09 July 2009

Be an Asset in the Choir



Performance Tip No 1 - VOCALIZATION


It has been standard practice; for it has been proven as an imperative part of the choral training. But sadly for some, this is something they'd rather skip--if they can have their own way.


Never undermine its benefits. It warms and prepares our vocal tracts for the work ahead. Synonymous to stretching the muscles before embarking on a strenuous workout at the gym. It not only eases our singing. It also protects us from vocal harm. We hear of singers growing one or two nodules in the throat-one of the consequences of undisciplined singing.


Going back to the analogy of weight training, a very eager trainee would rather go straight ahead to the workout without preparing the muscles by warming them up to make them flexible and adaptable. Muscle tear is a painful consequence. The same is true with singing. You repeatedly punish your vocal cords, you eventually reap your grim rewards.


The vocal cords, (very fragile) muscles in their own right, becomes adaptable to varying demands of singing, and the well prepared singer would find himself singing smoothly and with relative ease. A well warmed up throat and vocal tract becomes like a well lubricated machine; so able to go with the flow and cope up with the 'uphill climbs' and 'rough roads' of singing.


The un-warmed singer would find himself singing awkwardly, or hitting notes off-pitch, slurring upwards to hit high notes, and thus become a liability to the group, not to mention the punishment he inflicts on himself. Always remember to warm up!


A Singer's Goal: A chorister must be a team player. He walks, glides, hops, leaps, runs, and stops at the same moments with everybody else. And he becomes a reason why the choir is where it is. There should be no one who would be like an injured team mate who needs to play despite his injury, or a weakling who needs to be constantly spoon-fed and cared for by others. He should be able to develop his own skills by constant and disciplined training and not rely on his buddies to assist him all along.

2 comments:

Colored Heart said...

SO TRUE! kala lang nila ganun kadali magwarm up properly. birit nalang basta, kaya cracky, unstable and not enduring ang long notes nila... tantamounting to FLATS!
Hay, I hope they'd love to vocalize first as much as they'd love to sing. Better yet, isama ito sa commitment forms ng choir before joining the ministry.
#1 Come in time for VOCALIZATION.
#2 If you're late, be sure you come in VOCALIZED.
Gigil na gigil ba, Conductor?!:D

Gracey:$

Mario Lat said...

Gigil na gigil nga, same sentiments here. :)