Many people here post about the benefits of being in a choir and how to better the choir as a whole. However, change in the choir begins with the individual. I believe the most important thing to have when you are singing in a choir is self-awareness. You have to always be aware of the others around you. Is the whole group singing the right notes? Are you too loud? Too quiet? These are all factors that need to be taken into account when singing within sections. Self awareness aids the blend of sound and the overall accuracy.
Another important aspect of being a good choir member is commitment. If a member is not committed, the other members will easily notice that. Additionally, and uncommitted member will not have the motivation to learn the music or perform it well. Therefore, the entire sound of the choir will not sound as good. Trust is also extremely important. Not only is trust in others important, but the most important trust is the trust in yourself. If you trust in yourself and sing your notes with full trust that they will be right, you will be more accurate and the other choir members will trust themselves more.
Finally, attentiveness is extremely important. Always watching the conductor even when your section isn't singing is extremely important because when it's your section's turn to sing, there is a quick and easy flow and rehearsals will go smoothly. If you weren't attentive during rehearsal, your whole group is losing time that could have been used towards practicing. Also, an attentive choir member can accurately cut off words and come in at the right time.
I now see with this that it's not just me having the same troubles and asking myself the same exact questions while I'm signing. And with all you're good advise, it will help me become a better member in choir because I do love signing.
ReplyDeleteThis is a very helpful post! Being new to choir I did not know about all the mannerisms that had to have been followed and I do think at times I deviated away from what a good member of our choir should do. All that put aside, these tips provide a very important insight into how choir's also function well. Lately, I was watching some videos of professional choirs performing and when I think about it, they followed through with the mannerisms highlighted later in the post. Thank you for this helpful information regarding how to be a good choir member.
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