Movin' and Shakin': movement in choir

I have been so pleased over the last few weeks to have Mandy Swanson, one of our sopranos, conducting "Baba Yetu" which will be featured on the spring concert. Mandy will be conducting. This music is inspired by the Swahili text and has African-like rhythms. Mandy is continuously telling the choir to loosen up, and move their bodies. She always sets the scene and tone for them, focusing on rhythm, clarity of text, and feeling confident but free. She encourages their minds, voices, and bodies!

Choirs can sometimes be the toughest crowd to get excited about their own music! They are focused on so many things like, diction, dynamics, tone, vowel shape, intonation...It can be hard to remember that the audience needs to see the choir look engaged. I have seen all kinds of crazy and cool ideas about how choirs should look when singing, from hand holding to full choreographed action. All of it can have a purpose and meaning. What I think is key is seeing engagement. Are the singers committed to and enjoying the sound and text they are singing? Is it obvious on their faces? In the bodies?

I can't wait for LCA to stand up and sing for the Lincoln community on May 15th. I know we can show off our choral finesse. And I hope that Mandy and I will help them communicate in song and body language the joy of singing!

May 15, 2015
7:30 pm
With One Step... Beginning Anew

and the Summit String Quartet
First United Methodist Church, Lincoln

Choral Music and the Brain

Well it's been a minute since I have posted. The Lenten season and Holy Week really make things busy in a musicians life.

Today I want to talk a little about how community singing, by this I mean either in a choir, congregation, or any kind of public group singing, affects the brain. Lots of research is being done in this field and I find it fascinating.

First I want to mention a video I plugged on the LCA Facebook page. This is a clip of John Rutter speaking about the collective experience of choral music singing. I think John encapsulates the feeling and the emotion of group singing.

But what's the science? From a recent Choral Journal article  by Riikka Pietiläinen-Caffrey it states "The science behind the mirror neuron system explains how a conductor's facial expression elicits emotions from the singers and how a singer's expressions are then transferred to the audience, thus determining how the audience will interpret and experience the performance. A number of studies have been conducted on how music elicits emotion."

In a similar article, Gary B,. Seighman notes, "The whole is greater than the sum of its parts. Musicians in ensemble settings have felt this awareness for centuries. However, recent scientific studies are validating this adage by revealing the physiological and psychological processes of cooperative effort, especially musical collaboration. The implications of these ideas are beginning to shape our very definition of 'ensemble,' while providing new understanding of the benefits of group musical expression on the individual."

I don't have the knowledge base or the time in this blog to dive into the heavy science behind these articles, but i find it fascinating that the sense of community, relationship, the whole being stronger than the one, are all experiences I have had as a singer and conductor in choirs.

I am especially intrigued by the mirror neuron ideas that we in a sense "infect" each other with emotions. We can illicit emotions through the music, of course, but also through our presentation of the music. Instinctually I guess this makes sense. Everything from the placement of the choir, the quality of the music, and the environment a performance happens in effects me when i attend a live music event, especially a choral concert.

According to Seighman's article, "Biochemical levels serve as another mechanism that connects facial expressions with emotions in individuals. In all, singing has been linked with several chemical changes in the body; these various correlations with chemical balancing strengthen the argument that individuals who sing together synchronize physiologically."

From my perspective, though I don't want to limit the community singing experience to simply a chemical response in my brain, it is interesting to see that what I am sensing in the rehearsal and performance has deep truths in science. But returning to John Rutter's video it is still the actual experience and the participation that truly matters.

The Professional Amateurs (hopefully everyone singing in a choir!)

Below is the definition of an amateur...

Full Definition of AMATEUR- According to Merriam-Webster

1

:  devotee, admirer

2

:  one who engages in a pursuit, study, science, or sport [or music] as a pastime rather than as a profession, [but hey if your devoted than your still an amateur!]

