Choir is the most difficult class at Wayzata High School because in order to excel, everyone must think of…
· The Note
o On pitch?
o Approach pitch form top or bottom?
o Head voice?
o Light or dark sound?
o What color is required for this peace?
o What tone am I making?
o Am I blending?
o How long do I hold for?
o What is the dynamic?
o Will the dynamic change soon?
o Special markings? tenuto, staccato?
· The Word
o Special pronunciation? (Gloria à Kloh-dia, Love à Lah-vih)
o When does the word cut off? On beat, end of beat?
o Pitched letters (v, m, w) or unpitched (t, k, p)?
o Emphasis on vowels or consonants?
o What vowel shape will make the best sound?
o Is everyone unified?
…for every single note in the entire song.
Then there’s the space in between each and every note…
· Breath
o Where are there slurs?
o When do the people around me breathe?
o Am I stagger-breathing?
o Breath marks of no breath?
o Am I breathing correctly?
o Light breath?
o What kind of breath do I need for the next phrase?
· Rests
o How long?
o Why is there a rest, musically?
o Suspense, pause or respite?
o What is still going on?
…because the silence is music too.
Of course, there’s the music as a whole…
· The Self
o Are you memorized?
o Portraying emotion?
o Standing straight?
o Breath dropping?
o Engaged posture?
o Responding to cues?
o Aware of what is coming next?
· The Logistics
o What is the rhythm? Same rhythm as others?
o What is the tempo?
o How is the song set up? (ABA theme?)
o Who has the melody? What am I?
o Am I accompanying?
o How do the different parts interact?
o Polyphonic/Homophonic?
o Major or minor? 3rd or 5th? Harmonic or melodic?
o When was this music written?
o What does that change?
· The Mood
o When does the phrase begin/end?
o Theme repeat? How is this different?
o Tone/color matches mood?
o What do the other parts sound like? Do we match?
o Dynamic markings: crescendo, decrescendo?
o Intensity?
o Slur to draw out?
o What is this piece about?
o Does your sound reflect that?
o Does your silence reflect that?
…which is where the artistry lies.
Choir is more than just making pretty music.
It is giving up a piece of yourself to create something
more than the sum of its parts.
It realigns, reassures, excites, and self-affirms.
We just make it look easy.
No comments:
Post a Comment