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Author Topic: Any tips for choir  (Read 19193 times)

Offline hammondorganlover

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Any tips for choir
« on: January 31, 2014, 03:33:00 PM »
Hi. My name is Austin. I am 16 y/o and I currently play the keyboard for a small Baptist Church. I am the only musician besides the drummer. I am currently still taking lessons and consider myself intermediate, but still have a lil ways to go.. Especially with picking up songs by myself by ear. There's no choir director, so the choir looks to me to teach songs and parts. I do the best I can, but I don't really know what I'm doing when it comes to teaching parts. This is a fairly small choir where most of them loves quartet style(which I hate). Any tips to help me with them and also to kind of transition them to more choir songs. During practice, we really can't get anything done because they love to talk and play and it's hard for me to get them under control especially since I'm only 16.  Any tips or suggestions would be greatly appreciated

Offline all4hisGLORY

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Re: Any tips for choir
« Reply #1 on: January 31, 2014, 04:18:21 PM »
Well the fact you're 16 doesn't help the situation. Older people don't want to be directed by young people that's just life. Try to get the pastor to come to some practices. I know from experience those are gonna be some of your best practices. As far as teaching people their parts you may wanna check out musicademy they have a lot of good DVDs. I'm not sure exactly what you mean when you say quartet style unless that's like the slow Gaithers style. Listen to your local Christian station for ideas or anything by passion, hillsong, citipointe, or chris tomlin are always popular. Go slow with your transition and overtime they'll accept it but don't throw out all of the old songs. You're always gonna have people that prefer newer stuff and ones that prefer the old styles.

Offline hammondorganlover

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Re: Any tips for choir
« Reply #2 on: January 31, 2014, 05:03:14 PM »
Yes, your right, they don't want to listen to me. I forgot to add tht I am not a member of the church. The pastor has a very busy schedule and he is not musically inclined and  I don't think he's into music or is even concerned about the music dept. When I say quartet style, I mean like male chorus songs like Lee Williams, and older songs like tht. We have incorporated some newer more up to date choir songs, but what they really like and want to learn is the male chorus songs, and mind you there are NO men in the choir except a 17y/o who says he's an alto

Offline all4hisGLORY

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Re: Any tips for choir
« Reply #3 on: January 31, 2014, 06:20:58 PM »
What's the average age of the people in your choir

Offline hammondorganlover

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Re: Any tips for choir
« Reply #4 on: January 31, 2014, 06:39:52 PM »
5 women ages 40s-50s 1 woman in her 70s 3 teenage girls 1 teenage male

Offline all4hisGLORY

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Re: Any tips for choir
« Reply #5 on: January 31, 2014, 07:24:54 PM »
You may wanna start with upbeat Congregationalists first like I'm going to the enemies camp and can't nobody do me like Jesus. A lot of prayer will help too. 

Offline JoanHall

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Re: Any tips for choir
« Reply #6 on: January 31, 2014, 08:08:48 PM »
If they like quartet music, I would say go ahead and include plenty of that.  I think if you change the key the songs could work fine for a female choir.  Working with them first on their kind of music can help them to see you as an ally.

As far as teaching parts, the main thing is repetition (although it sounds like with the choir you're working with, it may be a challenge to get them to commit to the repetition it takes to learn parts well).  I wrote a web article once that you might want to check out: How to teach a choir song.

If you have trouble figuring out what the parts are in order to be ready to teach them, once again repetition and practice will sharpen your skills.  And there are also websites where you can get practice tracks with the individual parts for particular songs (the link to mine is in my sig line -- ChoirParts.com).

For trying to introduce newer music, I would suggest that you bring it in gradually and maybe start with "older" new songs.  First some contemporary music from the '70s, then work your way up into the '80s, and so on.  And sometimes even if a person isn't into the musical style of a particular song, they might get into it if they really like the lyrics.  So try to find songs with a strong message that fits in with the major themes that their pastor emphasizes in his preaching.

God bless.

Offline hammondorganlover

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Re: Any tips for choir
« Reply #7 on: January 31, 2014, 08:39:57 PM »
Thank you. I will try to include some of these tips. Greatly appreciated!

Offline Shaback

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Re: Any tips for choir
« Reply #8 on: February 12, 2014, 07:23:11 AM »
Directing a choir where you already perceived rebellion and insubordination is a tasking thing to do. Most importantly you have to pray seriously and fast for wisdom and the charisma. Moreso, you have to know your onus and be versed in music and that will make them respect you. it is natural that people don't follow who they don't respect. Alwats be ahead of them. Again, show them maximum respect as they are your elders, as long as it does not make you 'call a spade a gun'. May God help you.

Offline hammondorganlover

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Re: Any tips for choir
« Reply #9 on: February 15, 2014, 08:55:19 PM »
Thank you so much for your comments. I will try to work on this  :)

Michaelpa

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Any tips for choir
« Reply #10 on: December 12, 2014, 07:53:20 PM »
Does anyone have tips of suggestions for selling on Ebay? I know there can be a lot of hidden costs and am looking to avoid as many as possible. Im looking at a low sale price, so each fee will be a hit to the bottom line. Thanks for any ideas 

Chris
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