6 Q&A's
What does it sound like singing with so many wonderful voices?
The truth? It sounds like a lot of basses singing in my ear with faint hints of the other parts. (I'm not a fan of getting a "man serenade" but it is what it is.) I can hear the sopranos and altos but I rarely hear the tenors (even though our sections are next to each other) and do hear baritones if I'm seated around them. I guess if I have to hear a part I would prefer to hear the basses (It's All About The Bass). The sound in the choir loft is very different when you are so closely seated to people and the orchestra and other parts are so far away. (Seriously, everything is so spread out.)
When I first entered the choir loft it took some time to adjust to the sounds, parts and the environment. After some time everything seemed more normal and I became acclimated to hearing things in that setting.
What I was often surprised about after a concert was hearing comments from the audience saying how beautiful it sounds. Well, I don't hear the well blended sound like the audience. I hear mostly basses in my ear. Fortunately, everyone sings in tune although at times one may be singing louder than others. It's all about blend.
How do you keep from crying during some of the songs?
I don't. If I'm going to cry, I cry. Why hold it in? I'm not afraid to shed my man tears. That's what makes me so awesome.
What advice does your conductor give you guys the most?
It varies but I would say it would be to listen to the other parts and to use high unified vowels. There are so many variations produced from vowels that run the gamut of being too light and bright (juvenile sounding) and too swallowed and flat (just plain flat and heavy). Finding one vowel sound and placement that everyone uses consistently in a choir of our size is a really big challenge.
Other than that I'm sure he gives the same advice all other choir conductors give to their choirs:
- Watch for cues
- Don't sing flat
- Get out of your music
- Take and practice music at home if you are unfamiliar with it
- Be quiet and don't talk during rehearsal
Are there songs you wish the choir would sing?
I'm not sure how to answer this. Last year we sang a song from pop artist Pharrell and this year, during the July 4th celebration at West Point we sang backup to a song by Toby Keith. I'm not sure there are any songs that are off limits for the choir at this point. (Watch out Beyonce.)
I do want to say that I love the sound chamber singers/choirs produce. So lovely and pure. Of course, the size of our choir limits our ability to do what smaller chamber singers/choir can do. So we have to do what a choir our size can do and do well.
Still, in recording Handel's Messiah last year we were able to sing much more like a chamber choir which I absolutely loved. There are songs that a choir our size shouldn't do which is fine but their are some pieces that I would love to perform. Of course, the bar for chamber singers/choirs is very high and requires some very skilled singing to be good but it is a different animal than what we do.
What is/was your favorite place to perform?
Now that I've been on tour and have been a few places with the choir I could choose a lot of places. Carnegie Hall? Strathmore? Deer Valley? Hands down it was in the Tabernacle during the ACDA Conference in February 2015. The Tabernacle is our home and the program for ACDA was something that transcended anything I have ever done with the choir before or since. That program, to me, was my favorite. Those performances were the most moving for me and I think for the audience.
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| Ohhhh... it's just so pretty. |
Hint to anyone visiting: The sound you get in the Tabernacle varies depending on where you sit. If you come to visit, feel free to move around. Personally, the best place to hear (for me) is on the ground floor midway back. The balcony straight across from the choir is also a good place to sit. Avoid the far corners... even though their aren't any in this egg shaped building.
Is it hard to get in the choir?
Yes. I'm not sure how I even got in the choir but everything happens for a reason. There is also a reason there are various steps to becoming a member of the choir.
I found myself going back since joining the choir to review and study music theory as well as fine tune my own instrument on my own time. To get music the same day or at the rehearsal before a performance requires someone who can look at music, read it well and interpret it the way the conductor wants it to be done. If I were to go back through the audition process I'm sure I would ace all of it. I'm still learning. I'm still trying to do and be better. I'm a work in progress for sure.
Well, that's all I'll answer for now. Send me any other questions you may have through Twitter, Facebook, Ello, Instagram, Tumblr, email or if you know me and see me regularly, just ask. Yeah, I'm everywhere.
