https://youtu.be/Aq-tynQ-v3c

Vocal Warm-ups and Technical Exercises 

Physical 

Full body wake-up Singing is very physical, therefore, it is important to warm-up the entire body before singing. Like any type of physical exercise, singers require a strong and energized body in order to sing most effectively. In this exercise we focus on all parts of the body, isolating them, and energizing them. By zoning in and focusing on specific body parts, we not only achieve a more thorough warm-up but we identify how each part of the body is involved in singing. Starting with the toes and feet and working up to the head, isolate and focus on separate parts of the body. Shaking, Wiggling, stretching, whatever is necessary in order to free and energize the body before singing. 

Breathing 

This exercise encourages a low-expansive breath and is executed sitting down on a sturdy chair or stool. Leaning forward with the elbows on the thighs and the neck free, the singer breathes freely in their own time through the mouth; focusing on where the breath is felt. This position allows the singer to easily feel expansion in the abdomen as well as through the entire back on inhalation. Once the singer has repeated this pattern a few times they can stand up and attempt to recreate the same sensation (expansion) whilst standing.

Diction 

Simamaka is an exercise I put to music based on a Swahili saying my student, of Tanzanian decent, taught me. It is particularly useful for young singers but can work for any age. This is a fun diction exercise as there are many fast consonants to be articulated. Switching between Swahili and English while gradually getting faster requires focus. This is a great exercise for diction, focus, intonation, and energizing a group of singers.

Resonance

Ascending on ‘ve’ and opening to a vowel ([e] [a]) as the singer descends, this arpeggio exercise ties together a number of technical concepts, while focusing on finding a balanced resonance. The ‘ve’ (similar to a lip trill) helps the singer find engagement through the abdominal and intercostal muscles. This engagement is very important for breath connection.

Flexibility 

This technical exercise consists of three quick ascending/descending scales (of a fifth) sung on one breath to [e], [a], and [o]. This exercise helps build vocal flexibility as well as vowel clarity.

http://www.choralnet.org/2016/11/choral-potpourri-choral-ethics-apologies/ I was browsing through ChroalNet and came across Marie Grass Amenta’s blog, in particular her November 3 submission, "Choral Potpourri; Choral Ethics; Apologies". This was a short read but I think it has a valuable message. Amenta discusses the importance of an apology when you have done something wrong. Having the ability to apologize means that an individual is able to identify and own responsibility for their wrongdoing, no matter what the situation may be. This may seem like a simple action for most people, but there are many individuals who are unable to accept when they have done or said something to hurt, offend, or disappoint someone, and therefore, are unable to offer an apology. Amenta describes the situation of one of her recent correspondents, who for the purposes of privacy, she names Deb. Deb experienced a difficult day in which a series of very unfortunate events occurred one after another making it difficult for her to cope with her daily responsibilities as a music teacher. I'm sure we can all recall and relate to a day like this. Deb's colleague pointed out that when one is going through a difficult time it is normal to feel overwhelmed, anxious, moody, and unmotivated. In fact, these are natural human responses to trauma. He suggested that rather than push through these emotions, admitting to them up front and in sort 'apologize' could diffuse any predicted negative outcomes. Deb hesitantly experimented with this 'pre-apology' with her church choir that same day. She let the group know at the start of rehearsal that she was having a rough day, the reasons for it, and apologized in advance if she seemed distracted or generally not her cheery self. She opened up to her ensemble and in turn they were empathetic and understanding. This apology allowed Deb to express her emotions in an honest way and helped her get through her rehearsal in the most productive way possible on that day. She and the ensemble felt better for her honesty. While this story may seem a little lacklustre, I think it offers basic advice that is often overlooked. It is easy to push through negative emotions and carry on about your daily routine pretending there is nothing wrong. Often times however, these suppressed emotions cause an otherwise cheerful person to become unintentionally irritable, rude, or distracted and can hurt the people you associate with. Ultimately knowing when you should and being able to apologize, no matter the circumstance, is very important. This is particularly true for teachers. When a teacher has the ability to apologize to their students, for whatever reason, this shows strength and a sense of mentorship on the teacher’s behalf. This honesty demonstrates to students that everyone is capable of doing wrong, vulnerability can be a strength, and it is ok to make mistakes as long as we learn from these mistakes. This notion of apology and vulnerability reminded me of one of the recipes in "The Choral Director’s Cookbook Insights and Inspired Recipes for Beginners and Experts". Conductor, Weston Noble addresses the importance of being vulnerable whilst conducting in his submission to this book. Weston believes that vulnerability is a necessary skill for any successful conductor, however, most individuals (even the greats) struggle with finding this openness and level of comfort. This recipe is a reflection of Noble’s own struggles in finding vulnerability and taking risks in front of an ensemble and the great sense of togetherness, freedom, and success once found.

Davids Ch. 15, Williams Ch. 7 I really appreciate that both texts emphasize the importance of the choral director in promoting good vocal health amongst their choristers. I imagine it would be fairly easy for some choral conductors, particularly those who may not have great knowledge of the vocal instrument, to disregard this topic when rehearsing a choir or pass it off as the choristers own responsibility or that of their private voice instructor. I think it is essential that every choral director be educated in vocal health and the functions (both healthy and unhealthy) of the vocal apparatus in order to direct most efficiently. The vocal health of a choir begins with the choral director and how they model, explain, promote, and develop healthy singing. I question the section where Davids discusses rehearsal cooldowns (p. 244). While I can see that a cooldown after a rehearsal can be slightly beneficial, I wonder how practical or how common-practice this is. I have never been part of a rehearsal that implemented a cooldown as part of the rehearsal schedule. There is simply too much material to cover in a given rehearsal time that priority is not made to cooling down the voice. I question really whether it is necessary at all. A warm up is obviously essential as it not only helps prepare the voice for singing but helps build vocal technique as well. A cooldown, when time is precious, is a little redundant. The voice is already warmed up and if the singers have been given enough break time throughout the rehearsal then they should not be over-tired. Returning to regular speaking after the rehearsal is enough of cooldown for the voice in my opinion. Williams discusses lifestyles for singers in Chapter 7. I understand that as a singer and/or singing teacher, this is important information to know and keep in mind but I believe it is also important to know that singers can obsess too much over things that they believe negatively affect the voice. Unless an individual is prone to certain vocal stressors, I think it important to focus on maintaining a balanced lifestyle bearing in mind the age-old saying “everything in moderation”. I think singers can obsess too much over what they eat, drink, do, or even say before a performance and often these obsessions can be more in the mind than anything else. I was a little alarmed by the section where Williams discuses medications and deciding whether or not the benefits of the medication outweigh the importance of the performance. While I’m certain she is not suggesting that singers stop taking medication (and if she is she is most likely referring to over-the-counter medication such as Advil or Tylenol) for the benefit of their performance. I think these statements can be easily misconstrued by certain individuals, therefore, perhaps these topics are best discussed on a case-to-case basis by medical specialists rather than in a book about Teaching Singing.

PechaKucha Presentation-The Choral Director's Cookbook

The Choral Director's Cookbook by Sarah Loveys on Scribd

I am re-posting the link to my recent Prezi on Carmina Slovenica as the first link was not active:

http://prezi.com/hf-ima_fkx1v/?utm_campaign=share&utm_medium=copy