3

:  one lacking in experience and competence in an art or science

Origin of AMATEUR

French, from Latin amator lover, from amare to love

First Known Use: 1777

Related to AMATEUR

Synonyms

dabbler, dilettante, hobbyist, layman

I remember being in a music class and hearing for the first time that an amateur is a person who LOVES what they do. The current attachment to amateur as derogatory term takes away from the joy that comes from being a True Devotee of an activity. Of course I am talking about choral music and singing on this blog. 

Another professor, who now is located in Omaha, said to me "Making Music is Making a Living." That has always inspired me. Reading deep into that statement and realizing that life consists of times and experiences over material gain is both inspiring and very difficult. 

All these beautiful, wonderful singers who participate in choral ensembles because they are true "amateurs" is what really inspires me as the "professional" to be my best, and do my best for and with everyone I work. 

Lincoln Chorals Artists strive every week, and every concert, and every event to be Professional Amateurs. There are few things in life that are as rewarding as creating music in a group, live;  both needing and supporting each other as devotees.

So my message is to go out this week and be the best amateur at the thing you love as you can be!

Recruitment, Retention, Attention...are there really any new ideas?

I have been struggling with the ideas of recruitment and retention of singers in choral ensembles.

In my last post, 

http://lcadirectorsconnector.blogspot.com/2015/02/lee-nelson-voicing-seating-and-lincoln.html

I announced an event LCA will be holding in late April. If you are interested in singing please check it out.
Here' my dilemma however, my gut tells I should stay true to programming and planning music that is at the heart of good choral writing, but also incorporate the occasional pop oriented music. This has always been my default and the groups I have worked with including LCA, have seem to responded. 


However, the response in recruitment and attendance at concerts, doesn't necessarily match with the singers experience. This is part of the reason I am hosting the "In Choir" event I mentioned above. 

Does the community in a wide sense know what it's like to sing with a group of people who really want to sing, sing well, and sing with purpose? My head tells me no, but my gut says people need and want to experience events personally. The issue is that singing feels really exposed, even if you are singing with a group. I love and support instrumental ensembles, so I am not saying anything negative, but beyond the need to understand the instrument well enough to play in an ensemble, the instrument can function as a buffer between the individual and the audience. It can be about the player and instrument. The professionals will of course say that they are always thinking about the audience. I believe that is true. But it is still tough to stand in front of a bunch a people and open your mouth, praying the "right" stuff will come out. 

It's easy to poo-poo the pop culture and media, and say that today people are so jaded by "perfect" music they hear on their portable devices and in the car. But that's a cop out. Some of the music is great and often has the emotional quotient that really engages people. And the engagement is the key.

So on our upcoming concert we are connecting with the audiences, maybe new singers, and definitely supporters of choral music and Lincoln Choral Artists with some very unique songs.

Five Hebrew Love Songs, composed by the very popular and talented Eric Whitacre, features 5 short movements of text about love, written by soprano soloist and wife of the composer, Hila Plitmann.

Lambscapes is a collection of fun, tongue-in cheek settings of Mary Had a Little Lamb.

The Men will have some fun with a song about the importance of good tailoring, especially when it comes to your lower half.

And the women will inspire us with their tongue twisting agility in a setting of the the text "Peter Piper."

There's ample opportunity for friends, new friends, and the whole community to enjoy some great music and be apart of the event!

WITH ONE STEP — Begin Anew

May 15, 2015 | 7:30 pm 

First United Methodist Church, 2723 N. 50th Street

Lee Nelson; voicing, seating, and the Lincoln community of singers

I had the great joy to sit in on a clinic rehearsal and choral sessions lead by Dr. Lee Nelson, director of Choral activities at Wartburg College on Saturday, hosted by Abendmusick at First Plymouth Congregational Church on Saturday afternoon.

InChoir Sessions

The weather was gorgeous, the windows, were open in the rehearsal room and Lee was rehearsing 3 great selections: Praise to the Lord- F. Melius Christiansen, Christ the Apple tree- Stanford Scrivens, and The Promise of Living- Aaron Copland.

