08-05-2011, 12:00 PM
Monday afternoon I was at the Puna Men's Chorus tryouts to provide moral support and see how the new director, Amy, ran the process. This was her first time.
She warmly welcomed everyone and invited each person to introduce themself (new singers and wives alike), then had us all do a couple of fun warm-up vocal exercises (such as singing ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah up and down the scale from a starting note on the piano; she started in the middle range, then went high, then went low, so everyone had a chance to sing in their range).
For the interest of those who read music photocopies of the TTBB (1st Tenor, 2nd Tenor, Baritone, Bass) arrangement for "Irish Blessing" were passed around and an introduction given on how to read TTBB musical scoring. She explained what the different marks mean and how to follow the bass line or the 1st tenor line, only, while singing. [There are also practice tracks available to sing along with, which is how I and several other among the guys memorize our parts -no need to read music in order to sing in PMC.]
On Monday we then sang through Irish Blessing several times, accompanied by the piano, with Amy listening. She moved us around until we were organized into sections and sang it again. Sounded good!
Then everyone went outside and chatted while she stayed in the room with the piano and had each of the new guys come in and do an individual do-ray-mi-fa-so-la-ti-do type thang with her, watching breathing and that sort of stuff, so she could give coaching on breathing and suchlike. Lotsa fun for all, no anxiety. There will be another tryout on Monday, 29AUG, just like this last one in format if you have the time and interest that afternoon. More details here:
http://punamenschorus.org/announcing-try...ns-chorus/
Looks like when PMC starts up practicing again in September we will be selecting from among Broadway songs and film music to make a romantic comedy show using a mash-up of great tunes most folks already know and love. Some examples of songs which have been put forward so far are Time Warp (Rocky Horror), Some Enchanted Evening (South Pacific), If Ever I Would Leave You (Camelot), Wandr'n Star (Paint Your Wagon), Aquarius (HAIR), Phantom of the Opera, Impossible Dream (Man of LaMancha), Sunrise Sunset (Fiddler on the Roof) and so on. I am sure many, many, other songs will be put forward; it will be hilarious to see the show which emerges from the final mix which is chosen. This next season is sure to be all sorts of fun!
)'( )'( )'( )'( )'( )'( )'( )'( )'( )'( )'( )'( )'( )'( )'( )'( )'( )'( )'( )'( )'(
Mind-Boggling Scandinavian Strangeness In Space!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kA5GkLM5C7M
)'( )'( )'( )'( )'( )'( )'( )'( )'( )'( )'( )'( )'( )'( )'( )'( )'( )'( )'( )'( )'(
She warmly welcomed everyone and invited each person to introduce themself (new singers and wives alike), then had us all do a couple of fun warm-up vocal exercises (such as singing ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah up and down the scale from a starting note on the piano; she started in the middle range, then went high, then went low, so everyone had a chance to sing in their range).
For the interest of those who read music photocopies of the TTBB (1st Tenor, 2nd Tenor, Baritone, Bass) arrangement for "Irish Blessing" were passed around and an introduction given on how to read TTBB musical scoring. She explained what the different marks mean and how to follow the bass line or the 1st tenor line, only, while singing. [There are also practice tracks available to sing along with, which is how I and several other among the guys memorize our parts -no need to read music in order to sing in PMC.]
On Monday we then sang through Irish Blessing several times, accompanied by the piano, with Amy listening. She moved us around until we were organized into sections and sang it again. Sounded good!
Then everyone went outside and chatted while she stayed in the room with the piano and had each of the new guys come in and do an individual do-ray-mi-fa-so-la-ti-do type thang with her, watching breathing and that sort of stuff, so she could give coaching on breathing and suchlike. Lotsa fun for all, no anxiety. There will be another tryout on Monday, 29AUG, just like this last one in format if you have the time and interest that afternoon. More details here:
http://punamenschorus.org/announcing-try...ns-chorus/
Looks like when PMC starts up practicing again in September we will be selecting from among Broadway songs and film music to make a romantic comedy show using a mash-up of great tunes most folks already know and love. Some examples of songs which have been put forward so far are Time Warp (Rocky Horror), Some Enchanted Evening (South Pacific), If Ever I Would Leave You (Camelot), Wandr'n Star (Paint Your Wagon), Aquarius (HAIR), Phantom of the Opera, Impossible Dream (Man of LaMancha), Sunrise Sunset (Fiddler on the Roof) and so on. I am sure many, many, other songs will be put forward; it will be hilarious to see the show which emerges from the final mix which is chosen. This next season is sure to be all sorts of fun!
)'( )'( )'( )'( )'( )'( )'( )'( )'( )'( )'( )'( )'( )'( )'( )'( )'( )'( )'( )'( )'(
Mind-Boggling Scandinavian Strangeness In Space!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kA5GkLM5C7M
)'( )'( )'( )'( )'( )'( )'( )'( )'( )'( )'( )'( )'( )'( )'( )'( )'( )'( )'( )'( )'(
)'( )'( )'( )'( )'( )'( )'( )'( )'( )'( )'( )'( )'( )'( )'( )'( )'( )'( )'( )'( )'(
Astonishing skill! This archer is a real-life Legolas and then some!
http://geekologie.com/2013/11/real-life-...rs-anc.php
)'( )'( )'( )'( )'( )'( )'( )'( )'( )'( )'( )'( )'( )'( )'( )'( )'( )'( )'( )'( )'(
Astonishing skill! This archer is a real-life Legolas and then some!
http://geekologie.com/2013/11/real-life-...rs-anc.php
)'( )'( )'( )'( )'( )'( )'( )'( )'( )'( )'( )'( )'( )'( )'( )'( )'( )'( )'( )'( )'(