Singing in Tune – A Pleasure at Any Age

As a choral conductor, there are certain aspects of the choral sound that must be performed well to create for me a truly pleasing performance. One of these is good intonation, which can also be described as singing in tune. I have always found poor intonantion to be a deal breaker when I am evaluating a. choral performance, either mine or someone else’s. The bad news is that “out of tune” singing is so common – the good news is that “out of tune” singing is fixable. As is the case with most everything in choral singing, it is very important what each individual singer contributes. Each singer must do his or her part to help create a beautiful choral sound, and for good intonation that requires theunderstanding of how to sing in tune.  Much of the responsibility for singing in tune obviously falls with the choral director, but the best choral intonation will always be the result of the singers and director working together.

So, what can we do to improve our intonation?  I would suggest several things:

*  Use Good Choral Posture with Firm Breath Support   Slumping or slouching and shallow unsupported breathing will all contribute to poor intonation, which will usually result in singing flat.  The singer who thinks about his posture and tries to breathe fully and deeply, followed by firm support, will have taken an important first step toward good intonation.

*  Understand Correct Vocal Technique  Correct vocal technique can include many things, but for singing in tune it especially requires appropriate tonal placement, good vowel color, and a sensitivity to dynamics.  Knowing whether to use your chest or head voice (or a combination of the two);  understanding how to produce each vowel sound and how and when to modify it; and being sensitive to the level of sound required in the music and also being produced by the singers around you – these are all components of vocal technique that will help result in good intonation.

*  Hear the Sound Before You Sing It  One of the most important things we need to do as singers is “hear” the pitch before we sing it.  The human voice, more than any other instrument, requires the performer to actually know what the next pitch is before it can be sung, unlike a piano, where the player can press a key without actually knowing what the resulting sound will be.  Singers can improve their skills by engaging in ear training exercises, both individual and group.  Singers should also use their minds when singing.  Although singing may appear on the surface to be primarily a physical activity, excellent singing requires the vocalist to “imagine” each sound before it is produced.  In other words, it is important to think how one wants the note to be heard by others.  This will ultimately become a subconscious activity, but in the early stages of learning a piece the singer always needs to “think before he sings.”

I am certainly not suggesting that my comments above cover everything that could be said about singing in tune.  For example, while good intonation is available to singers of all ages, there are different things to consider that can improve our intonation as children, teenagers, young adults, mature adults, and senior adults.  I’ll cover some of those things in future blog postings. In the meantime, what things have you discovered that have helped you with intonation?

Yes, Singing IS Good For You!

Choral singing is actually more popular than playing organized sports.  That’s right – a National Study has shown that in the United States there are more members of choruses than there are members of sports teams.  While I’m all for team sports, it is tremendously gratifying as a choral director to know there are so many folks out there who like to sing.  In my choral organization, The Michael O’Neal Singers, we have a Summer Chorus open to all interested singers.  This chorus usually draws about 170 participants, ranging in age from high school students to retired persons in their eighties.  Now where else can you find a group activity that spans eight decades?  I love working with this group, and one of the main reasons is that the singers come into the rehearsal room filled with the joy and expectation of making music together and having a wonderful time doing it.

While many of the participants in the Summer Chorus will be highly skilled and talented singers, there will also be some who may not have sung in a chorus for many years.  One of the first things I remind all the singers is that singing is a “healthful” activity.  It is useful for improving our emotional health as it builds confidence and self-esteem.   It has a positive impact on our physical health as it improves posture, increases lung capacity, and tones abdominal and facial muscles.  Finally, in a world where people spend more and more time alone in front of their computer screens or listening to music with headphones (a very solitary activity), choral singing offers a real opportunity for social enrichment and the development of new friendships.

I suppose it is clear I’m a fan of choral singing.  How about you?  Why do you sing?

The Importance of One Singer

It was my good fortune to sing for many years under the baton of Robert Shaw.  As the unofficial, but widely accepted, Dean of American Choral Conductors, Mr. Shaw was in a firm position of authority to remind choristers of their responsibilities to their ensemble, and even more importantly, their responsibilities to the composer and the music.  I’ve never forgotten his lectures on the subject, which came in both written and oral versions.  They were always sincere, heartfelt, and often stinging, for they usually came in response to a less than acceptable rehearsal by his chorus.  Those of us in the chorus often felt ashamed following such admonitions, as we were reminded that the music deserved no less than our best effort, and that we were risking the success of the upcoming performance and showing a lack of respect for our fellow singers when we came to rehearsal less than fully prepared.  It was also noted by most of us that Mr. Shaw always came to rehearsals fully prepared and it seemed only proper that we should do likewise.

