Music
Archived Posts from this Category
Singing as Hobby
Posted by editor on Aug 11 2008 | Category: Craft, Music
Singing barbershop has often been referred to as a hobby. Very few – hired Society staff, for example – can actually say that they earn a wage from barbershop. For the rest of us, we participate because we like it. We see it (hopefully) as a fun, relaxing, and enjoyable experience.
Avoiding musical potholes
Posted by editor on Feb 24 2007 | Category: Music, Performance, Technique
Like our highways and roads, most of the songs that we sing are sprinkled with potholes. These musical pitfalls, unless you know how to avoid them, can cause bumps in your performance. What exactly are musical potholes, and how can we cover them over to make our performances as smooth as possible for our audiences? Continue reading: Avoiding musical potholes »
Science discovers what barbershop singers know
Posted by editor on Feb 18 2007 | Category: Discussion, Music
I recently heard an article from NPR’s Robert Krulwich on the significane of B flat. It got me thinking. Further research turned up another article, this time from BBC News, that corroborates the NPR story. Scientists are only now discovering the universal appeal of a frequency we take for granted.
Continue reading: Science discovers what barbershop singers know »
Learning music
Posted by editor on Oct 23 2006 | Category: Music, Rehearsal, Technique
As a musical director, one of the most challenging things that I have to deal with is getting the singer off the music. Unlike a community choir, barbershoppers need to commit the music to memory before they perform it. Because I direct a non-competitive chorus, I find myself holding back from setting deadlines, imposing tests, or pushing singers. Yet I know that they would enjoy themselves much more if they memorized the music early. They don’t seem to realize that memorization also deepens their understanding of the music and enhances their ability to entertain the audience.
ACE IT – part five
Posted by editor on Jul 23 2006 | Category: Music, Performance
In this final discussion about ACE IT, I conclude my observations on how to make every song come alive for you, the singer, as well as for your audience. After all, isn’t that one of the many joys of singing barbershop?
