We are starting a new vocal group for men only. All men, whether they can sing or not, are welcome. You will be taught and be learning masculine songs. Only £5 a session and no need to sign up or commit to anything.
The standard description of the 5 p’s is : prior preparation prevents poor performance. I would prefer to focus on the positives so have changed 2 of the p’s to make it : prior preparation produces polished performances. I also love the saying : He/she who fails to prepare, prepares to fail. Logically nobody wants […]
On the whole the mental images we have running through our head as we sing will affect the sound quality. Thoughts we have will also affect the sound. A sad thought will create a sad sound etc. Is it the image itself that creates the improved sound or is it your attention being placed on […]
When singing in a group it is important that you listen to yourself, the singers around you, the choir as a whole and the piano. It is also possible that the MD might give you some verbal instructions just before you are about to sing. Be attentive at all times to the whole process. The […]
Being able to sing lower and higher than you currently do is possible in time. At first it is necessary to see which range you can sing easily and with good tone. Do not expect to be able to increase your range drastically as your range is mostly determined by the length of your vocal […]
I recently delivered a workshop to a choir and naturally started with how to breathe for singing (as discussed in previous weeks). After the session a choir member came up to me and told me she was a respiratory physiotherapist and that all that I had said about breathing for singing was also what she […]
To create the best performance possible every choir member should aim to sing their parts without having to look at the music. It can be hard for some to learn text off by heart and it can also be scary to not have your music in front of you. It becomes like a comfort blanket. […]
Gestures can be very helpful when working on sections you find hard as they distract from negative thoughts that serve no useful purpose. In the absence of these negative thoughts better singing can occur. Our brains know what to do but we get in the way, so using a few gestures will help. There is […]
In order to sing many things have to work together in your head as well as your body. Singing is both a physical and mental workout and gives a sense of wellbeing and camaraderie. Physically, 140 muscles are involved in singing and many different regions in the brain have to work together and be co-ordinated. […]
Legato means to connect each sound to each other, which is in contrast to staccato whereby each sound is light and slightly separated from each other. A phrase must have enough breath to see it through to the end and for that to happen you need to prepare and know how long the phrase is. […]