Posted by editor on Mar 12 2007 | Category: Motivation, Performance, Rehearsal
That statement is a crazy thing for me as a director to hear. But as our annual show approaches, I am reminded of some advice that I received from Dr. Paul Drummond, one of the faculty at Harmony University last year. [Harmony University is an annual music school presented by the Barbershop Harmony Society.] Dr. Drummond told the directors to get out of the way.
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?
Musical potholes are the little things in a song — note intervals, lyrics, word combinations, consonants — that make understanding the song a challenge to the listener.
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 »
Posted by editor on Oct 29 2006 | Category: Performance, Rehearsal
Something happened over the weekend that led me to a realization. We were performing in a show and by most counts, we did quite well. There were a few minor glitches as is normal with a live performance. When it was over, however, there seemed to be something missing. It’s been eating at me for days now, and I finally realized what it was.
Posted by editor on Oct 27 2006 | Category: Fellowship, Performance
Do you have dropped members? Are there inactive barbershoppers in your area no longer affiliated with any chapter? Wouldn’t you love to help rekindle their love of barbershop, and at the same time enjoy the thrill of singing with them again? The chapter with which I am affiliated, the Denver MountainAires, recently devised a non-recruitment event for the holidays that, hopefully, will pay great dividends. Yes, I said a “non” recruitment event. You can try this in your chapter. Here is how it is scheduled to work.
Continue reading: How NOT to recruit new members - just yet »
