Come with an attitude to:
- Give your very best
- Risk making mistakes. That's rehearsals are for!
- Optimistically try all music, and encourge others.
- Watch and respond to the director.
Understand the purpose of rehearsals:
- Rehearsals are not a time for personal rehearsal or to learn one's notes. Learning notes is the responsibility of each choir member outside of rehearsal. While some notes may be covered in rehearsal, the goal is to minimize this and work on the more important aspects of tone, blend, style, etc. Respect your director by allowing him to do his job by doing yours; practice outside of rehearsal.
Remember good vocal habits such as:
- Keeping good posture...head as far away from the floor as possible. This will mean shoulders back, and if seated, feet flat on the floor to eliminate slouching.
- Breathing deeply...Chest and shoulders should not raise up every time you take a breath. You should feel the rib cage expand all the way around, and also sense the muscles of your diaphram working too.
- Continually work on diction. If it's important enough to sing, then it's important enough to be understood by the listeners.
- Listen carefully. Speaking of listeners...please be one of those too. Be aware of your blend. Tone is important as well as pitch. We will be continually working on these as a group. Remember, if you can't hear anything but yourself, chances are, nobody else can either.
- Understand the lyric. Remember to occasionally look again at the word and narrative of the song. When you understand them and their importance, then the song can be communicated rather than simply sung with the right notes and rhythms.
Be positive:
- Don't expect every song to tickle your tickler or give you warm fuzzies. We all have our own taste and preferences. By singing different styles, hopefully, we will all be encouraged and inspired. If you do not care for a piece, please do not affect the environment around you with negative comments.
Communicate properly:
- If you have a concern, please voice it only with those concerned and at an appropriate time. Often, before or after a rehearsal or service is not always optimum for a pastor. Consider making a phone call or scheduling an office visit.