It was great to see some of the cross-over singers participating in this event. Lincoln Choral Artists shares some singers with Abendmusick and First Plymouth. This is a great example of the community of singing that exists in Lincoln. 

Dr. Nelson, at the end of his rehearsal, talked about that fact that often we are all strangers coming together with a singular goal of creating music. Often this experience is indescribable. There simply is not language that communicates what is communicated in a rehearsal or live choral performance. 

I have crossed paths with Lee Nelson a number of times and have always enjoyed the rehearsals, sessions, and performances I have experienced with him at the helm. Lee and I share an Alma Mater, Concordia College in Moorhead. Lee was there at time of transition from the long time leadership of Paul J. Christiansen to the then young, new conductor René Clausen. I studied conducting and sang under Dr. Clausen in my time at Concordia. Lee and I have both come to an understanding of love of the Lutheran College Choir heritage, but we also both understand some of the issues that arise in voicing, seating, and programing in that system. Today the Lutheran colleges all have excellent choirs, but, as is exampled by Lee's leadership, the homogeneous approach to choral tone varies in many more ways than with past generations of choirs. 

I am so pleased to have seen some of my own experiences with choirs discussed on Saturday.
Lee had an image of sound on the whiteboard that I have used and received from Axel Theimer, director of choral activities at St. John's College in Minnesota. I served as Associate Artistic Director of the Boy's choir. During my tenure there this image and the concepts surrounding voicing, color, and healthy vocal productions were paramount in my experience. Lee's close connection with Axel, having served as Director of Choral activities at St. Cloud State just down the road, shows just how connected the community of choral musicians and director's is in this country.

If you have ever wondered how director's decide where every one should sit or stand for rehearsals and performances, Dr. Nelson, discussed that it is a mystery. Hopefully it's not so much of a mystery that it is unnecessary. But in my experience where a single singer is seated can change the entire sound of choir. Currently, LCA is sitting in what is known as orchestral seating. This means from the perspective of the conductor the Sopranos are to the left, Altos are at the center left, Tenors are at the center right, and the basses are at the right. This means there are 3-4 of each voice part in every row and we are currently using a 3 rows. 

What this brings me to is an announcement for our own Community singing event. 

On April 30, come to the "In Choir" Event and sit in with the Lincoln Choral Artists as we prepare for our spring concert on May 15.

Choral singing has the power to draw diverse communities together in a common musical experience. This program enables participants to get acquainted with great choral music by singing side-by-side with members of the Lincoln Choral Artists at a working rehearsal.

More than simply a rehearsal, "In Choir" events are stimulating, engaging choral experiences designed to illuminate music and text while revealing the historical and cultural influences that shaped their creation. Deliberately blurring the line between artists and spectators, "In Choir" creates opportunities for participants, at any level of musical ability, to get inside the rehearsal process. Hosted and conducted by Artistic Director Jason M. Horner,  "In Choir"  participants experience close-up and first-hand the gratifying work that culminates in polished performances. 

All "In Choir" Events are free and open to the public. Scores are available 30 minutes prior to the beginning of rehearsal. 

So come to the "In Choir" event on April 30 at 7:30 pm.

Nebraska Wesleyan University

Rogers Fine Arts, Second Floor Choral Rehearsal Room

Lincoln, NE 68504

The Clitter, Clitter, Clitter, Clatter and Pitter, Pitter, Pitter, Patter....

As a part of the "A Downton Abbey Affair" Gala
the Lincoln Choral Artists will present on Jan.25 we are performing the Finale from Gilbert and Sullivans "Gondoliers."

The text is very interesting, as is usual with Gilbert and Sullivan.