Following a recent rather challenging rehearsal in which I felt an inordinate amount of time was spent correcting notes and intonation, I was led to write a note of my own to my chorus.  First, I told them that much good had been accomplished as we fine tuned (both literally and figuratively) a number of spots in the music.  The progress made during the rehearsal was substantial and I appreciated very much how hard everyone was working.  Still, much of that work should have been done outside of the rehearsal and that brought  me to my next point.  It was to understand the importance of corporate and individual responsibilities in a choral rehearsal.  This was something Robert Shaw discussed often with his singers and it recognizes that what we present to an audience is a group effort made up of personal contributions.  I reminded my chorus that a favorite phrase of mine is that the “whole is greater than the sum of its parts.”  That phrase reminds us that in a choral performance we must perform as a unified whole.  But prior to achieving that unified whole there is an individual responsibility that must be accepted by each of us.  Our corporate responsibility as a chorus to do honor to the composer and the music will always be controlled to a degree by each singer and his commitment to that corporate responsibility.  Therefore, the old adage about a group being only as strong as its weakest member resonates strongly in choral ensembles.  We become our best self (chorus) when each singer decides it really depends on him or her.

37,000,000 Choral Singers

I just read an interesting statistic from Chorus America, a fantastic organization that offers support to all kinds of choruses, but especially community choirs.   Chorus America shared that there are more American choral singers than there are residents of California, and the population of that enormous state is over 37,000,000.  When you think about, that’s an amazing number!   In school and university choruses, church choirs, community ensembles, and many other types of choral groups, over 37,000,000 people are gathering on a regular basis to lift their voices in song.

It seems to me this is a statistic worth celebrating.  It also makes me wonder what it is that prompts so many people to sing in a group.  I know many of the reasons, having heard them from singers through the years, but I’m especially interested in hearing from the readership of this blog.  What are some of your most memorable choral experiences and what keeps you involved in choral singing?

Singing with an “Aging” Voice

A question that pops up now and then (especially around audition time) is how to cope with a “mature” or, shall we just say it, an “aging” voice.  It’s a challenging issue, for no one enjoys admitting that he can’t manipulate his voice as easily as he once did.   The good news is that we can continue singing with a relatively good tone well into our retirement years, and for many of us, that’s when our schedules finally allow a lot of singing!  Still, we need to accept some “adjustments” to our vocal production.

First, we need to understand that our range will probably diminish as we age.  This phenomenon is usually experienced more by sopranos and tenors, and they may discover the need to move from 1st to 2nd or even to the alto or baritone part.  Breathing and breath support also become an issue, and the older singer may find herself taking more frequent breaths than in the past.  There’s nothing wrong with breathing more often (hey, it keeps us alive!), and low, diaphragmatic breathing, combined with good support, is a wonderful physical exercise for the older adult.  Excess vibrato can also become a problem in the aging voice and it is often related to the breath support just mentioned.  The singer can “correct” much of the vibrato issue by concentrating on singing as straight a tone as possible.  It’s amazing the role our minds play in singing, and the mature singer can use his well developed mind to “imagine” the beautiful tone he wants to produce.   The older singer should also be careful about the volume at which she sings.  I often tell my singers to never sing louder than their own “personal” beautiful tone.  With the older voice, we usually discover that for a tone to be beautiful and controlled, we may need to sing with a somewhat softer sound than we did twenty years earlier!   The key to success, no matter what our age, is to come to rehearsal prepared, and ready to concentrate and work to be the best singer possible.

As I mentioned at the beginning of this blog, there is good news for the older singer.  It is great to know that almost all choral singers can find a way to participate in some choral ensemble for as long as they live, and when you think about it, a lifetime of singing is pretty good!

To Blend or Not to Blend

To blend or not to blend, that is the question. With apologies to Shakespeare, there really shouldn’t even be a question here.   Most of us involved in choruses, either as singers or conductors, would say that of course we should blend.    Therefore, why is it that so many choirs fail to achieve a good blend?   A possible reason is that it requires a high level of concentration and commitment from both singer and conductor.   It doesn’t just happen.   So, what is blend?  One definition suggests that blend means “to mix smoothly and inseparably together.”   I think that definition works very well as a starting point in considering choral blend.  First, let’s differentiate between choral balance and choral blend.  Try to think of choral balance as being something that occurs primarily between voice sections, e.g., balance between the sopranos and basses, and choral blend as something that occurs within a section, e.g., all the tenors singing in such a way as to unify their sound and sound like one voice (this is something, by the way, that is almost impossible for tenors to achieve!).    Obviously, there can still be blend between sections and balance within sections, but for the time being I’ll ask you to accept my generalized descriptions of each.

