Sa Yahweh Concert

Come 20September2009, my choir will be presenting a concert "Sa Yahweh" in our home church, the Emmanuel Baptist Church (of Taytay).

We'll be singing English and Pilipino Gospel Songs; and as added wake-upper, we rehearsed some Pilipino folk songs.

If you can find the time to attend, your presence will be dearly appreciated.

See you.

Praise the Lord!

(Click the image to view up close.)

Be An Asset Tip No.3 "Isolate!"

Isolation Exercise: Isolating the Mid-Section

(You should have read Tip No. 2 'Be conscious' for you to really understand this particular post.)

*Ok, this is not an AB Crunch Instruction. The image is just to attract you. :)) Seriously, this is Part 3 of my "Be An Asset Series" for choral singers. :)

Our purpose is to maximize and maintain the breadth of our (human) sounding board (to produce a free and ringing voice very conducive to choral singing) without stiffening in all other areas. For the inexperienced, when you expand your ribcage and attempt to hold it while you continue breathing and singing, you may find it hard to relax on some other areas as the chest, neck, face, scalp, arms, even legs. It may be very evident in the chest and neck, but if you become very sensitive to it, you may be surprised to find that even the scalp and facial muscles can be under undue stress. Facial tic, headache, during or after singing, anyone?

For the process to be all-natural, our body needs to be used to the routine. MHM! Muscles have memory. Yes, they do. So, our best shot is to train them. How? By employing the Muscle Isolation Technique. Upon mastery, the next time you stand up to sing, your body would automatically shift to 'singing mode' meaning every body part will synch to provide you, the singer, with the state of the art sounding board, so to speak.

In the gym or at the exercise corner in your home you learned to isolate certain muscle or body part from the rest of the body to maximize the full benefit of certain exercises. E. g. as you do arm curls with a dumbbell, you learned to keep your upper arm (bicep) glued to your sides, never allowing it to swing in front of your profile. That way your biceps really get worked out to the core. You may find every tiny string of muscle tingling with the stress. You do not let your arms 'cheat' so as to really benefit from the exercise. That's the point. Isolate.

So, let's try it. Stand or sit erect (do not sit back), keep your alignments as if you have a string attached at the center top of your head to the ceiling. Breathe in three large amounts of air without exhaling in between. As your lungs fill up, you may also feel your muscles grow taut and stiff; the chest, neck, upper arm, and facial muscles to mention some. Hopefully you also feel your back ribs while doing this routine. If you reached this point, you are doing fine. Now start to relax all the previously mentioned muscles while maintaining the wide midsection. Keep doing it until what is left un-relaxed is your ribcage and abdominals (I prefer to combine the two and call it midsection). Once you enter this point, REMEMBER the feeling. Relax everything afterwards.

Now, do it again but do so by springing back directly to the REMEMBERED feeling; i.e. a wide and taut midsection minus any contraction anywhere else. Now, 'open the masque' i.e. defy the gravity's pull from your facial muscles. Put a sparkle in your eyes and keep a pleasant countenance. There.

Remember that people will never notice what you just did. So don't worry that you would look like a cadet trainee on attention when you need to do it before singing. What they would see is a person exuding calm and confidence.

Keep that 'hollow' feeling in the midsection, never allowing the ribcage to sag through the entire length of the song; remember what I said about those 3rd and 4th images here. There is always the right way to sing. Keep growing in your singing knowledge. Till next time.

MY PALAWAN WEEK- Arrival (14 January 2009)

What a week! Read about it here. 

Oh Dear Choir!

"Underdevelopments"

The previous year's 4th quarter developments (or whatever you may want to call it) in the choir put me in a reality-check of sorts. I realized that my Adults choir is terribly out of shape after many singers opted  out of the Christmas choral events.

 

Covenant Signing

Prior to this, I merged my Youth and Adults choirs for the Christmas season. I even printed  a poster covenant to let people sign in. Sad part is: a considerable number of trained singers have "resigned" halfway through. Then I realized that I am left with mostly newbies in the singing ministry.

