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Author Topic: Choir Director techniques/tips  (Read 7778 times)

Offline PianoWizard

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Re: Choir Director techniques/tips
« Reply #20 on: October 10, 2007, 08:55:13 AM »
Welcome to the LGM family "ramel22".....Be Blessed.

PianoWiz...

Offline mcdonald910

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Re: Choir Director techniques/tips
« Reply #21 on: October 17, 2007, 12:14:25 AM »
Do you think these techniques could work on a choir of about 10?  I am the director of a middle age group.  All they want do is sing, have no idea about parts, timing (some), and expression.  I have experience singing in my high school choir in the past but that was ten years ago.  What can I do for this size of choir?To teach parts to them how would I start off?

Offline Sannysan1908

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Re: Choir Director techniques/tips
« Reply #22 on: October 18, 2007, 07:46:39 PM »
Do you think these techniques could work on a choir of about 10?  I am the director of a middle age group.  All they want do is sing, have no idea about parts, timing (some), and expression.  I have experience singing in my high school choir in the past but that was ten years ago.  What can I do for this size of choir?To teach parts to them how would I start off?
Middle Age??  30-45 or better??? Which one??  But it shouldn't matter with the age...
What you may want to try is a Song the group already knows and You listen to them to see who fits where...or you may want to do warm-ups to see what range of voices...this is just a start.

Offline Sannysan1908

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Re: Choir Director techniques/tips
« Reply #23 on: October 18, 2007, 07:49:40 PM »
Do you think these techniques could work on a choir of about 10?  I am the director of a middle age group.  All they want do is sing, have no idea about parts, timing (some), and expression.  I have experience singing in my high school choir in the past but that was ten years ago.  What can I do for this size of choir?To teach parts to them how would I start off?

Ok...middle age...30-45 or better??  but it shouldn't matter.... ;)
You may want to work on a song the group already knows or do warm-up techniques to see who fits where....this is just a start

Offline Formuzik

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Re: Choir Director techniques/tips
« Reply #24 on: October 29, 2007, 02:49:37 AM »
I'm sure you got a lot of ideas here.  :-)

Each of us are from different schools and our church situations and talent base varies.  I have been privileged to work with mostly white or mixed choirs and grew up in Mississippi with just good ol' black church folks. 

When I go back into "black" church situation to teach workshops or clinics, most are not readers at all; I teach them by rote and continually have them sing.  In other words, I use short phrases in a song and I start with whoever has melody  and let that section sing their part as I add the others to it.  If there is a bass section, I teach them after the melody is taught, then add the harmonies beginning with the most difficult. 

When I work with my church choir things are different.  I never let them hear a song until after I have taught it because many times, I change lyrics to fit our Theological or cultural understanding and I don't want to confuse anyone on words.  Also, I often arrange parts differently or even completely rework the chords and vocal movements;  I only let them hear a song to get the "feel" of it. 

I do have my praise singers in microphones at all times because they learn quickly and help me coach the others.  I do not have them learn ahead of time, because I don't want people in my praise team to ever feel elitist or get "special" time with me that others don't get.  That's something personal for me. 

I do give my choir a minimum of three weeks before we sing a song in church, so by the time we perform it in service, they really know it.  I don't believe in teaching a song Thursday night and us sing it on Sunday, unless it is so repetitious like Dorinda Clark-Cole's "I'm Determined."  Very few of those songs are written in more.  LOL

Send a private message if you want to discuss this in detail with me.

Pastor Forster
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