"The story of the opera concerns the young bride of the heir to the throne of the fictional kingdom of Barataria who arrives in Venice to join her husband. It turns out, however, that he cannot be identified, since he was entrusted to the care of a drunken gondolier who mixed up the prince with his own son. To complicate matters, the King of Barataria has just been killed. The two young gondoliers must now jointly rule the kingdom until the nurse of the prince can be brought in to determine which of them is the rightful king. Moreover, when the young queen arrives to claim her husband, she finds that the two gondoliers have both recently married local girls. A last complicating factor is that she, herself, is in love with another man.

The Gondoliers was Gilbert and Sullivan's last great success. In this opera, Gilbert returns to the satire of class distinctions figuring in many of his earlier librettos. The libretto also reflects Gilbert's fascination with the Stock Company Act, highlighting the absurd convergence of natural persons and legal entities, by setting the work comfortably far away from England, Gilbert was emboldened to direct sharper criticism at the nobility and the institution of the monarchy itself."- Baily, Leslie (1967). The Gilbert & Sullivan Book. London: Spring Books. Second edition, second impression

Some of the more interesting parts of text from the Finale include these words, I have included some definitions, but as is typical the sound of the words or their lack of regular usage are what make it enjoyable in the music. 

Cachucha is a Spanish solo dance in 3/4 to 3/8 time, similar to Bolero. Cachucha is danced to an Andalusian national song with castanet accompaniment.

Fandango is a lively couples dance from Iberia, usually in triple metre, traditionally accompanied by guitars and castanets or hand-clapping ("palmas" in Spanish). Fandango can both be sung and danced. Sung fandango is usually bipartite: it has an instrumental introduction followed by "variaciones". 

The bolero is a 3/4 dance^[3] that originated in Spain in the late 18th century, a combination of the contradanza and the sevillana.^[4]Dancer Sebastiano Carezo is credited with inventing the dance in 1780.^[5] It is danced by either a soloist or a couple. It is in a moderately slow tempo and is performed to music which is sung and accompanied by castanets and guitars with lyrics of five to seven syllables in each of four lines per verse. It is in triple time and usually has a triplet on the second beat of each bar. In Cuba, the bolero is usually written in 2/4 time, elsewhere often 4/4. The tempo for dance is about 120 beats per minute. The music has a gentle Cuban rhythm related to a slow son, which is the reason it may be best described as a bolero-son. Like some other Cuban dances, there are three steps to four beats, with the first step of a figure on the second beat, not the first. The slow (over the two beats four and one) is executed with a hip movement over the standing foot, with no foot-flick.^[21]

Xeres-former name of Jerez. Also called Jerez de la Frontera 

Formerly Xeres. a city in SW Spain: noted for its sherry.

adjective

2.

pertaining to, characteristic of, or resembling sherry from Jerez.

Manzanilla is a variety of fino sherry made around the port of Sanlúcar de Barrameda, in the province of Cádiz, Andalusia (Spain). In Spanish, chamomile tea is called "manzanilla", and thus this wine gets the name because the wine's flavour is said to be reminiscent of such tea.

The sherry is manufactured using the same methods as a fino and results in a very pale, dry wine. In addition, the sherry is often described as having a salty flavour, believed to develop from the fact that it is manufactured on the sea estuary of the Guadalquivir river.

Montero- a wine variety named after

a round cap with a flap at the back worn by hunters, esp in Spain in the 17th and 18th centuries,

LCA presents "A Downton Abbey Affair" Gala

So what is it about Downton Abbey that makes it so popular? I am a huge fan myself. I was so excited to watch the Season 5 premiere on Sunday. I had to tell a friend not to give anything away as she lives in the UK and finished the season nearly a year ago.

Very few television shows have the mix of elements that Downton uses. Including the music.


A few years ago, a vocal version of the Theme music was written. I have taken this text as well as the melodic and rhythmic overtures of Downton's now immediately recognizable tune and set it for SATB choir and piano. We will make the premiere performance of the music at our Gala Event!

In the spring for our Final concert of the season we will also perform this selection with strings and piano.




Come and join us in our upcoming endeavors as we invoke the expectation and glamour of Downton Abbey!