One of the biggest factors that will effect your singing is having confidence.
Everyone, old and new, should know this. Of course I’m not an expert, this is purely anecdotal, but confidence is extremely important. When the class is trying to build a chord, if you aren’t confident singing your note you might waver and mess up the chord. If you are singing a certain part in a song, and you aren't confident you might wait for others to sing before singing a note, this can mess up your counting, and be hitting notes late, which will sound weird. When singing in choir, you can't rely on a more experienced student to be the “leader” of your part, you have to learn your part, then step up and own it. Believe me, you all have amazing voices, but when you're nervous you can’t shine! I mean have you ever heard yourself sing in the shower? This also applies to singing alone in class, it’s important to disregard when other people are thinking about you and just go for it, hit your notes on time, project you confident tone as loud as you can! I hope this helps to encourage anybody who is even a little afraid when singing out in choir.
I think this is great advice because sometimes I get a little wary about singing a part of a song that I do not know. I learned that looking at the solfegge before singing helps me out a lot. Sometimes, I try to be a leader and project my voice so that other students feel more confident singing their notes. I think that making mistakes is okay and perfectly normal. You learn from your mistakes and understand what needs to be fixed. Also, if you make a mistake in a performance, don't make a facial expression that will make it obvious. So many parts of the song are going on at the same time that the audience probably will not even notice that you sang a wrong note.
ReplyDeleteI totally agree with everything that has been said so far about the topic of choral courage, and believe that it is something we should all keep in mind when we are singing. I think when you are confident in your knowledge of your part, it is that much easier to sing confidently. While I do not always follow my own advice here, I think listening to sound files for parts you do not know as well can be really helpful. So can exploring the internet for other choirs performing a piece you are singing, so that you can hear what a piece can sound like. If you truly know your part, you are able to sing confidently, and project that confidence onto other people in your section who may not know the piece as well, or have the confidence to sing out fully. I think we all have room to improve in this area, as you can never be too confident, or know your part too well.
ReplyDeleteTo be honest, this post really strikes a chord with me and seems to be really helpful. Because while, at times I feel it can be very intimidating to have all these extremely talented singers around you and to be then expected to be able to sing on a level even close to them. But, as I keep singing I've found that if I just project and focus on personally doing my best then I can actually do a better job of listening to the voices around me. In the end, it seems as if for me I work best when I appreciate the talent of those around me but believe in myself to do my own part independently. Anyway, i hope someone found something helpful in this comment.
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