing In A Choir Increases Your Confidence

Musicians often have a healthy dose of confidence. It comes from the self-discipline, self-awareness, and sheer amount of practice that is a part of the process of learning music. Here are four ways in which singing in a choir can increase your confidence:

#1. Conductor:
Despite the myriad of jokes about what exactly a conductor’s purpose is on stage, they are actually a very important aspect of the musical process. Our director is a guide, not only through the process of learning the music; pointing out important technical aspects, and instructing us in the interpretation of the music. There is an implicit trust that develops between conductors and choristers, and that trust can be seen on stage, when a conductor has to manage the many moving parts of a performance. Unconditional trust is an inherent aspect of confidence – it allows singers to get up in front of people, and put their full heart into the performance.

#2. Peer to peer learning:
Confidence comes from knowing those around you support you. And what better way to support someone, than by teaching them? In a choir setting, choristers are not just learning about music from the conductor, but from those sitting around them as well. In the Calgary Children’s Choir we actively encourage peer mentorship, from implementing a buddy system between our youngest singers, and the oldest, and creating collaborative concert settings.

#3. Opportunity to perform:
As a choral group we have at least three large concerts that are part of our singing season. We also have several other singing engagements throughout the year. Because of this, our choristers have many opportunities to practice performing. With every concert, or performance, our choristers become more self-assured, more confident in their ability to stand up in front of an audience and sing!

#4. Part of a team:

When our choristers get up on stage to perform, they know that they won’t be up there by themselves; they will have the rest of the choir up there with them. That is the beauty of choral singing; many voices as one. Knowing that you have others with you, enhancing your own sound, supporting you, and together, creating something beautiful greatly increases confidence. Singing is terrific, but singing with others, is truly something special!

Do you think singing in a choir increases confidence? Tell us in the comments below!

March 23, 2015
The 5 Best Music Apps For Singers

Apps have become prevalent with our use of technology, and they can be highly beneficial for singers on the go. There are a myriad of excellent resources available for musicians at the touch of a finger, but here are 5 apps that we think are some of the best for singers.

YouTube: (available for iOS and android)

YouTube is a platform that allows users to post, share, and view video. It is incredibly useful for singers because it allows them to view as well as hear performances by other musicians. There are millions of hours of video to choose from, and YouTube has a very powerful search algorithm to allow users to find what they’re looking for.
Cost:FREE!

Virtuoso: (available for iOS)

This is a great free piano app, designed to look and sound like a real piano. Virtuoso is particularly valuable because it names the true note names on the keyboard, and users can play multiple notes (like a chord) at the same time. In the app’s latest update, they’ve included new sounds; guitar, clarinet, as well as dual keyboard function.
Cost: FREE!
Android alternative – Real Piano

Shazam: (available for iOS and android)

Shazam is a music identification app. It allows users to press a button when they hear a song they like. Shazam then listens to the song, identifies it, and provides links to where the song can be found online. It’s a great app for anybody who loves music, because it allows you to discover new music you like, simply by pressing a button.
Cost: FREE!

GarageBand: (available for iOS)

This is a very powerful tool that can be used on Apple products. GarageBand allows users to create multi-layered music, as well as podcasts. It includes several powerful editing features, as well as multiple instruments, and its latest update allows users to access music lessons.
Cost: FREE!

EarBeater: (available for iOS)

Despite the cost, EarBeater is the best ear training app available. It includes over 200 exercises in each section, and contains lessons about intervals, chords, and scales in an extremely user-friendly design. Its latest update allows users to create their own ear-training exercises.
Cost: $7.99
Android alternative – Perfect Ear

What is your favourite music app? Tell us in the comments below!

January 26, 2015
3 Ways Singers Can Manage Illness

Getting sick at some point during the singing season is inevitable, but it doesn’t necessarily mean that a singer is completely out of commission. Here are three ways that singers can manage illness:

#1. Be proactive:
The best thing a singer can do is to prevent themselves from getting sick by being proactive. This can be done in a variety of ways, but the first step is to make sure you’re washing your hands on a regular basis. Every surface we touch is coated in germs and viruses just waiting to take us down. Ensure that you’re getting enough sleep, and that you’re well rested. Eat food that is nutritious and healthy, and be sure that you’re using your voice in a healthy way – no shouting, please!

#2. Assess your illness:
Do you have a sore throat? Are you stuffed up? These symptoms don’t necessarily mean that you can’t participate in a choir rehearsal. Just because you can’t sing, doesn’t mean you still can’t learn something at a choir rehearsal. Unless you are bed-ridden, you can still come to choir practice, and follow along with your music. This will ensure that you don’t fall behind, even if you’re unable to sing.

This can go the other way, as well. If you are very sick, and bedridden, then you should definitely not attend choir rehearsal, to prevent the illness from spreading, and making other choristers sick.

#3. Get Better Soon!
Make sure you’re doing what you can to get over you illness as quickly as possible. This usually involves getting as much sleep as possible, and eating well. By taking good care of yourself, you can be back to your regular singing self in no time!

How do you manage illness as a singer? Tell us in the comments below!

January 19, 2015
3 Techniques To Memorize Music

All musicians must memorize music at some point in their careers, and singers have an extra bit of work to do when it comes to memorizing music, because there is the added layer of text that needs to be memorized.

#1. Repetition:
This seems quite basic, but one of the best techniques for memorizing music is by doing it over and over again. But repetition alone will not remain lodged in your memory. The best way to ensure quick memorization, is by focusing on a different aspect of the music every time you sing it. By making mental note of these different aspects of the music, you are hard-wiring your brain to remember multiples aspects of the music, and increasing the depth of your musical understanding at the same time!

#2. Silent Practice:
Silent practice is related to repetition, but it does not require actually singing out loud. This type of practice involves performing the piece silently in your mind. Breathing, phrasing, and dynamics are all considered and practiced, even though they’re done silently, but this technique can be used anywhere – in an apartment, in the halls at school, even on the bus!

#3. Story Telling:

Most vocal pieces include text, often a piece of poetry or prose. This can be very helpful in memorization, because instead of just memorizing words, you can memorize the overall narrative of the text. Knowing what comes next in the story aids in memorizing the specific text used to tell that story.
This is especially helpful when memorizing music in a language that is foreign to you. Understanding the meaning behind the text you are singing, makes it that much easier to commit the text to memory.

So, what techniques do you use to help you memorize music! Tell us in the comments below!

March 24, 2014