Singing is like Flying: Coaxing Tunefulness
Singing is like flying. To leave the ground, one has to overcome the gravity that weighs everything down. And that takes effort, effort and air. Want to get your singers to sing more tunefully? Let’s [...]
The LOOK of Love Part II
Last TIP I began a series about Singing through the Eyes . . . and how the eyes reveal the inner spirit of the singer, the mood, the attitude, the depth of the singer’s identification [...]
The LOOK of love…part I
How does a love first know the interest of her lover? It’s in the eyes, isn’t it?! Across the crowded room, a warm smile, an encouraging response to humour or an innocent query. It’s unmistakable. It's the [...]
PICKET FENCE Singing
Owning a house with a white picket fence has been the iconic dream home for generations of newly-weds. The image harkens to a world that is neat and tidy, well-ordered and nicely manicured. However, a [...]
HOLY WRIT . . . or, Let’s deface da music and dance
My six-year-old granddaughter recently discovered to her horror that another child had scribbled in a library book she was interested in reading. “It wasn’t me, mummy,” she opined to my daughter. “I would never do [...]
The Trouble with B’s
The trouble with B’s is not their sting. In fact, the trouble with B’s is that they don’t have enough sting in the first place. They’re voiceless! We’re talkin’ letters here. B’s are known as [...]
Can you hear me now?
Cellphone technology has a lot in common with the world of making music. For one thing, losing the signal is the worst! I mean, just when you think you’re part of the conversation, bam . [...]
Breadcrumbs
In ‘Bottoms UP’ I spoke about the advantages of piano cueing from the bottom note of the choral chord rather than the top down. Here’s another TIP for your pianists that will help your rehearsals [...]
The Tuner Experiment
We’ve all had the experience of tuning into a station on the radio. We rock back and forth with the tuning knob until the sound is centered. Wouldn’t it be great if you could [...]