Blog
Choir Tech Know-How: Part 1
This week we introduce Dr. Richard Seaby, our resident sound technician at Total Voice. Richard has been running our sound desks at rehearsals and performances for three years now and has a vast knowledge of all things technical. He has also experienced many different performance settings and challenges during his journey with us from which he has drawn lots of knowledge. In this first section he talks about the basics of sound equipment needed for choirs of a rock and pop style using backing…Conducting Your Choir: From Novice to Know-how
As conductors, we want to inspire our singers. To do that, we need to ensure that we are communicating effectively with them. Without experience or training this can be a daunting task. I know this because it was exactly the position I was in when I began my first choir. I passionately believed in what I was doing, had a clear vision of the choir I wanted to create and the style of music they would sing. I had good people skills, but my conducting really was just me waving my arms around in t…
Get plugged in! Music tech for choirs
Music tech. Love it or hate it, you probably can’t manage entirely without it. Here are our top tips for getting your choir plugged in.
When I began my choir, I started out with a regular stereo which played both Cds and my iPod and was, at the time, pretty cutting edge. I was very pleased with it. “I’m all set”, I thought. By about week three, when I was lucky enough to be seeing thirty plus singers at rehearsals, it started to get a bit lost amongst the energetic, enthusiastic voices of the c…
When I began my choir, I started out with a regular stereo which played both Cds and my iPod and was, at the time, pretty cutting edge. I was very pleased with it. “I’m all set”, I thought. By about week three, when I was lucky enough to be seeing thirty plus singers at rehearsals, it started to get a bit lost amongst the energetic, enthusiastic voices of the c…
5 ways to get a head start on your next choral season
Give yourself a great Christmas present - the comforting knowledge that you're all set for the new year.
As Christmas approaches and our rehearsals for various festive performances are well under way, it's tempting to rest on our laurels until the Christmas break. However, Victoria and I reckon that well have a merrier Christmas if we feel that we're sorted for the new year, so we're busy turning our attention to plans for 2014. For the Contemporary Choir, January will mark the beginning of ou…Workshop planning 101
I've been asked a few times recently about the workshop programme that Christine and I run, both for our own choir members and for external groups. I thought it might be useful to our audience if I set out how we go about planning workshops and seminars for our singers and clients.
1. Start with the audience
Whatever sort of session you're planning, the starting point has to be the participants. What do they want from it? We didn't always get this right when we started out - we'd come up with fant…
1. Start with the audience
Whatever sort of session you're planning, the starting point has to be the participants. What do they want from it? We didn't always get this right when we started out - we'd come up with fant…
5 spooky choir warm-ups for Halloween
Choir leaders are always looking for fresh warm-up ideas to make rehearsals fun and engaging. A great way to do this is to take advantage of the changing seasons and the festivals and holidays that coincide with your choir’s rehearsals.
Our Contemporary Choir has a rehearsal on Halloween so we thought we’d make the most of it. Some of our members looked at me a bit strangely when I announced that people should feel free to attend in fancy dress, but our offering of Halloween-themed snacks during…
Our Contemporary Choir has a rehearsal on Halloween so we thought we’d make the most of it. Some of our members looked at me a bit strangely when I announced that people should feel free to attend in fancy dress, but our offering of Halloween-themed snacks during…
Well-being for choir leaders - strategies for coping when the workload seems overwhelming!
I'll be honest - writing this article is a struggle today. I wasn't going to say that; I don't like to whinge. After all, I have a great job that gives me a huge amount of satisfaction and fulfilment. But today I'm not feeling satisfield or fulfilled. I'm feeling overwhelmed with all the things I have to do. Tonight I have a rehearsal for which I don't feel prepared. Tomorrow I have a concert for which I don't feel prepared. On Saturday, I'm giving a workshop for which I don't feel prepared. And…
New Choir Season - how to make it the best ever
As the days grow shorter and the hot weather gives way to cooler breezes (I know - some of you are on the other side of the world and the weather's hotting up, but bear with me), many choir leaders will be embarking on a new autumn season. Even if your choir doesn't have a break over the summer, September has a wonderful feeling of new opportunity. It must be a throwback to school days - pristine new exercise books, sharpened pencils. I love this time of year. New year is, traditionally, when we…
Choir leaders: a bit of musical "me time"
When you're a choir leader, it’s likely that your role was born of a passion for music and singing. However, the day to day reality of managing a choir can easily become all-encompassing, especially if your routine includes juggling work and family life. Before you know it, you realise that the only current musical experience you have is leading your choir. You may even find that you are less likely to listen to music for pleasure as all your listening becomes a search for repertoire. This was e…
How to conduct effective choir auditions
Being an auditionee is horrid. There's no two ways about it. You're nervous, you're desperate to perform well, you're setting yourself up to be judged and you fear failure. Only slightly less horrid than being an auditionee is being an auditioner. Unless you are a Svengali-like tyrant, you're unlikely to enjoy having terrified people come before you and await your direction. And the weird thing about auditions is that it doesn't matter how well you know the auditionee, they'll still be terrified…