 

Christmas Events

And to cut a sad story short, when a shopping mall invited us to grace their Christmas events, I had to shrug my shoulders and not accept the invite. My consolation is that my Kids Choir was also invited and for the second time around, they sang Carols at this mall.

 

Re-Auditions Coming Up

I have decided to re-audition everybody so that 1: I could examine every new singer and design a plan for them to be equipped with the best training I can give them; and 2: so that I can monitor my regular singers and see where each of them stand. But how do I-pray tell me-reject people who cannot really sing but want to really be a part of this group. I know you have quick witted remarks in your heads, but I say it's easier said than done.

 

Sense of Accountability

I also saw that I need to address the lack of dedication among them. And the growing lack of enthusiasm  in the  ministry they are in. What made me really think was when those who aren't well-trained exhibit the lack of sense of accountability. Well, there are those who behaved well; they kept a set of the Christmas pieces which they bring home to review. Sadly, about 75% were happy-go-lucky types. I failed to notice earlier that they have not heeded my instruction to get their own individual set of copies.

 

The Price Paid

Too late for me when I noticed that they search for copies as we rehearse week after week. It's my fault, I grew very relaxed when it comes to behavior. "Laging nasa huli ang pagsisisi." (Regrets always comes at the end), so goes a famous Filipino saying.

 

Resolution?

I don't believe in New Year's Resolutions. I'd rather not, for many resolutions do not succeed. But this is my resolve-refurbish this choir.  We'll see what we can do.

 

Cartoon on top courtesy of http://www.reverendfun.com/

 

EBC Christmas Banquet/Concert/Party

The early afternoon was marked by busyness; everyone was doing his/her own thing as all prepare for the evening. Men and women doing the kitchen, kids chorus rehearsing for the early part in the program, and a musical Korean (Koh) family rehearsing in the sanctuary.

We were given the cue to get ready, so I concluded SonBeams (kids)Choir's rehearsal with a prayer, and the Salmo (adults) Chorale grabbed the last few minutes to warm up. After Pee Wee prayed, we headed to the sanctuary.

A few moments later, the program started, with a very special cello and piano duet with Joanna Seungmin Oh and Juvy . A prayer was said by Philip, then, a strings group, composed of Carina, Corinne, and Michael Woojai did a medley of Christmas and some classical piece accompanied by Ms. Joanna Seungmin on the piano. Everyone was gladly surprised to know Corinne has learned to play the violin.

Then the SonBeams sang their repertoire. See the previous post, "EBC SonBeams Sang at SM City" for the song titles.

Pastor Roi delivered the meaningful Christmas message, "Christmas, A Time for Family to Be Together," Luke 2:16. Very timely, for there were several OFW fathers and a mother who flew home to be with their loved ones this yuletide season.

Afterwards, Peter Heeton Koh, Frank Woojin, and Michael Woojai (father and sons) sang "O Holy Night" together, accompanied by Joanna Seungmin Oh, Peter's wife on the grand piano. We were glad they shared that special evening with us; an endearing family. They had some Korean youngsters with them too.

The Salmo Chorale then took the stage and sang the following traditional English and Filipino carols:

Lo! How A Rose E'er Blooming

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas

Kumukutikutitap! ("Twinkly" is the most that I can to translate)

Noche Buena (Christmas Eve)-usually centered on the Christmas Eve Feast

Pasko Na Naman (It's Christmas! [Once Again!])

The night's program segued to the Christmas Party. Janeil and Jael led the people through various parlor games, exchanging gifts, et. al. and then, the Christmas Banquet.

It was a long 'Christmas Day' at the church but was a very happy one indeed. Surely, everyone had a grand and blessed time.

A very Merry Christmas to you, Emmanuel Baptist Church!

Photos courtesy of Che Santillan

SonBeams to SM City

The EBC SonBeams Choir will be serenading SM City Foodcourt this December. Last year, they sang with the EBC Salmo Chorale in the same mall, but in The Event Center. Then after the Cantata, they serenaded the stores until about 10 PM. They were very happy as they went home with a lot of treats from all the stores they delighted.