My concept of blend includes several key points:  correct pitches and rhythms, unified and well produced vowels and consonants, and proper breathing and support.  Add to this a real desire on the part of the singer to truly have his or her voice become part of the choral sound, and be willing to be a “part of the whole.”  I mention this because we live in such a self-absorbed society today that being the “center of attention” often seems to be more attractive than being a small, though integral, “part of the whole.”  While I don’t necessarily believe that choral music holds all the answers to the ills of our world, I do consider it to be a good start!  So, as a conductor, I pledge to concentrate this year on achieving a beautiful choral blend, expecting that my singers will supply (with my help) the pitches, rhythms, vowels, consonants, breathing, and support that will make it possible.

So, what have been your experiences with choral blend?

Thanks for the Memories

 Here is a letter I recently wrote to my singers in appreciation for all they do.  I would imagine the sentiments I feel would be mirrored by many conductors across the country.  Singers, thank you for what who contribute to so many people in so many ways.

Dear MOS Friends,

First, I want to thank you for a most remarkable concert this past Friday evening.  When you receive a standing ovation in the middle of the concert you figure you must be doing something right!  I appreciate, more than you know, all the hard work you put into this concert, especially during the week of the performance (three rehearsals plus a performance is quite a commitment).  You sang beautifully and I am very proud of you.  Next, I want to express my appreciation for the entire year of rehearsals and performances.  Agreeing to be a member of MOS carries with it an acceptance to make many personal sacrifices in order to fulfill what is certainly a demanding schedule.  I am very grateful to all of you who have honored that commitment and helped make this one of our finest seasons of music making. 

Now we look forward to a new season and to all the possibilities of beauty it will include.   Many of you have already gone through the reaudition process (and lived through it) and I’ll be seeing many more of you in the next few weeks.  I hope you understand this is something every serious chorus undertakes (some do it every year) and it is essential for our long term growth and improvement.

Don’t forget it’s not too late to sign up for Summer Singers!  The group is shaping up nicely (currently about 140), but I’d be happy to have some more of my MOS regulars, especially MEN!

Thanks again for everything you do to enrich my life and the lives of so many others.

Warmly,

Michael

Choral Music Impacts Our Lives

Chorus America is a national organization that supports the work of choral groups (especially independent choruses) around the country.  The Michael O’Neal Singers has been a proud member of Chorus America for many years.  In 2009 Chorus America commissioned a study of the impact of choruses and choral singing in our American life.  There were four key findings:

Finding #1 – Choral singing continues to be the most popular form of participation in the performing arts.   There are an estimated 32.5 million adults regularly singing in choruses today and 42.6 million Americans overall (including children).

Finding #2 – Adults who sing in choruses are remarkably good citizens.  Chorus members are avid patrons of the arts, they volunteer significantly more frequently than the general public, they contribute much more financially to philanthropic organizations than the average American, and they exhibit greater civic leadership than their fellow Americans.

Finding #3 – Children who sing in choruses have academic success and valuable life skills.  Children who sing in choruses get significantly better grades in school, they are more likely to possess qualities conducive to learning and development, e.g., good memory, good practice and homework habits, and high levels of creativity, and finally, they are better team players and have more advanced social skills.

Finding #4 – The decline in choral singing opportunities for children and youth is a key area for concern.  More than one in four educators say there is no choir program in their schools and one in five parents say there are no choir opportunities for their children in their communities. 

Obviously, the first three findings are excellent news for those of us who love choral music, while the fourth finding is distressing, especially in light of the first three.  I would encourage everyone who cares about the future of choral music to spread the information obtained from this study.  It provides an opportunity to express pride in the impact of the choral artistic effort, and also gives a chance to encourage actions that will foster choral growth for generations to come.  A copy of the full Chorus Impact Study is available from Chorus America at www.chorusamerica.org.

Singing for the Joy of It!

The Michael O’Neal Summer Singers began rehearsals last night with 170 excited singers (well, perhaps 167, but I still have hope for those remaining three!).  The evening was a reminder to me that one of the things I love most about choral music is the enthusiasm of the singers.  As folks entered the rehearsal room I noticed many persons renewing past summer friendships, and many individuals meeting for the first time.  There was a discernible air of anticipation as everyone gathered and waited for the first notes to be sung.   I mentioned at the beginning of the rehearsal how much I enjoy the egalitarian quality of Summer Singers – no audition required, open to all interested singers.  This approach results in a chorus comprised of beginning singers, professional soloists, and everything in-between.  It’s wonderful! 

So what are your thoughts about singing in a chorus?  What are some of your special choral memories?  What is it that inspires you to include singing in your busy life?  Share your thoughts in this blog and let’s learn from each other.