They have been excitedly rehearsing for the upcoming engagement, bless them. Salmo could have sang again too, but due to some reasons (one, the original plan was for them to serenade homes instead; and two, many singers have other plans for the Yuletide season, so quite a number of them won't be able to join this year's Choral Christmas events). Sigh.

*The image was taken last year in the church, as they sang carols in the Vesper Service.

How Not to Give Your Choir Director a Career Headache

The Philippine Madrigal Singers
The best chorale you will ever experience; ever.






So you want to join the choir? Know what? The Bible verse which says,"…many are called, but few are chosen" certainly applies to this ministry. Through the years people have come and gone; joined but eventually left. I am thinking they have realized it is not fun nor cool at all, or maybe the ministry is not really for them. Conversely however, a handful have thought otherwise. So before you hop in, consider the following things and see if you are one most likely to enjoy and linger through the years. And yes, spare the man who sweat it out to bring the group to greater heights the heartaches and disappointments of having to make do with the listlessness and halfhearted participation of anyone looking out for all the wrong things in the choir ministry.


1. First of all, before joining the choir, do some self-appraisal. Are you genuinely interested to be a full-time chorale singer? Can you allot that particular time every week for the rehearsals? I mean, what if the regular rehearsal falls on a Saturday afternoon where many off-choir events occur simultaneously. Are you willing to let go of your regular Saturday afternoon gimmicks with friends or family, or at least shorten or reschedule it to make it to the practices regularly? Note: many parties occur on Saturdays. If you cannot answer these affirmatively, then reconsider. Don't give your choir director tough time and expect him to be patient with your tardiness and absences. Join only if you have considered these things. 'Gotta have time.

2. Can you sing really? Surprisingly, there are a many "tone-deaf" choir members. Personally, I am not closing the door to these persons, but they have to realize that they have to have a lot more dedication than the others if they desire to be a part of any chorale ever. If he has, like some, less time for the choir, then it is better for him not to join and spare the man a lot of crosses to bear. The sad fact is, singing in the choir is not for everybody. Ask a brutally frank friend if you have what it takes. Or have the director give a subjective analysis via an audition perhaps.

3. Make singing your lifestyle. Do not confine your singing in the choir room. Sing through the week. But please choose music conducive to your choral career. Also, bring home the music piece and do self-study. If you brought home some pieces, by all means be sure you study it so there will be less time to spend in learning them. Continue correcting your faulty singing habits. Review terms you encountered for the first time, e.g., Vertical Vowels, Diaphragmatic Singing, Chest Voice, Head Voice, Nonsense syllables and the like. Develop your musical vocabulary. Ask him about things you vaguely understood. You will notice that the more you dwell on these things, the clearer they are driven home.

4. Come to rehearsal ready to practice. Several people come to practice to socialize; with a mindset of "hanging out" with friends. After the opening prayer, drop any conversation and give the leader your undivided attention. The last time everyone did it, the rehearsal wrapped up quickly. And everyone was happy. Then, you socialize.

5. Be ready to submit yourself to your mentor. No student is above his teacher. Otherwise, form a group of your own and be the teacher. Every choir leader has some unique technique he has acquired. Be open to his suggestions and tips for he has surely burned enough brow to learn his craft. If you have more brilliant wisdom in your head concerning certain "choir" matters (this happens), deal with it later out of respect for his leadership. You are certainly not in there to undermine his capabilities in front of his other students. Share it with him (or correct him ,if you must) one-on-one.

6. Show him you are accumulating his singing techniques. Before attempting to sing, consider his past lectures pertaining to vocal production and techniques. Make him feel that you are truly learning his methods. Do not start the singing like you forgot all the 'singing doctrines' in his many 'homilies'. Pause for a while and as you breathe in, review those routines in the mind. Show him he is not wasting his time with you.

7. He is your coach, and you are his player. The choir is a team. He calls the shots and you synch with everybody to hit your goals together. Everyone is in a way subservient to his "whims" as he beats (your backs?) through the song. He hastens, you run, he slows down, you float with him. You dance with the music (his). Afterwards, you can slap his shoulder if you must.